What’s new this month?
- Ezones Map Correction Project adopted by City Council on May 25; effective October 1
- RIP2 (Residential Infill Project Part 2) unanimously adopted by City Council on June 1
- West Portland Town Center (WPTC) set for PSC recommendation vote on June 14
- Lower Southeast Rising Area Plan launches online open house and survey
- EV Ready Code Project draft available for review and public comment until June 17
Useful resources
Planning and Sustainability Commission (PSC)
- View tentative PSC agendas and upcoming meeting schedules.
- PSC meetings are still being held online. Meetings are streamed live, available on-demand, and tape-delayed on Channel 30.
- Check individual project pages or the PSC calendar for details on testifying via video conference.
City Council
- View upcoming City Council agendas and sign up for weekly reminders.
- City Council meetings are still being held online due to Covid-19 and are broadcast live.
Map App
You can look at interactive maps, submit testimony during testimony periods, and read submitted testimony through the BPS Map App.
PortlandMaps
Zoning, building permit, transportation, natural resource information, and more is available on PortlandMaps.com.
Sign up for BPS email updates
Do you like these monthly project updates from BPS? You can now sign yourself up to be notified by email about BPS project updates.
COVID-19 Impacts
Please be aware that public meetings are being held virtually for public health and safety, so be sure to check the calendars on specific project pages for meeting updates and the latest information.
Anti-Displacement Action Plan
What: The Anti-Displacement Action Plan (ADAP) aims to increase the resiliency of the city and our communities to deal with racial and economic disparities that contribute to displacement.
Status: A cross-bureau team of City staff continues to work internally to develop tools that better align City bureau strategies and actions to combat displacement and produce more equitable outcomes for communities. Staff is also working with the Anti-Displacement Coalition to support development of a civic leadership curriculum and a series of public workshops. More information to follow in the coming months.
Next opportunity to engage: Community members interested in learning more about the project can sign up for project updates.
Economic Opportunities Analysis (EOA)
What: The purpose of the Economic Opportunities Analysis (EOA) is to analyze and forecast growth in Portland’s industrial and other business districts, then designate an adequate 20-year supply of developable land for businesses and jobs.
Status: In April, BPS released an economic report detailing market trends for job growth in Portland. The report details economic growth and prosperity trends, local business specializations and competitiveness, as well as marine industrial forecasts and land needs.
Next opportunity to engage: Community members are invited to review the Trends Report and send comments by May 30 to eoa@portlandoregon.gov. Those interested can always sign up for email updates.
Electric Vehicle (EV) Ready Code Project
What: The project seeks to expand zero-emission transportation options for individuals and households beyond what the market is doing today, specifically in multi-dwelling housing. The project will explore Electric Vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure requirements for new multi-dwelling and mixed use development. The EV Ready Code Project will help implement policy direction from the 2017 Electric Vehicle Strategy through changes to the zoning code.
Status: The EV Ready Code Project discussion draft and economic impact analysis are now available for review and comment. The draft Zoning Code amendments will require new construction multi-dwelling and mixed-use developments to have capacity for electric vehicle charging facilities. Portlanders are invited to review the Discussion Draft and submit comments by June 17. Project staff is currently in coordination with the State’s EV rulemaking processes at both the Department of Land Conservation and Development and the Buildings Code Division.
Next opportunity to engage: Public comment on the Discussion Draft can be submitted via the Map App interactive tool through June 17. Those interested can always sign up for email updates.
Ezone Map Correction Project
What: Correcting the location of environmental overlay zones (Ezones) to better align with rivers, streams, wetlands, floodplains, forests, steep slopes and wildlife habitat.
Status: On May 25, City Council voted to adopt the Ezone Project. Staff will spend the coming months making updates to the Official Zoning Maps to reflect those changes. The adopted changes to the Official Zoning Maps and to Zoning Code Chapter 33.430 will go into effect on October 1, 2022.
Next opportunity to engage: None.
Floodplain Resilience Plan
What: The plan updates floodplain regulations throughout the city to ensure that new development in the floodplain addresses flood risk from a changing climate, does not jeopardize threatened and endangered species, and allows Portlanders to continue to obtain federally-backed flood insurance.
Status: The Discussion Draft was available for public review from November 2021 to January 2022. Staff are reviewing all the comments received and are making updates to the plan in preparation for the release of the next draft, the Proposed Draft, in the next few months. A briefing and hearing with the Planning and Sustainability Commission (PSC) is tentatively scheduled for this summer. Video of an online open house held on November 17 is available online.
Next opportunity to engage: Community members can view property-specific proposals on the project’s Map App interactive tool. Those interested can always sign up for email updates.
Fossil Fuel Terminal Zoning Project
What: Restricts the development and expansion of bulk fossil fuel terminals. Zoning Code amendments were adopted by the Portland City Council on Dec. 14, 2016. That ordinance was appealed to the Oregon Supreme Court and went back to City Council.
Status: City Council voted to adopt the ordinance on December 18, 2019. The ordinance was appealed to the Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA) by the Western States Petroleum Association, Portland Business Alliance, Oregon Business and Industry, and Columbia Pacific Building Trades Council. In October 2020, LUBA remanded the case back to City Council for additional findings and policy interpretations. BPS is working to determine what additional evidence is needed to address these issues before returning to City Council for reconsideration.
Next opportunity to engage: None currently.
Lower SE Rising Area Plan
What: The Lower SE Rising Area Plan aims to address the historic lack of infrastructure investment in parts of Southeast and East Portland—including Brentwood-Darlington and portions of Mt Scott-Arleta, Woodstock and Lents—and seek community input to guide healthy community development.
Status: An online open house was launched for public review last month. The self-guided open house introduces draft proposals for the project area that present an opportunity to create public and private investments, including more local commercial and housing opportunities, and transportation improvements. The online open house will be available for public review and comment through June 30. The next Project Advisory Committee (PAC) meeting is scheduled for June 23.
Next opportunity to engage: The public is invited to review and comment on the online open house through June 30. Other in-person events are scheduled in June to provide information about the proposals and answer questions. Those interested can always sign up for email updates.
Montgomery Park to Hollywood Transit and Land Use Development Strategy (MP2H)
What: Exploring options for a successful land use and transit system, including potential streetcar linking Montgomery Park in Northwest Portland to the Hollywood Town Center in Northeast Portland. The project is a joint effort between BPS and PBOT. The project will assess land use and transportation issues and options, including affordable housing, economic development and business stabilization opportunities associated with potential transit investments, including possible extension of the Portland Streetcar.
Status: The project team published a Discussion Draft proposal for the NW Portland study area in December 2021. The MP2H-NW Plan Discussion Draft suggests a new long-range land use vision for the area near Montgomery Park in Northwest Portland, which could be served by an extension of the Portland Streetcar. The draft proposal presents an opportunity to create more affordable housing, more affordable commercial space, and other public benefits. The public comment period on the draft ended April 22, and a compilation of public comments has been posted. City staff are reviewing the public comments, which will help inform the next draft of the plan, called the Proposed Draft.
Next opportunity to engage: A Proposed Draft is anticipated later this year in autumn. Those interested can always sign up for email updates.
Parkrose Community Plan
What: Historic Parkrose is leading work on the Parkrose Community Plan in partnership with BPS and other government and community partners to address topics such as safe streets, housing and displacement, access to jobs, community spaces, and emergency preparedness. This Plan is an opportunity for BPS to support plans that center traditionally harmed and sidelined communities, to advance a future of shared prosperity.
Status: Historic Parkrose launched the Parkrose Community Plan in May 2021 with a youth workshop, followed by adult workshops, an open house, and a series of community working group discussions focused on solutions and actions. BPS is supporting Historic Parkrose in this effort and has worked with the Parkrose community on actions to address community issues, such as housing stability and access to economic opportunity. The community’s recommended implementation actions have now been brought together into a draft community plan.
The Draft Parkrose Community Plan is available online, including plan summaries translated into Spanish, Vietnamese, Lao, Amharic, and Tigrinya. Open house events were held in April and staff are reviewing public input from an online survey to inform refinement of the plan. The plan is expected to be finalized by July and a presentation to the Planning and Sustainability Commission has been scheduled for July 26. For more information, please visit the Historic Parkrose NPI website.
Next opportunity to engage: None currently. To learn more, visit Historic Parkrose’s Community Plan webpage.
Residential Infill Project - Part 2 (RIP2)
What: Following up on the work of the Residential Infill Project (RIP1), which was adopted in August 2020, this project extends the housing options of RIP1 to all single dwelling zones by adding middle housing types in the low density R10 and R20 zones. RIP2 brings the City into compliance with the State of Oregon’s middle housing rules by adding provisions for cottage clusters and attached houses in all the single dwelling zones that were not included in RIP1. RIP2 also brings the City into compliance with the State’s new middle housing land division rules by creating a new streamlined procedure for dividing the housing units onto their own lots.
Status: City Council heard public testimony before approving several proposed amendments to the Recommended Draft on May 19, including increased floor area for fourplexes. Another change will allow increased building coverage in exchange for lower building height for projects offering half of their units to be regulated affordable (at 60% or 80% median area income). These changes along with several technical clarifications and corrections were incorporated into the “Recommended Draft, As-Amended” documents.
On June 1, City Council passed the amended documents and voted to approve RIP2 with a vote of 4-0, with Commissioner Ryan absent. The ordinance was passed as an emergency, to meet the state compliance deadline, and will take effect on June 30 at 11:59 PM.
On June 16, the Bureau of Development Services (BDS) will host a RIP2 “lunch & learn” presentation from 12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m. BDS also has a resource page to help understand how the Residential Infill Projects may apply to developments in the single-dwelling zones.
Next opportunity to engage: None. This project is complete.
South Portland Area Planning
What: Working with PBOT and community members to develop land use, circulation and urban design plans around the Ross Island Bridgehead in South Portland, and featuring a Naito Main Street Plan. This effort is part of BPS’s Southwest Corridor Inclusive Communities Project.
Status: A racial equity analysis of the project led by BPS was completed in fall 2020, and a follow-up equitable development workshop was held virtually on July 28, 2021. Following the failure of Metro’s regional transportation funding measure in November 2020, PBOT is putting their transportation projects on hold related to the Ross Island Bridgehead realignment and Naito Main Street. BPS staff will include the public feedback received so far on the proposed equitable development concepts for the bridgehead opportunity sites, and the racial equity analysis goals in a draft land use plan to be completed in summer 2022.
Next opportunity to engage: None currently.
South Portland Historic District Design Guidelines
What: New approval criteria for alteration, addition and new construction proposals in the South Portland Historic District. The new design guidelines will replace the Lair Hill Conservation District design guidelines as the historic resource review approval criteria that apply within the Historic District.
Status: The Proposed Draft South Portland Historic District Design Guidelines were released June 6. The Proposed Draft is available on the project website for public review and comment. The Historic Landmarks Commission will hold a public hearing on July 11.
Next opportunity to engage: The public comment period on the Proposed Draft design guidelines is open until July 11. Public comments can be submitted by email, regular mail, or delivered as oral testimony to the Historic Landmarks Commission.
West Portland Town Center Plan
What: The West Portland Town Center (WPTC) Plan will lay out a vision for a healthy, connected, and multi-cultural town center and includes an action plan to meet the diverse needs of current and future residents and businesses.
Status: The Proposed Draft of the WPTC Plan is available for public review. Learn more in the online Proposed Draft Overview, the Map App interactive tool, or by watching the video of the August 10 staff briefing to the Planning and Sustainability Commission (PSC).
The PSC held two hearings on September 14 and September 28 and all testimony can be viewed online. The PSC also held a series of work sessions on the proposed plan on October 26, November 9, November 30, January 11, February 8, March 8, April 12, and June 14. Meeting materials and recordings can be found under each date’s event page on the project website. The Design Commission also voted on March 3 to recommend adoption of the WPTC Character Statement as amended to the City Council.
On June 14, the PSC will continue its deliberation of the WPTC Plan Proposed Draft. Video and meeting materials for the work session will be available for review on the June 14 events page.
Next opportunity to engage: The public testimony period on the Proposed Draft is closed. An additional PSC work session is scheduled for June 14, when a final PSC vote on a recommended version of the plan is expected. After the PSC recommendation, the City Council will then review the Recommended Draft and take public testimony (verbal and written) starting in fall 2022. Those interested can always sign up for WPTC email updates.