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Troutdale staff, planning commission favor 'fair policy' approach to state parking reforms
Summary
City staff explained state Climate-Friendly Equitable Communities parking rules and told council the Planning Commission prefers a 'fair policy' option that would combine unbundled parking or flexible commute benefits rather than repealing parking minimums citywide.
City staff briefed the Troutdale City Council on the state’s Climate-Friendly Equitable Communities (C-FEC) parking reforms on Jan. 28 and reported that the Planning Commission’s preferred option is to adopt ‘fair policy’ measures rather than repeal parking minimums across the city.
Erica Palmer, the community development director, told council that C‑FEC parking reforms are phased and that Troutdale must implement the second phase (parking reform B) by June 30, 2025. “Parking reform B … we are required to implement parking reform b by June 30, 2025,” she said.
What the rules require: The state’s rules reduce off‑street parking mandates for certain uses (affordable housing, small units, childcare, shelters and housing for people with disabilities) and require cities to adopt at least part of a menu of options to reduce car dependence. Options include: (1) repealing parking minimums citywide; (2) choosing two or more ‘fair policy’ measures (for example, unbundling parking, a flexible commute benefit for employers, taxing commercial parking revenue); or (3) narrower ‘reduce red tape’ exemptions for specific uses.
Planning Commission preference: The Planning Commission recommended option 2 — the fair-policies approach — with a likely package that would include a flexible commute benefit (a $50-per-month stipend for employees of firms with 50-plus employees who use alternative modes) and a tax mechanism for commercial parking revenue should commercial lots be developed in the future. Planning staff reported outreach to larger local employers: of 18 employers identified as having 50+ employees, staff received eight responses; reporting was mixed on current use of alternative transportation.
Local impact and limits: Palmer noted Troutdale has only one frequent-transit line (Line 77), which limits the citywide area automatically covered by the half-mile buffer in the state rules. She also noted that the town-center mixed-use zones already lack off-street parking minimums for some commercial categories, so the local code will not require wholesale rewriting in every zone.
Next steps: Staff will prepare code amendments and hold Planning Commission work sessions and public hearings in May–June so the city can meet the June 30, 2025 deadline. Palmer asked council for feedback on Planning Commission’s preferred approach before staff begins drafting ordinance language.
Ending: Council and staff said the CAC and Planning Commission will be involved in outreach and that staff will circulate draft language and schedule hearings. Councilors asked that staff provide additional employer outreach and clearer examples of likely local impacts before code amendments are drafted.
