Troutdale staff outline state parking rules, push Planning Commission and council timetable

Erica Palmer, Troutdale’s community development director, told the Citizens Advisory Committee that Oregon’s Climate Friendly Equitable Communities rulemaking requires the city to amend local code to comply with new parking rules and that the city received an extension that sets a June 30 compliance date.

“I’m Erica Palmer, community development director for the city,” Palmer said. “We received an extension from the state of Oregon, to adopt these new rules, and we need to adopt them by June thirtieth of this year.”

Palmer summarized key CFEC requirements that affect local code: the city must remove parking minimums for certain uses (including affordable housing, units under 500 square feet, single‑room occupancies, child care, and facilities serving people with disabilities or in treatment); the city cannot mandate garages or carports for new housing; multifamily developments of five or more units must provide electrical conduit for EV charging at 40% of provided spaces; and the code must make conversion of underused parking easier. CFEC also prohibits local parking minimums within a half‑mile of frequent transit corridors (Troutdale’s Line 77 along Halsey was cited).

Palmer said the Planning Commission reviewed the state options and chose the “fair policies” menu (option 2). Under that approach the city must pick at least two menu items; staff said they plan to pursue menu items focused on reducing regulatory barriers for certain uses and on a flexible commute benefit. The flexible commute benefit would apply to employers with 50 or more employees and would pay a monthly stipend (Palmer said $50) to employees who do not use an employer parking spot.

Palmer described practical effects for developers and staff: developers frequently still provide parking because market demand remains, and staff continue to advise applicants at pre‑application conferences about locally recommended parking levels despite the state’s removal of minimums. She gave an example of a proposed multifamily formula in the state guidance: 0.5 parking spaces per unit (rounded—resulting in a minimum of three spaces for a five‑unit project), compared with Troutdale’s current minimum of 2 spaces per unit plus guest parking at 1 space per 3 units.

The Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on the amendment package at 7 p.m. next Wednesday in the same meeting room; staff will take public testimony and forward a recommendation to City Council. City Council is scheduled for a first reading of an implementing ordinance on June 10 and a second reading on June 24, Palmer said. She also said staff has published background information and an article in the local Champion to explain the state mandate and the city’s options.

Committee members asked clarifying questions about definitions (for example, what counts as a commercial parking lot), outreach and how to direct public frustration about state policy. Palmer said staff are directing callers to state representatives when appropriate, and that the city has posted materials on its website. She also said planners expect many developers will continue to provide parking by market preference even where minimums are removed.

No new ordinance was adopted during the meeting; the City must move through Planning Commission and City Council hearings to enact the amendments before the state deadline.