The Albany City Council on Oct. 8 adopted an ordinance amending the City of Albany comprehensive plan, the Albany zoning map, and the Albany development code to make a minor downtown climate‑friendly overlay map adjustment and add pedestrian and maximum block‑length standards.

Anne Catlin, comprehensive planning manager for the city, told the council the package was primarily intended to implement parts of the state’s climate‑friendly and equitable community rules and to adopt standards to encourage more compact, walkable development. "Most of them are related to the work we've been doing to comply with the state's climate friendly and equitable community rules," Catlin said during her staff presentation.

The amendments include a small removal of properties from the downtown overlay where those parcels overlap the Monteith Historic District; a reduced setback along some major roads to support compact development in climate‑friendly areas; pedestrian perimeter standards; and a new maximum block length requirement.

The hearing drew focused public comment from North Albany residents who said the city should delay implementing climate‑friendly overlay rules in that area until a transportation plan is in place. Matilda Novak, reading a letter from the North Albany Neighborhood Association, told the council, "The plan to build out the CFA on Hickory Street to its potential maximum of 2,500 housing units raises significant concerns for those living in North Albany. Currently, North Albany has a population of approximately 1,100." Novak and others argued the theoretical capacity figure did not reflect on‑the‑ground constraints such as limited bridge capacity, recent reductions in bus service, and existing traffic safety problems.

Audrey Eldridge, secretary of the North Albany Neighborhood Association, told the council the letter had been signed by 64 residents in 48 hours and asked the council to "delay approving these amendments or any development until the citizens' concerns are adequately addressed." Eldridge also urged restoring bus service and asked the city to require transportation mitigations before permitting dense development.

Catlin responded to those concerns, saying the 2,500‑unit number quoted in public testimony was a study‑based maximum theoretical capacity used for state reporting: "The figures that we are proposing to build out the North Albany, climate friendly area with 2,500 units is actually not correct. The study ... required us to project out the total buildout capacity, assuming all existing development would be wiped out and everything would be built to the maximum building heights ... Much of the area is already developed." She also noted the city expects to begin a transportation system plan in the next few months and is pursuing a grant to start a comprehensive plan update in January.

Council members debated whether to remove certain North Albany sites from the package now. Councilor Smith said she would oppose removing the areas, arguing the plan is citywide and that the measures will not trigger immediate development: "Nothing is going to change until we get a proposal for some development." Others, including Councilor Thompson and Councilor McLeod, asked staff to evaluate the option of removing a site in North Albany and recommended additional community outreach before any disposal or rezoning that might be perceived as a precursor to development.

After the public hearing and discussion, the council voted to adopt the ordinance amending the comprehensive plan, zoning map, and development code. The ordinance was read twice in title and adopted; the staff noted the decision is subject to appeal to the Land Use Board of Appeals and that the city will forward adopted amendments to the Department of Land Use Land Conservation Development as required.

The amendments were presented as a compliance step with state climate rules and as incremental standards to improve walkability downtown. Residents from North Albany asked the council to delay implementation or to consider targeted changes until transportation impacts are more fully addressed.