DOZA Project Update: City Council to hold public hearing on potential amendments on June 10

On Thursday, June 10, Portland City Council will hold a public hearing on potential amendments to the Design Overlay Zone Amendments Project. This hearing follows a public hearing on May 12 and a subsequent Council work session on May 26. Commissioners will consider and hear testimony on a few amendments to the proposals in the Planning and Sustainability Commission’s Recommended Draft, including:

1. Bridges: Require a design advice request (DAR) for bridges with a span of more than 100 feet, instead of requiring a Type III Design Review for bridges with a span of more than 60 feet.
2. Make up of Design Commission: Move positions with expertise in natural resource management and sustainable building practices to the larger list of development-related experts from which five members are chosen, instead of reserving a position for each expertise.
3. Main Street Standards bundle: This amendment adds five optional design standards for projects on sites with the Centers Main Street overlay (m-overlay) in the Inner Pattern area.
4. Review of affordable housing projects: Allow more affordable housing projects to choose between a Type II and Type III procedure. Expands the eligible projects to those using a wider variety of funding options beyond City Subsidy projects. Thresholds are 50% of units at or below 60% median family income (MFI).
5. Threshold for Design Review: This amendment reduces the threshold for design review from 75 feet to 55 feet, except for projects meeting the affordable housing eligibility requirements in Amendment #4. Those affordable housing projects can choose to use the design standards or go through design review.
6. Technical amendments: Make technical amendments to the Recommended Draft or include updates from other projects that weren’t initially incorporated into the draft.
7. Ground floor active use in Arbor Lodge: This amendment adds a new Context standard for the Eastern edge of the Arbor Lodge neighborhood along North Interstate in the CM3 zone, which requires ground floor active uses in new buildings.

In addition, City Council may consider an amendment to the adopting ordinance:

8. Directive to create character statements: Direct the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability to create character statements with area-specific plans that have the Design overlay zone.

View the package of amendments, including a description of each amendment and the specific revised code language and commentary:

Portlanders can testify virtually through Zoom. Testifiers can use a computer, mobile device, or telephone to testify during the hearing. Testifiers will need to register ahead of time. The deadline for registering is Tuesday, June 8 at 4 p.m.

You do not need to register to view the hearing, which will be streamed live.

Don’t want to testify virtually? Portlanders can submit written testimony until 4 p.m. June 10 via the Map App. Select the Testify button to enter your testimony.