Oregon City attorneys brief planning commissioners on 2024–25 land‑use legislation; warn of legal and implementation uncertainty

Missy Ryan, assistant city attorney for Oregon City, presented a high‑level overview of multiple 2024 and 2025 state land‑use bills to the Oregon City Planning Commission on Aug. 25, 2025, outlining new requirements that staff said will change how the city reviews many housing and development applications.

Ryan told commissioners the changes range from mandatory waivers of local design standards on certain housing projects to new deadlines for post‑entitlement engineering review, and include provisions that nullify private covenants that prohibit middle housing. She said the city has begun internal work and expects rule‑making and legal uncertainty to continue as state agencies and courts interpret the new laws.

Why it matters: The measures discussed affect how the city permits and conditions new housing, how many neighbors must be notified of certain proposals, and what review standards the city may apply. Planning staff said several provisions are ambiguous and will require code work, interagency coordination and close monitoring of state rule‑making.

Ryan began by describing the Housing Accountability and Production Office (HAPO) process tied to Senate Bill 1537 (2024), saying Oregon City submitted an exemption request that is under HAPO review. The exemption process, she said, allows cities to…