(PORTLAND, ORE.) – Today, the Portland City Council unanimously approved four code amendment recommendations to temporarily suspend certain rules that apply to projects that add to or alter existing development. The temporary code suspensions will not apply to new developments. The suspensions would last until Jan. 1, 2029 to review the impact and consider permanent adoption. Through these recommendations, put forth by the Code Alignment Project and co-sponsored by Councilors Jamie Dunphy and Angelita Morillo, the City aims to speed up permitting timelines, encourage economic development, and spur housing production.
Said Councilor Jamie Dunphy:
“Permitting should never be a barrier to Portlanders who are working to improve their homes, businesses, or communities. By aligning our codes and suspending requirements that slow projects down, we’re giving people the breathing room they need to build, renovate, and adapt. This is a clear example of how Council and our Service Areas can come together and deliver results that make it easier for Portland to grow and thrive.”
Said Councilor Angelita Morillo:
“No matter their neighborhood or zip code, all Portlanders deserve stable housing in healthy neighborhoods. But too many unaligned policies have made community enrichment projects impossible for many low-income and middle-class Portlanders. This Code Alignment Project is a response to so many of my constituents who want to make their community brighter, safer, and healthier but haven’t had the tools to do so. I’m proud of this project that’s one step in making housing and businesses safer and our city more welcoming for all.”
Said Deputy City Administrator for Community & Economic Development Donnie Oliveira:
“This is exactly the kind of collaborative work and streamlining that this new form of government was created for. With this package of changes, we’re showing how we can align priorities to improve our processes and help Portland continue to prosper. I’m grateful to the Code Alignment Project team and to Councilors Dunphy and Morillo, all of whom worked diligently on this proposal. And there is more to come – our teams have identified even more options to better align City permitting services that we are contemplating as future proposals.”
The four upgrade requirements subject to this first proposal from the Code Alignment Project are:
- Street Tree Planting (Title 11): Requirements to plant street trees currently apply to all development projects with a value of more than $25,000. The adopted ordinance will temporarily exempt additions and alterations, not new building construction. The street tree planting requirement would also still apply to sites where sidewalk improvements are already required by the Portland Bureau of Transportation. In addition to the street tree planting requirement, Urban Forestry staff in Portland Parks & Recreation proposed other changes to help reduce permit review costs, as well as facilitate large-scale tree planting initiatives through more flexible tree planting size requirements.
- Street Improvements for significant alterations (e.g. sidewalks, curb ramps) (Title 17): All developments with a project value greater than 35% of the assessed improvement value for the site are currently required to make certain frontage improvements. The adopted ordinance suspends frontage improvement requirements for most alterations to existing buildings that do not increase occupancy. Note that some uses, like schools and hospitals, will not be exempt. Frontage improvements will continue to be assessed for site improvements that increase the daily trips to a site.
- Seismic Evaluation Report (Title 24): Currently, buildings built before 1974 require seismic evaluation reports when proposing additions and alterations with a project value of more than $362,000. The ordinance suspends the requirement of a seismic evaluation report during the pause.
- Site upgrades (Title 33): Currently, the City’s zoning code requires certain types of upgrades, such as the addition of bike parking, improvements to pedestrian connections, and landscaping enhancements, to additions and alterations with a project value of more than $356,300. The adopted ordinance extends the current pause for these kinds of upgrades on residential projects to all projects until Jan. 1, 2029. The proposed pause, which applies to all projects, aligns with a similar pause City Council passed for housing projects as part of the Housing Regulatory Relief project last year.
The temporary exemptions from these four upgrade requirements are intended to apply to building permits that are in the permit or inspection process, but have not received final inspection, starting Oct. 24. Applicants must submit a request to PP&D to revise their building permit if it is currently submitted for permitting. For frontage improvement permits, applicants may apply the adopted regulations to their project if their permit has not been issued or if no street improvement work has started. Permits will be subject to existing processes and procedures related to permit cancellations and revisions as applicable, including fee reductions and refunds.
Since the Code Alignment Project was launched 2024, City staff have been working hard to create clearer regulatory paths to permit approval, which will ultimately simplify the permitting process. The City will work to continue improving permitting in the City by breaking down siloes between bureaus and creating policy solutions proposed by those closest to the work. While this is the first amendment proposal to come from this work, the City is working to create a repeatable and scalable process to propose additional policy changes.
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The City’s Community and Economic Development service area includes the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, the Portland Housing Bureau, Portland Permitting and Development, Prosper Portland, and the Spectator Venues and Visitor Activities Program. The Community and Economic Development service area aligns City programs focused on building prosperity for all Portlanders by creating and delivering efficient, transparent, and equitable solutions for a resilient built environment – and services, resources, and experiences for our community.