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Board adopts zoning change to allow medical temporary hardship dwellings in more zones; MUA/RR exceptions remain
Summary
On second reading the Board adopted Ordinance 2025-005 to amend county code relating to temporary medical hardship dwellings. The change allows existing buildings to be used as medical hardship dwellings in several additional zones but not in MUA10 or RR10, consistent with state law.
Deschutes County on May 21 adopted Ordinance 2025-005, a zoning text amendment revising rules for temporary medical hardship dwellings and implementing a clarification staff described as clerical: the ordinance restores the term “medical” in the definition and expands where an existing building may qualify.
Planning Manager Will Groves presented the ordinance for second reading. Staff said the amendment implements state statutory requirements that focus on medical hardship dwellings and clarifies where existing buildings (built two or more years prior to application) may qualify as a temporary medical hardship dwelling. Under the adoption the option to use an existing building is extended to additional zones — rural service center, Terrebonne, Tumalo, rural commercial and Sunriver — but state statute prohibits use of existing buildings as medical hardship dwellings in MUA 10 and RR 10 zones; those zones remain exempt from that allowance.
Commissioner Dyer moved to conduct second reading and then adopt Ordinance 2025-005. The motion passed unanimously (Commissioner Dyer: yes; Commissioner Chang: yes; Chair: yes). The ordinance becomes effective 90 days from adoption.
