Junction City adopts land-use code updates to conform with recent state housing laws

The Junction City Council adopted Ordinance No. 1 on June 10, updating numerous sections of the municipal code (Title 16 and Title 17) to align local land-use rules with recent Oregon legislation.

Planner Portillo presented the staff report describing three bills that prompted the changes: Senate Bill 1537 (2024), House Bill 3395 (2023) and House Bill 4064 (2022). The amendments clarify the city's administrative procedures for limited land use decisions, add duplexes as an allowed use in R-1 zones under conditions, and update definitions and allowances for manufactured dwellings. "...this was brought to city leadership's attention back in the fall," Planner Portillo said, summarizing the planning commission's review and unanimous recommendation.

Key changes described in the staff report: - SB 1537: administrative tweaks to permit applicants to opt into amended housing regulations under certain conditions, clarification of type 2 (limited) land-use decision processes, and reclassification of some nonconforming-use determinations to a type 2 procedure. - HB 3395: requirement to allow duplexes where single-family detached homes are permitted; Junction City added duplexes as a permitted use in R-1 with a minimum lot size of 10,000 square feet. - HB 4064: ensures manufactured homes/dwellings are allowed where single-family dwellings are allowed and modernizes definitions to match statute.

Planning staff said the city is currently under a sewer-capacity moratorium, so staff do not anticipate a rush of dense housing applications in the immediate term. The planning commission unanimously recommended approval on May 20; the council held the required Type IV legislative public hearing, received no public testimony, and then voted to adopt the ordinance. The ordinance will go into effect 30 days after enactment and incorporates the planning commission's findings (Exhibit B) and the code text (Exhibit A).