City Council votes to streamline the process for dividing residential property, increase housing development

News Article
A graphic showing the drawings for a planned subdivision (left two-thirds of image) and an aerial view of the built development (right one-third of image).
On July 31, commissioners unanimously adopted the Land Division Code Update; changes take effect Oct. 1.
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In another effort to accelerate the development of new housing in Portland, City Council unanimously voted to adopt a number of changes to the City’s land division regulations on July 31. The code updates will streamline and simplify the process of dividing single-dwelling residential lots to create new lots, especially for smaller, less complex residential partitions. The package of changes spans nearly 40 chapters of the zoning code and represents the first comprehensive review of the land division rules in more than 20 years.

The code changes will allow for more (smaller) single-dwelling lots for property owners and developers to build more single-family homes, as well as duplexes and triplexes.

“This is particularly important today as we face a housing emergency,” said Deputy City Administrator Donnie Oliveira as he introduced the project. “We are doing everything we can to increase housing production.”

What are the big changes for land divisions?

In addition to a number of minor and technical clarifications, the project includes three major changes:

  1. Add the option for objective land division review standards as an alternative to the current discretionary criteria, which are more subjective. This helps add certainty to the review process, while allowing for greater flexibility when its needed.
  2. Update the Potential Landslide Hazard Area map. With the most recent data available from the state, the new landslide map replaces a 20-year-old map. Applications for land divisions within the new landslide hazard area will need to include a geotechnical report of site conditions. Lots can subsequently be designed to lessen landslide risk when those risks are present.
  3. Recalibrate standards, thresholds and review procedures to align with the complexity of the application. These changes affect when certain requirements will apply to land division applications, simplify or eliminate unnecessary procedures, and streamline and reduce costs associated with small land divisions located in environmental zones.

Portland Permitting and Development is working to update their application forms and informational handouts in time for the new code, which will go into effect on Oct. 1.

Read the adopted report