Planning commission recommends Town Center overlay map and comp-plan text amendments to council

The Troutdale Planning Commission voted Oct. 8 to recommend that the City Council approve map and comprehensive-plan text amendments to align the official town center overlay with the city’s adopted 2040 Town Center Plan.

Planning staff presented LU00152025, explaining that when the town center plan was adopted in 2022 the corresponding comprehensive-plan and zoning-map updates did not complete the formal land‑use process. The amendments before the commission correct that inconsistency and would remove three parcels north of Halsey — two owned by McMenamins and one owned by Multnomah County (the family shelter site) — from the town center overlay while leaving their underlying general‑commercial zoning unchanged.

Staff told the commission that Metro had reviewed the proposal and found it consistent with Metro code. The package includes edits to the town center text so it matches the plan document adopted in 2022; staff also noted and incorporated minor wording clarifications requested by commissioners, such as replacing “justify” with “support” in a descriptive sentence and fixing a street-name reference.

Planning commission member comments touched on clarity of findings and whether the town-center text should refer to the Columbia Gorge Outlets Mall and the urban‑renewal site (commonly referred to as the Confluence). Commissioners asked staff to clarify a confusing development-code criterion in the staff report; staff agreed the criterion wording was awkward for a case that removes parcels and proposed a finding that one criterion was “not applicable” for this application and to add clarifying explanatory text to the council record.

The commission motion to recommend approval, as amended, was made by Commissioner Sandy Glantz and seconded by Commissioner Kevin Minkoff. The roll call vote recorded: Commissioner Glantz — yes; Commissioner Minkoff — yes; Commissioner Kester — yes; Commissioner Wilcox — yes; Chair Staffinson — yes; Commissioner Allen — yes. The motion carried unanimously.

Ending: Staff said the ordinance will be introduced to the City Council in a tentative Oct. 28 session for first reading, followed by a second hearing in November. The commission’s recommendation, the revised findings and the staff report will form the council’s public record.