Scappoose EDC debates downtown parking reductions, public parking hub and acquisition of ODOT rail strip

At the February meeting of the Scappoose Economic Development Committee, members and staff spent much of the discussion on downtown parking policy, ways to reuse existing lots and a potential City acquisition of a narrow strip of ODOT rail property that staff says could be converted to public parking.

Committee planner Laurie said the city’s current code limits where parking reductions are allowed. “Parking kills some projects,” she said, citing a gravel corner lot where a developer’s plan for mixed-use buildings could not meet required parking. Laurie said, “Our code says for a mixed use building, you cannot have a reduction in parking, under the downtown overlay code,” and that only a few blocks on the west side of Highway 30 qualify for reductions.

Why it matters: Committee members framed the debate as part of shaping a walkable downtown. Supporters said more flexible standards and a consolidated public parking hub could unlock development where lots are currently dominated by surface stalls. Opponents raised concerns that reducing requirements without mitigating actions would create parking shortages for existing businesses and harm customer access.

Discussion and details

Laurie recommended the downtown strategic plan include a focused look at parking: whether existing private lots could be consolidated, whether the city should create a public “destination” lot, and where reductions would make sense for Scappoose’s largely car-dependent context. She described one technical path the city has used: a “one-off parking study and analysis” that can evaluate on-street and adjacent-block parking to justify alternative ratios if a property owner pays for the analysis.

Committee member Brian and other members pointed to a specific gravel lot near Northeast First Street and City Hall where the lot occupies roughly two-thirds of a block; Laurie said the lot’s owner previously ran parking calculations and could not meet requirements for the number of apartments proposed. An owner-led study had been evaluated by staff and accepted, Laurie said, but the owner later stopped responding to outreach.

Multiple members noted local differences from examples shown in a video the group watched: the video’s model town had a larger population, a college and a developed transit system — features Scappoose lacks — and some members said those differences limit direct transferability of the case studies. Ben, a newer committee member, summarized the practical planning challenge: “It’s really just coming up with a good plan for our downtown and area,” and said a visible, well-signed parking hub could reduce the perception that parking is hard to find.

ODOT rail property and public parking

Laurie and staff reported progress on acquiring a slim parcel owned by ODOT Rail along the west side of Northeast First Street. Laurie said the city engineer has been negotiating for nearly a decade and that the state would likely quitclaim “about 30 to 35 feet in width” along the west side of First Street so the city could develop head-on angled public parking, landscaping and better pedestrian access. “They’re actually going to quitclaim deed it to the city. We would own it,” Laurie said.

Staff and members said that acquiring that strip could make nearby redevelopment projects “pencil” by providing replacement or destination parking, help widen First Street (now described as a 20-foot, substandard right-of-way) and support events such as the farmers market. Staff cautioned the full width was not available because the rail would keep a maintenance spur, so the city expects a narrowed transfer rather than the entire rail tract.

State law and other code changes

Committee members and staff noted existing, separate changes in state law that have already altered parking requirements for housing types. One staff speaker said duplex parking rules have been relaxed by state statute for cities under 10,000 population, and described the current local table: studios require one stall, one- to two-bedroom units 1.5 stalls, and three-bedroom units two stalls — but duplexes are now treated differently under state law. Committee members discussed how those statutory changes intersect with local code and how future tweaks could be “right-sized” for Scappoose while protecting existing businesses.

Mitigations and enforcement

Several members proposed mitigation tools to accompany any reductions: timed (two-hour) on-street zones in the downtown core to prevent all-day commuter parking, clearer signage directing drivers to consolidated public lots, and structured shared-parking agreements between businesses with non-overlapping hours. One member urged caution, saying perception of poor parking can deter customers even where capacity exists.

Funding and next steps

Staff said possible funding routes include grants (Main Street and TGM grants were mentioned), leveraging future on-site construction, urban renewal money and, possibly, gas tax funds for right-of-way improvements. The committee agreed the downtown strategic plan — a staff-led effort for which the city plans to seek a grant and for which the EDC would serve as a technical advisory committee — should include a parking study and a parcel-by-parcel review of where consolidation or reduced requirements might be appropriate.

Ending

Committee members asked staff to continue outreach, reengage the private lot owner who had previously submitted a parking analysis, and include parking evaluation as a key element of the forthcoming downtown strategic plan. Staff and the city engineer said the ODOT parcel transfer could be finalized within months if remaining survey and description issues are resolved.