Skip sidebar navigation

Urban Design and Planning

Development Code and Process Updates

This project will improve the City’s Development Code and review processes. The goal is to make the code and processes:

  • Easier to understand
  • Easier to navigate
  • More responsive to Gresham’s development climate

Project focus

  • Updating policy
  • Updating design district standards and guidelines
  • Using graphics instead of text for better clarity
  • Improving development review processes
  • Supporting high-quality projects
  • Status and Updates
  • Project Background
  • Documents
  • Contact
Status and Updates

Phase One updates

The Phase One Development Code updates will be effective on November 5. City Council approved these updates on September 1 and enacted them on October 6.

Middle housing project

Phase Two of the Development Code and Process Updates project includes development code changes as required by the State in House Bill 2001 to allow development of middle housing types in residential neighborhoods to increase housing choices for Gresham residents.

Project Background

Current work

  • Development Code audit to identify issues and opportunities for improvement
  • Extension of the Innovative Housing Ordinance
  • Work on Phase One of the project (see description below)

Future work

  • Clarify guidelines and standards
  • Update code sections identified as difficult to understand
  • Reorganize and reformat code
  • Update housing policies to include additional middle housing types

Phase One

Phase One of this project is underway, focusing on high-priority updates. The City’s goal is to first complete high-impact updates that don’t require policy updates. Proposed updates include:

  • General updates: Perform clean-up of code. This includes clarifying code language, correcting formatting and typographical errors, and removing redundancies.
  • Codification of existing policies and procedures: The City uses several policy and procedures documents to clarify standards until the Development Code is updated. Some of these policies will be codified in Phase One.
  • Updates to Section 5.0300 of the Development Code (regarding historic resources): The City is proposing revisions to make the information easier to use and to comply with state law.
  • Updates to Table 7.0003 (design review categories): Proposed changes include clarifying requirements, fixing errors, adding missing information, removing duplicate information and simplifying design review classifications.
  • Corridor Design District guidelines and standards: The City is proposing combining the two sets of design guidelines applicable to the Corridor Design District into one section (sections 7.0103 and 7.0603 of the Development Code). The goal is to simplify the code, reduce repeating information and focus on quality design.
  • Updates to Section 9.1000 of the Development Code (regarding tree regulations): Proposed changes include reorganizing the City’s tree code to improve ease of use. The City also proposes restoring a provision that allows design modifications for tree protection.
  • Updates to Section 10.0120 of the Development Code (regarding accessory dwelling units): Proposed changes include a reorganization of accessory dwelling unit (ADU) standards to improve ease of use. Parking requirements for ADUs will be removed to comply with state law (see House Bill 2011).
  • Updates to Section 11.0800 of the Development Code (regarding neighborhood meetings): The City proposes minor changes to meeting procedures based on work sessions with the Planning Commission and Coalition of Gresham Neighborhood Associations.
Documents
Contact

Mary Phillips   
Senior Comprehensive Planner
503-618-2610
Mary.Phillips@GreshamOregon.gov