Senior planner outlines how the city updates its development code

Senior Planner Lenny Crow on Oct. 13 gave the Cottage Grove City Council a step-by-step explanation of how the city updates its development code (Title 14 of the Cottage Grove Municipal Code).

Crow told the council the legal basis for local land-use regulations is Oregon Revised Statute 227.215 and summarized the development-code structure in Title 14: introduction, land-use districts, community design standards, administration, exceptions and map amendments and interpretations. He said most code text amendments stem from state-law changes, compliance with housing or historical-preservation laws, updates to floodplain rules or to correct scrivener errors.

Crow explained that development-code text amendments are Type 4 land-use decisions: staff prepares a report and findings; the city files the proposed changes with the Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) through DLCD's Post-Acknowledgement Plan Amendments (PAPA) portal at least 45 days before the first public hearing; the planning commission holds a first hearing and issues a recommendation; and the city council holds a second hearing and may adopt the ordinance. He clarified that when ordinances are posted at least one week before the meeting, the city charter permits adoption on the first vote; otherwise adoption requires two meetings.

Crow also described the two forms of public notice. For text amendments that do not affect specific properties, printed notices are posted at City Hall and the community center and a newspaper ad is placed; for amendments that may change permissible uses for specific properties, owners within 300 feet receive direct mailed notice under Measure 56-type rules. Paper notices must be mailed or published at least 20 days but not more than 40 days before the first hearing; newspaper ads must run at least 10 to 14 days before the hearing as specified.

Crow said DLCD's role is to ensure proposed changes comply with statewide planning goals and the city's acknowledged comprehensive plan; DLCD reviews the PAPA submission and raises issues for staff to address before final adoption. He concluded by answering councilor questions about floodplain updates and the typical DLCD turnaround and public process.

Ending

Crow said the city maintains a running list of needed code amendments and groups scrivener errors where possible to avoid bringing multiple separate amendments forward; councilors asked staff to include floodplain updates in the list.