September 2022 – Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS) Project Updates

News Article
A monthly snapshot of BPS's active land use planning work going on throughout the City of Portland. Please see the project updates and websites below for more details, and to find contact information for the appropriate project staff.
Published
In this article

What’s new this month?

Useful resources

Planning and Sustainability Commission (PSC)

City Council

Map App

You can look at interactive maps, submit testimony during testimony periods, and read submitted testimony through the BPS Map App interactive tool.

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.

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: None currently. Those interested can always sign up for project updates.

Columbia Corridor Industrial Lands Ezones Project

What: Correcting the location of environmental overlay zones (Ezones) in the Columbia Corridor and other industrial areas to better align with rivers, streams, sloughs, wetlands, floodplains, forests, and wildlife habitat.

Status: Project staff have published an interactive online map of preliminary draft Ezones that is based on the Natural Resource Inventory. The natural resource mapping is subject to onsite verification at the request of property owners, and the draft Ezones mapping may change as the project progresses. Project staff will coordinate their work with the upcoming citywide economic opportunity analysis to provide adequate protection for natural resources and sufficient industrial and employment land to meet future needs.

Next opportunity to engage: Project staff are offering free site visits by request to confirm or correct natural resource mapping. Look up your address on the Columbia Corridor Industrial Lands Map App to see if your site is impacted by this project. You can submit a request for a site visit through the Map App or by contacting project staff. Those interested can always sign up for email 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: None currently. 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: Over the past year, Bureau of Planning and Sustainability staff have been developing a proposal to require all new multi-dwelling and mixed use development with five or more units – that include onsite parking – to provide electric vehicle (EV)-ready charging infrastructure at higher rates than required by State rules. This effort, the EV Ready Code Project, will put the City of Portland in compliance with the Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) led Climate-Friendly and Equitable Communities Rulemaking process, which augments House Bill 2180 provisions into new rules addressing climate-friendly and equitable land use and transportation planning. This work was part of Executive Order 20-04 signed by Governor Brown. The DLCD rules increase the required percentage of EV-ready parking spaces for mixed-use development to 40%. The City of Portland proposal is to increase this requirement to 50%. The Proposed Draft staff report and code amendments were published the week of August 8.

Next opportunity to engage: On September 13 starting at 12:30 pm, project staff will give the Planning and Sustainability Commission (PSC) a briefing on the EV Ready Code Project Proposed Draft. Immediately following the briefing, the PSC will open the public hearing and invite public testimony on the Proposed Draft. Public testimony is welcome in person at the hybrid hearing or in writing. To submit written testimony, use the Map App interactive tool or US Mail (Portland Planning and Sustainability Commission; c/o EV Ready Code Project Testimony; 1810 SW 5th Ave, Suite 710; Portland, Oregon 97201). Oral testimony will also be taken at the hybrid hearing, but advanced registration is required. Deadline to register is September 12. Those interested can always sign up for email updates.

Ezones 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 currently. The adopted changes go into effect on October 1, 2022.

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 Proposed Draft of the Floodplain Resilience Plan was released on August 30 and is now available for public review and comment. Community members can view property-specific proposals on the project’s Map App interactive tool.

Next opportunity to engage: The Planning and Sustainability Commission (PSC) is scheduled to get a briefing on September 13 and to hold a hearing on September 27. Those interested can always sign up for email updates.

Fossil Fuel Terminal Zoning Project

What: This ordinance readopts the remanded zoning code amendments to restrict bulk fossil fuel terminals to address the policies identified by the Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA) that require additional findings.

Status: On June 30, City Council held a public hearing to reconsider adopting the zoning code amendments. City Council adopted the ordinance on August 24 and it went into effect on August 31. The opportunity to file a LUBA appeal is open until September 28.

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 in May and closed on July 11. 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. Project staff will be reviewing the online open house survey feedback and releasing a report later this summer.

Next opportunity to engage: The next Project Advisory Committee (PAC) meeting is scheduled for September 26 and will focus on transportation topics. 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 future streetcar links to Montgomery Park in Northwest Portland and 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 MP2H-NW Plan Discussion Draft, published in December 2021, suggests a new long-range land use vision for the area near Montgomery Park in Northwest Portland, 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. A compilation of public comments on the Discussion Draft has been posted. City staff are reviewing the comments and working through issues, which is anticipated to lead to a Proposed Draft for future review by the Planning and Sustainability Commission (PSC).

Next opportunity to engage: None currently. Those interested can always sign up for email updates.

Shelter to Housing Continuum – Part 2 (S2HC2)

What: The Shelter to Housing Continuum – Part 2 (S2HC2) proposes several zoning code refinements to the previously adopted Shelter to Housing Continuum, which took effect in 2021 and expanded the housing and shelter options for individuals and households with extremely low incomes.

Status: In 2021, Portland City Council adopted the Shelter to Housing Continuum project to address the crisis of houseless Portlanders. These code changes made it easier to site homeless shelters and created a new community service use in the code called “outdoor shelters,” which allows shelters like the St Johns Village or Kenton’s Women’s Village outright without first needing City Council approval. As the City launched the Safe Rest Villages initiative and the Joint City-County Office of Homeless Services continued to operate existing facilities and open others, several implementation issues arose as shelter operators sought to permit new outdoor shelters. The Bureau of Planning and Sustainability has developed several proposed code refinements that address these code barriers and unanticipated technical issues in the S2HC2 Proposed Draft, which was published on September 6 and is available for public review and comment.

Next opportunity to engage: On October 11 starting at 12:30 pm, project staff will give the Planning and Sustainability Commission (PSC) a briefing on the S2HC2 Proposed Draft. Immediately following the briefing, the PSC will open a public hearing and invite public testimony on the Proposed Draft. Public testimony is welcome in person at the hybrid hearing or in writing. You can submit written testimony electronically using the Map App interactive tool or by US Mail at: Portland Planning and Sustainability Commission – S2HC2 Testimony; 1810 SW 5th Ave, Suite 710; Portland, Oregon 97201). Oral testimony will also be taken at the hybrid hearing, but advanced registration is required. Deadline to register is October 10. Read the full announcement for more information on the hearing and how to testify.

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: On June 6, the Proposed Draft of the South Portland Historic District Design Guidelines was released. On July 11, the Historic Landmarks Commission held a public hearing. On August 8, the Historic Landmarks Commission made a formal recommendation to forward the project to City Council. A revised Recommended Draft will be published in late September for public review.

Next opportunity to engage: Following the release of the revised Recommended Draft of the design guidelines this fall, the City Council will consider additional written and oral testimony before voting to adopt the new guidelines.

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 Recommended Draft of the WPTC Plan is now available for public review. A Recommended Draft Overview and Map App interactive tool are available for learning more about the Plan. On June 14, 2022, the PSC voted to send the WPTC Plan to City Council for consideration and adoption after hearings in September 2021 and seven work sessions. Meeting materials and recordings of all the PSC meetings are available on the PSC past events page.

Next opportunity to engage: City Council has scheduled a hearing for the Recommended Draft of the WPTC Plan for October 12 at 2:00 pm. The City Council is accepting written public testimony on the Recommended Draft from now until October 12 at 2:00 pm. You can also sign up to provide verbal testimony. Those interested can always sign up for WPTC email updates.

Contact

Kevin Bond

City Planner II, Planning and Sustainability