About
Portland’s City Code assigns responsibility for the construction of the property frontage to the adjacent property owner. The property frontage includes the street, curb, sidewalk and corners. Portland City Code17.88.020 and transportation administrative rule TRN 1.30 describe which private development projects are required to bring their frontage up to current standards. Public Works Alternative Review is the City’s process for evaluating unique development conditions which could make full standard frontage improvements infeasible or impractical.
Requests are reviewed by the Public Works Alternative Review Committee. The Committee is made up of staff and management at Portland Permitting & Development and a representative from the Portland Bureau of Transportation.
Administrative rule TRN 1.27 establishes requirements for the PBOT Public Works Alternative Review process.
Please note: Until Jan. 1, 2029, street frontage improvement requirements are suspended for alterations to existing buildings that do not increase occupancy. Some uses, like schools and hospitals, are not exempt. Frontage improvements continue to be assessed for site improvements that increase the daily trips to a site. Requirements for sidewalk repair or changes to driveways (such as closing an unused driveway) may still apply. Please visit this web page for more information or schedule a free 15-minute appointment to discuss street and right-of-way questions.
Timing and fees
Public Works Alternative Review requests that are submitted by 5pm on Wednesday will typically be reviewed within 14 days. A review may be deferred for hearing at a later date due to the number of reviews scheduled, the completion of preliminary reviews by the public works bureaus, the complexity of the request being submitted, or other unforeseen factors.
A fee of $310 is required as of July 1, 2025. Fees are updated each fiscal year.
Who may apply
The City informs permit applicants of frontage improvement requirements at the time of building permit review (CO, DR, MI, RS, SD), land use review (LU), early assistance review (EA or PW Inquiry), public registry review (PR), or public works inquiry (WI). Anyone who has received information on frontage improvement requirements via one of these reviews may propose an alternative to the standard improvements.
Requirements that are eligible for a public works alternative review include: the width and configuration of the sidewalk, the width of the street/location of the curb, corner improvements, and stormwater management facilities.
Requirements that are not eligible for a public works alternative review include:
- Technical requirements that are part of a public works permit, such as design standard details and specifications (apply for a Design Exception using the Design Exception Form
- Fees and charges, such as System Development Charges and the Local Transportation Infrastructure Charge
- Matters subject to the authority of any other City appeal body, including land use appeals and building code appeals
A Public Works Alternative Review does not alter recorded land use decisions or final plat requirements set by a recorded land use decision. A new or amended land use review may be required to incorporate changes from an approved Public Works Alternative Review.
Submit a request
Complete the Public Works Alternative Review Request form
The request form must include a reason for the request. The applicant must demonstrate that conditions exist that make constructing the required right-of-way improvements impractical or infeasible.
For more information on submittal requirements and common reasons for alternative requests, see TRN 1.27.
Gather supporting materials (optional)
Supporting materials should have an 11”x17” maximum page size. Maps, drawings, and plans should provide sufficient detail about the site and project as well as any nearby areas that influence the request. Reports, analyses, and other data should be included only if they will help to clarify the request and make it easier for the committee to understand site conditions.
Submit your request
Email the request form and supporting materials to pwaltreview@portlandoregon.gov.
Pay the fee
Staff will send you a case number and IVR so you can pay the $310 fee using the City of Portland DevHub.
First time users will need to create a Portland Online account. If you are an existing customer with the City of Portland, you can login with those credentials.
To pay the fee, navigate to the “View/Pay Fees” tab. Search for your IVR. This should pull up your Request for Public Works Alternative Review. You can then follow the prompts for paying the fee.
Receive a decision
The Public Works Alternative Review Committee will review your request. The review time is approximately two weeks after submittal of the request and the decision can take an additional two weeks. Submittal of inaccurate or incomplete forms may cause a delay in reviewing the request.
The Committee may seek additional information from the applicant, provide advice to the applicant, seek additional information from other City Bureaus, or complete additional reviews before a final decision is made.
The full decision will be emailed to the applicant. When a final decision has been made, the applicant may choose to appeal that decision via the Public Works Appeal Process.