Next Steps for Comprehensive Plan Update

Over  the past couple of years, City staff have been soliciting public feedback on the Comprehensive Plan Update. As we move into the final phases of the project, community input will be considered through the legislative process — in the form of testimony given at Planning and Sustainability Commission (PSC) and City Council hearings. The timeline and process chart above shows the upcoming milestones and opportunities for the public to testify.

Currently, staff are busy preparing the Proposed Plan, incorporating feedback gathered in the latter half of 2013, which is summarized in the What We Heard memo. After the Proposed Plan is released in July, Portlanders may submit testimony to the PSC at public hearings held throughout the city, beginning in late September. Informational open houses will be scheduled in July and early September to help Portlanders prepare testimony. After considering public testimony, the PSC will forward a Recommended Plan to City Council for consideration in early 2015.

Portland area housing types: What’s your preference?

Where would you choose to live — downtown, a single-family neighborhood, a townhouse? It takes just 10 minutes to share what kinds of housing types you prefer at www.housingchoice.info. This survey will help planners and housing advocates better understand how housing choices are changing, so we can plan for the kinds of neighborhoods, homes and housing types, parks, transportation options and other facilities that Portlanders really want.

The Housing Needs Analysis background reports indicate Portland and the region will see dramatic shifts in population demographics and housing development over the next 20 years. Results from the survey will provide additional insight into the diverse range of housing types, costs and neighborhood locations that Portland residents want. This insight will help guide the Comprehensive Plan Update as planners consider zoning changes to residential and mixed-use areas to better meet these needs. The survey, open until May 9, is being conducted by Metro and a regionwide coalition of private and public sector organizations, including BPS.

Transportation Expert Group
The purpose of the Transportation System Plan Update Policy Expert Group (TEG) is to help develop, review and provide comments to City staff on proposed policy recommendations for the Transportation System Plan, an Early Implementation project. At its March 27 meeting, the TEG reviewed a list of potential issues that will need to be prioritized for discussion. They also talked about how to make the TSP document more accessible, relevant and usable.

Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) staff briefed the group on a new process to evaluate and prioritize projects. Seven criteria have been identified, and the group was asked to review two of them: access and safety. Comments included the need to define each of the criteria and how to apply these to areas without transportation access and with perceived — but perhaps unmeasured — safety issues. The overarching concern is how to equitably apply measurements intended for areas where access already exists to areas where it does not exist. Similarly, safety data is only available for areas with documented problems. PBOT will be sharing proposed revised access and safety criteria measurements based upon the input received, as well as soliciting input on other proposed criteria and measurements at future meetings.

Mixed Use Zones Project
Mixed Use Zones Project (MUZ) staff are selecting a consulting team to assist the project, beginning with the first phase of researching best practices for mixed use zoning locally, nationally and beyond. On April 15 the Mixed Use Zones Technical Advisory Group (TAG) met for the first time. The TAG will provide technical assistance from multiple City bureaus and other agencies. Staff gave the group an overview of project goals and discussed fire safety, affordable housing and neighborhood compatibility. The Project Advisory Committee (PAC) met on April 16, with a discussion that included trade-offs between simplicity and flexibility in the zoning code, parking supply in business districts, housing affordability, and planning for rapidly changing demographics. 

The public is invited to learn more about the areas under consideration by MUZ and contribute to the discussion. City planners will lead several “walkabout” tours to explore zoning and development issues in Portland neighborhoods. Portlanders may participate and share ideas for how zoning regulations can better help support desired mixed use development outcomes. Stay tuned for more information on walkabout locations and dates as well as other opportunities to get involved in MUZ.