Infill code amendments move to Portland City Council

Zoning code amendments aimed at expanding possibilities for infill design moved one vote closer to becoming a reality as the Portland Planning Commission unanimously approved the proposed changes Tuesday.

The changes, part of the Planning Bureau's Infill Design Project, facilitate pedestrian-friendly street fronts, rear parking, court- oriented and other layout alternatives, flexible front setback requirements and community communication for low- and medium- density multi-dwelling zones.

Included among the changes are requirements for 15 percent window coverage in street-facing facades of multi-dwelling projects, a limit of 50 percent for street-fronting vehicle areas in multi- dwelling projects and allowances for reduced side and driveway setbacks and narrower driveways and walkways.

The project wasn't meant to revisit the city's design policy, said city planner and infill design project manager Bill Cunningham, but rather to make it easier for multi-dwelling projects to contribute to established design goals.

We were looking for ways to narrow the gap between that vision and what often gets built, he said.

Commissioners and members of the public alike expressed support for the amendments.

It will substantially reduce the number of projects that do not contribute to the city's overall design objectives, said architect William Wilson, who served on the project's Infill Design Advisory Group.

A requirement for community contact, originally requested for projects of 20 units or more, was lowered to require mandatory contact with neighborhoods for projects of five units or more. In the pre-vote public testimony, representatives of several neighborhood associations encouraged the commission to expand the requirement. Justin Arnhalt, land-use chairman of the Boise Neighborhood Association, spoke in favor of reducing the requirement from 20 units to all multi-dwelling projects.

Neighborhoods need more power to shape their communities, especially in the infill design realm, he said.

Lee Perlman, a resident of the Elliot neighborhood, said that past sessions with developers had proved nothing but beneficial.

The result was considerably better design, he said.

In addition to reducing the contact requirements, the commission also requested a review of the amendments' effectiveness after a three-year period. Directives for staff to review live/work spaces and garage spaces in infill projects were also included.

The amendments will now move before the City Council for approval on a yet-to-be determined date. Cunningham had originally anticipated a January appearance, but the planning commission approval may facilitate even earlier consideration.

The draft of the proposed code amendments is available online at www.portlandonline.com/planning.

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