Council hears introduction to housing code and plan update; staff seeks guidance on governance and outreach

Hailey, planning staff, told the Springfield City Council in a work session that the city will begin a targeted housing‑related code and plan update to bring Springfield into compliance with state housing statutes and to “facilitate housing production, affordability, and choice by reducing regulatory barriers.” Cascadia Partners is the consultant working with the city on the project and will deliver a code and plan audit, high‑level code concepts, and draft amendments.

The audit phase will identify development code, comprehensive plan, and neighborhood refinement plan sections that are not compliant with state law and code sections that create barriers to housing. "The audit will identify the portions of the development code, comprehensive plans, and neighborhood refinement plans that need to be amended to comply with state law," Hailey said. Cascadia will redline noncompliant sections and produce alternative approaches as part of the code concepts stage.

Staff outlined a three‑phase schedule: an audit (underway, draft due early April), two rounds of community engagement (May–June and Sept–Oct), and completion of draft code and plan amendments by December. Cascadia…