After hearing testimony from 18 community members at a public hearing on May 19, City Council voted to adopt four amendments to the Residential Infill Project – Part 2 (RIP2) Recommended Draft.
The goal of the Residential Infill Project “series” (RIP1 and RIP2) is to allow more “middle housing” in Portland’s residential neighborhoods, giving more people the opportunity to live, work, play, go to school and enjoy the amenities of Portland’s great neighborhoods.
The amendment package included three substantive amendments and a group of technical amendments. In addition to the 10 technical amendments to clarify recommendations or correct errors, Council adopted amendments to increase the floor area ratio (FAR) for four or more dwelling units, remove the proposed front lot line requirement that would have restricted development on landlocked lots, and add flexibility for the Deeper Affordability Bonus. Read the amendments.
Most testifiers at the hearing expressed support for the amendments, with a few raising concerns about the impacts that passage of RIP2 would have on Portland’s tree canopy. In addition to the 18 testifiers at the hearing, 30 pieces of written testimony were submitted on the amendment package. The ideas expressed in the written testimony largely echoed what was heard at the hearing.
Next steps
Council will vote on the amended RIP2 package in a final vote on June 1 at 9:45 a.m. The proposal will be heard as an emergency ordinance, with a June 30 effective date in order to meet the State’s deadline for adoption.