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Council approves 5.8-acre zone change to residential and advances landscape code amendments for administrative review
Summary
The council adopted Ordinance 5159 changing roughly 5.8 acres from industrial to residential (R-4) and directed further work on revisions to the city’s landscape chapter (Chapter 17.57) to streamline plan review; the landscape changes passed initial council action and will return for a second reading on May 27.
The McMinnville City Council adopted Ordinance 5159, approving a comprehensive plan amendment and zone change that re-designates roughly 5.8 acres at 2320 Southeast Stratus Avenue from industrial to residential with R-4 (medium-high density) zoning. The ordinance passed on its second reading by a 4–2 vote.
At the same meeting the council also advanced a separate, staff‑led legislative package to amend Chapter 17.57 (landscaping) of the McMinnville Zoning Ordinance. The proposed landscaping amendments split landscape plan review into an administrative track for routine applications and a discretionary track that can be referred to the Landscape Review Committee when more detailed review is required. The Planning Commission recommended the changes and the council voted to accept the Planning Commission’s recommendation; the ordinance will return for a required second reading on May 27.
Why it matters: The zone change converts industrial land to a residential designation intended to allow higher‑density housing; council discussion included questions about site easements and implementation steps. The landscape code changes are procedural but intended to reduce application-processing delays, clarify submittal requirements and create a completeness review before discretionary committee hearings.
Council procedure and next steps: The zone change was adopted after public process and Planning Commission recommendation; staff noted that applicants and reviewers will need clarified submittal checklists and that a second phase of the landscaping update will address objective design standards. The landscaping ordinance (Phase 1) passed first reading with a 5–1 council vote and will return May 27 for final adoption.
What remains: Staff will return with final landscaping code language and the second reading of the zoning ordinance materials; implementation will require updated checklists and internal procedures to support administrative landscape reviews.
