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Committee backs draft letter supporting Bend code amendments to expand housing options
Summary
The committee agreed to draft a letter to City Council backing amendments that would allow a second ADU, permit accessory amenities such as a second kitchen with covenant limits, and introduce a zero-setback 'row housing' option; planning commission recommended the package and staff will draft the letter for committee signatures.
Committee members reviewed proposed Bend Development Code amendments intended to expand housing options — including a second accessory dwelling unit (ADU), accessory amenities such as a second kitchen limited by a recorded covenant, and a zero-setback "row housing" option — and agreed to prepare a letter of support for City Council.
Carrie Bell, middle income housing coordinator, said the amendments grew from a 2023 workshop with local developers that identified code and process changes to make middle-income and market-rate development more feasible. Bell described three components in the current package: allowing a second ADU (sometimes called a junior ADU in earlier drafts), authorizing accessory amenities such as a second kitchen (with a covenant preventing later conversion into a separate dwelling), and a 0-setback row-housing product intended to let developers build and sell units sequentially to reduce financing risk.
Bell and members discussed practical questions about the zero-setback/row-housing approach, including whether units would share party walls and whether buyers would accept living adjacent to active construction; Bell said the model exists elsewhere and the code borrows elements from townhome standards where appropriate. Committee members asked whether council could reject the package; staff said planning commission had recommended the amendments and that the item is scheduled for City Council on June 4.
Committee members indicated support for drafting a formal letter to council; staff offered to draft the letter and present it for committee sign-off, typically with Heather and Mandy signing on behalf of the group. Bell said the letter could note the committee’s ongoing involvement in developing the package and the collaborative work that produced the proposed changes.
Ending: Staff will draft a support letter for committee review and signature and will circulate links to the planning commission presentation for members who want more technical detail.
