Council forms development-code review task force to identify barriers to housing and development

Grants Pass City Council on April 16 approved a resolution to create a short-term development code review task force charged with identifying barriers in the city development code and proposing solutions to speed and improve permitting and construction.

Bradley Clark, community development staff, told the council the city code is large and complex — “the development code contains 30 articles or chapters,” he said — and that council had asked staff to form a task force to both diagnose barriers and recommend implementable solutions. Clark described possible membership (seven voting members representing planning commissioners, engineers/architects, builders, developers, a land-use attorney, a real-estate professional and an at-large citizen) and suggested using subject-matter experts as nonvoting advisers.

Councilors debated whether to hire an outside planning consultant to facilitate and support the group. Several councilors said a consultant could help the task force move more quickly and produce text-level recommendations; other councilors preferred to start without a paid consultant and revisit that option later. The council directed staff to form the panel without contracting a consultant initially, but kept the option of adding a planning consultant later if the task force requested it.

Councilor Kathleen moved to approve the resolution with amendments directing the task force to (1) diagnose barriers and also propose specific solutions, (2) include all land-use types (residential, commercial, industrial and temporary uses), (3) include recent code changes in the review and (4) separate residential and commercial developer representation. Councilor Eric seconded; the motion passed unanimously.

Staff said it would advertise the task force with the council’s direction, work with the council on final membership criteria, and return as needed. Clark recommended a one-year maximum term and noted that a professional facilitator (planning consultant) would likely cost in the mid-five figures depending on scope.

What this means: The task force is intended as a focused, time-limited step to identify and recommend code changes that reduce delays and barriers to housing and other development. Staff will circulate the volunteer notice and return to council with candidate appointments.