Yamhill County planning office reports rise in ADU permits, previews fee and code updates

Ken Bridal, from the Yamhill County planning department, told the Board of Commissioners on March 27 that the office processed hundreds of land-use and building permits in 2024 and that applications for accessory dwelling units rose sharply.

"In 2024, we processed 502 land use applications," Bridal said, adding that the office issued "nearly 4,000 building and electrical permits" and "282 septic permits." He said the state-estimated value of construction tied to those permits was just over $172,000,000.

Bridal said one construction and land-use category that saw a large increase—about 50% over the prior year—was accessory dwelling units, or ADUs. He described the county’s ADU rules: an ADU is limited to 900 square feet or 75% of the primary residence’s square footage and must be within 100 feet of the existing primary residence. ADUs cannot be used as short-term rentals and cannot be rented month-to-month, Bridal said.

"My hope is to have another increase this year," Bridal said, urging the state legislature to consider allowing ADUs in farm-and-forest zones to expand housing options.

The planning office is seeing more applications for temporary health hardship dwellings as well, Bridal said. He described the hardship provision’s eligibility rules as requiring either a property owner over age 70 or a medical note supporting the need. He said hardship options now include manufactured dwellings, recreational vehicles used temporarily, or conversion of existing structures such as barns or shops.

Bridal said staff certifications included Katrina Faircloth passing her permit technician certification and Robert McClure passing his plumbing inspector certification. He also told the board the office will likely request building and survey fee adjustments this year to account for inflation and will seek a future work session on ordinance updates the board may want to pursue.

On funding, Bridal said the planning office is self-sustaining on fees but noted an unexplained decline in electrical permits in the most recent year. He closed by describing improved morale after the office consolidated locations in February 2024 and said colocating with frequently contacted departments should improve customer service.

The board asked questions about hardship dwelling trends, proximity and size limits on ADUs, and county permit comparisons with other counties; Bridal said he would follow up with comparative data on how Yamhill County ranks.

Bridal did not give a timeline for proposed fee adjustments or a specific ordinance schedule; he said he will return to the board with proposals and that one additional item is pending confirmation in the coming weeks.