Deschutes County adopts clear-and-objective housing zoning amendments, emergency effective July 1

Deschutes County commissioners on Wednesday completed first and second readings and adopted by emergency ordinance a set of zoning-code amendments intended to implement state-required clear-and-objective housing standards.

Senior planner Tanya Saltzman presented Ordinance 2025-009, identified as the second “bucket” of code changes associated with the county’s clear-and-objective project. The package addresses Goal 5 (wildlife, scenic areas, open space and related resources) and included clerical clarifications that staff said should improve driveway-access language and relocate the “switching station” procedural references from Title 18 to Title 22 (procedures) for consistency.

Saltzman and commissioners described the work as largely legislative housekeeping required by state statute; staff recommended first and second reading and emergency adoption with an effective date of July 1, 2025, the date state statute requires the clear-and-objective changes to take effect.

Commissioners asked clarifying questions about the driveway language and the broader, long-running policy trade-offs of clarifying standards while preserving discretionary paths in some cases. The board moved and seconded first-and-second-reading by title only and then voted to adopt Ordinance 2025-009 by emergency with an effective date of 07/01/2025. The vote was recorded in the meeting as unanimous.

Saltzman and community-development staff said additional clear-and-objective packages will follow and that the adoption gives staff time to update application forms and procedural materials so applicants may select the clear-and-objective pathway where appropriate.

The ordinance: amendments to Deschutes County Code Title 18 (Zoning Ordinance) to incorporate clear-and-objective housing standards in compliance with state law (Ordinance 2025-009). Effective date: July 1, 2025.