Springfield work session introduces housing-related code and plan update to meet state rules and reduce regulatory barriers

Hailey, a city planning staffer, told the Springfield City Council at a work session that the city is beginning a housing-related code and plan update to bring the development code, comprehensive plan, and neighborhood refinement plans into compliance with state housing statutes and administrative rules and to reduce regulatory barriers to housing production.

The project will proceed in three phases: a code-and-plan audit, high-level code-and-plan concepts, and draft code and plan amendments. Cascadia Partners, the consultant working with the city, is completing the audit phase and anticipates a draft audit by early April, Hailey said. Community engagement rounds are scheduled for MaytoJune and SeptembertoOctober, with a public review draft of code and plan amendments expected by Dec. 2.

The audit will check for compliance with state statutes and Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) rules, and also identify local policy-driven changes that could promote housing. Hailey said the statutes and rules to be reviewed include ORS 197 (comprehensive land use planning), ORS 222 (city planning and zoning), ORS 92 (subdivisions and partitions) and OAR 660 (DLCD administrative rules), with emphasis on provisions…