[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6205601,"mediaKeyId","3769148-edce8b92f299c9fa07f28884a244f8d3","parentId",3769148,"title","Entrepreneurs, staff debate tiny homes, ADU classifications and SDCs in Milwaukie study session","audioSeconds",865,"startMs",2217000,"endMs",3082000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3769148-edce8b92f299c9fa07f28884a244f8d3&start=2217&end=3082","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3769148-edce8b92f299c9fa07f28884a244f8d3/thumbnail_2217000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6205601/Milwaukie/Clackamas-County/Oregon/Entrepreneurs-staff-debate-tiny-homes-ADU-classifications-and-SDCs-in-Milwaukie-study-session","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6205601-68a913ce08122821f6ecfd5696de9c8d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771032684&Signature=O3La9xx~NQOeomnpk~HBUY9K0gyW0V5I9gEigCVxbxjmdAweq4oRBHXj1QbkYCzbABm6pMFJHKDJTpnLios5izZmQNvvHPdhtiT8JFL3BjN3n4dbj6s3rnssWo-iyfvlxviRYKMujdrTL-8anXkm21tugC-rTYO8LX9QbuGFO8OzED3CjuNFzZ0JQAmQi4BG0qMbviLexYYJguarOGeltcnbvJRo8vQsaD-aHi9ItAJPke9laS3eawN~5bhPPtTYFZN1YFtdbvYBdWvLZ8CltC9-OCwSaEhezWHOyVcVnwSJIvONDTClgv4tYQNWCYSCkvxviSKFjPhSDsGtHuv1Ow__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Milwaukie, OR","date","2025-06-11T17:03:12.573Z","article","Entrepreneurs who build tiny mobile units and Milwaukie planning staff met with council members at a study session to discuss how small, wheeled microhomes and accessory dwelling units (ADUs) fit local code and what barriers — classification, utility hookups and System Development Charges (SDCs) — would need to be addressed for broader use.

Adia De Torres, who said she and a partner build “tiny rooms on wheels, mobile rooms, or micro homes” intended for temporary housing, described use-cases such as placing units on partially developed lots while larger projects proceed, or placing units in backyards for homeowners to rent as supplemental income. “We built tiny rooms on wheels…a bedroom with a tiny microwave, fridge and a half bath,” she said.

Staff and council members discussed whether wheeled units are treated as vehicles (RV-style) or as ADUs when they are placed on private property. Ilya (planning staff) explained the distinction matters because ADUs can trigger different permit requirements and fees; the city cannot unilaterally waive third-party SDCs, staff said. A staff member clarified that Milwaukie can decide to cover or subsidize SDCs for a development but generally lacks authority to waive SDCs assessed by other agencies.

Speakers noted potential operational and safety questions for long-term use of units built for short-term occupancy: sewer and wastewater durability, winter freeze/thaw impacts on permeable paving, and how RV-style connections interact with local plumbing standards. Ilya and other staff said many tiny-home builders choose to build to residential standards — insulation, one-hour-rated walls and standard plumbing — to address these issues.

Council members and staff discussed options to encourage innovative small-housing forms: a targeted grant program to buy units for fixed-income homeowners, pilot allowances that treat wheeled microhomes as ADUs under limited conditions, and exploring SDC-incentive tiers that reduce fees for deed-restricted affordable units. Staff suggested organizing a follow-up work session to identify legal limits, safety standards, and potential subsidy mechanisms and noted planned public engagement on middle housing.

Why this matters: Tiny, modular and ADU-style housing can provide short-term shelter and a path to increased supply. The session underscored that converting these concepts into permanent policy requires clear local rules about classification, plumbing and stormwater connections, and a funding approach for any SDC relief.

Council members asked staff to return with options on code interpretation for wheeled units, potential pilot programs, and the legal and budget implications of SDC waivers or subsidies.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Study Session 6/10/2025","oneSentenceSummary","A Milwaukie study session examined whether tiny homes on wheels, accessory dwelling units and temporary microhomes could be used to expand affordable housing, and whether the city can adjust code or fees such as System Development Charges to support them.","taxTitle","Milwaukie, Clackamas County, Oregon","taxId",70312,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6205606,"Developer, staff outline utility, cost and permitting barriers to middle housing in Milwaukie",4581,838000,5419000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3769148-edce8b92f299c9fa07f28884a244f8d3&start=838&end=5419","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3769148-edce8b92f299c9fa07f28884a244f8d3/thumbnail_838000.jpg","/articles/6205606/Milwaukie/Clackamas-County/Oregon/Developer-staff-outline-utility-cost-and-permitting-barriers-to-middle-housing-in-Milwaukie","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6205606-721f696eb8978f71648b480339e1cee0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771032684&Signature=T~xnGs8wbJb0mEsLmPeP6nLYj~4K077O7sj0nNwkwMahZRuWxufXLBNE2CMpD5UmN40UsQlmU9yDLWQfsWNQpyFeWTs6uONR4uedBdSVlneiv0-S9vuu4CrbsHgLNu-6qNDjxbmig~2zmOHXzlBmjSwblVQelPPdRt~79J7zPZdpbpzYPzsnfqOVU4JcikUohMDYDfQJnTQMKOmIaRL6UXI3aXtQFQm3sH088NTsUiW20C6cxWFOxLUw96Qhqj~ffJZIn70PC-zjTrMYLN6BfzorHrSz8XkwEF~RBbM7j-W5xp0KmMVyypU8jujW6vAYSuav92IQ-soZuoFntUYXSA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Milwaukie developers and planning staff on Wednesday laid out practical obstacles that can make middle-housing projects — such as cottage clusters and small multiunit infill — hard to deliver at an affordable price.

The discussion centered on utility connection rules that can force expensive sewer-main extensions, one-off water taps and stormwater work; site-preparation costs on tight lots; and city tree and parking rules that both raise upfront costs and complicate project design.

Jamie Stangelman, a Milwaukie resident and owner of ITG Construction who described a recently completed cottage-cluster project, said the city’s utility requirements nearly made a land-division plan infeasible. Stangelman said engineers told him a sewer-main extension estimate ran “around $60,000,” and that excavation and site-preparation for an 85-by-155-foot parcel cost “about $104,000” before later citing a figure of roughly $140,000 for the overall excavation/infrastructure work. Stangelman said those costs pushed his per-unit build cost to about $200,000 before financing and profit and that land-price increases further reduce feasibility.

“I thought this is pretty cool,” Stangelman said of the cottage-cluster rules, but added that “when you start having to add the actual cost of the land…you can’t do that” if the utility and subdivision costs are added per unit.

City staff and project interlocutors said some of the pressure comes from how the engineering and permitting process treats multiunit buildings on a single lot versus separate fee-simple lots. Stangelman said the city initially told him separate lots would require separate sewer laterals and separate water taps for each unit, which can be impractical on a compact site and drive tens of thousands of dollars in added cost for every unit. He said he avoided the main-line extension by keeping six units on a single parcel, rather than subdividing into saleable individual lots.

Staff member Ilya (planning staff) told the council the city is working to interpret state middle-housing requirements while balancing utility access and future homeownership paths. Ilya said condo-style ownership is an option that avoids individual water/sewer taps but requires other condominium association arrangements. Joseph (moderator/staff) noted the council has expressed interest in more homeownership options and cautioned the different ownership forms (condo vs. subdivided fee-simple lots) trigger different utility and engineering rules.

Speakers also raised non-utility costs: the council and Stangelman discussed the city’s tree-ordinance requirements and associated mitigation fees. Stangelman said a single large protected tree could trigger thousands of dollars in mitigation or planting requirements and that the cumulative tree rules on small infill lots can make projects unworkable or very costly. Stormwater rules were discussed as well; Stangelman said his site’s dry-well stormwater approach failed during a heavy rain event and that stormwater fees charged monthly were a persistent operational cost.

Parking and neighborhood impact were another recurring theme. Stangelman said the city’s approach of allowing lower minimum on-site parking can lead to spillover parking in nearby blocks: “You’re gonna find those people who put the 6 inch overhangs on, they stuff them together 5 feet apart… That’s what's gonna happen,” he said, arguing that off-site parking pressure is a predictable outcome of dense infill when households still own cars.

Multiple council members and planning staff acknowledged the permitting and review timeline is a major friction point. Developers said plan intake, completeness reviews and subsequent correction cycles can take months, increasing holding costs on purchased land. Staff said organizational changes and increased staffing are underway to improve turnaround but conceded the process remains slow in many cases.

Why this matters: Milwaukie, like many cities, is trying to expand housing choices and speed construction of smaller, more affordable units. The session illustrated that state-level middle-housing directives intersect with local engineering standards, utility rules, tree and stormwater requirements and local review processes — and that those intersections can produce steep, often non-obvious costs that undermine affordability goals.

The council asked staff to bring options back in future work sessions — including potential adjustments to the tree code and further analysis of System Development Charges (SDCs) and permit-process timing — and staff outlined a July town hall on middle housing to present baseline information and collect community questions.","At a Milwaukie study session developers and city staff described utility-connection requirements, stormwater and tree-code costs, and lengthy review timelines as major impediments to building middle housing such as cottage clusters and small multifamily on infill lots.","actionData","errors"]

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Entrepreneurs, staff debate tiny homes, ADU classifications and SDCs in Milwaukie study session

Developer, staff outline utility, cost and permitting barriers to middle housing in Milwaukie