The Oregon City Planning Commission voted unanimously to adopt a resolution supporting the Historic Review Board's proposed design guidelines for new construction in the city's historic districts and asked that the board review the guidelines one year after adoption.

The guidelines, developed this year with a Certified Local Government grant and consultant Rob Dortnak and his team, provide detailed guidance on compatibility, massing, materials and storefront proportions for infill in the Kanema and McLaughlin historic overlay districts. Christina Robertson-Gardner, city staff, told the commission the guidelines are advisory (not codified) and are intended to supplement the city's historic overlay ordinance (Ordinance 1740) and make review more predictable for applicants.

Why it matters: Commissioners and community members said the city is poised for increased interest and development on the Seventh Street corridor, and detailed guidance could reduce inconsistent results and appeals. At the same time, residents and the Historic Review Board urged the city to guard neighborhood scale and materials so new construction complements existing historic fabric.

Discussion and concerns

Rick Winterhalter, chair of the Historic Review Board, described the guidelines as a long-sought clarification of review expectations and thanked staff and the consultant team for the work. Winterhalter said the board supports the document but expressed concern that allowing projects to use the underlying zone maximum height (45 feet) could produce buildings out of proportion with the district. He asked that the commission consider limiting heights or be prepared for frequent appeals.

Denise McGriff, land-use chair of the McLaughlin Neighborhood Association, and other speakers supported the guidelines overall but urged greater specificity on height and parking. McGriff recommended a parking-management review for the Seventh Street area, citing increased demand since openings such as the Black Point Inn. Phil Yates, a property owner and developer who spoke during public comment, urged a clear numeric height limit rather than ambiguous compatibility language and recommended requiring traditional materials (for example, wood windows) where appropriate.

City staff explained how height is measured in code (midpoint on sloped sites; top of parapet for commercial) and that the guidelines include mixed guidance about typical commercial and residential floor heights (for example, a 16-foot ground floor and 10-foot upper floors were used in examples that map to roughly 36'39 feet of typical massing). Robertson-Gardner said the direction from city leadership was to rely on the underlying zone height in some cases while using the guidelines to assess compatibility; the Historic Review Board will apply the principles and can require applicants to demonstrate compatibility if they propose alternatives.

Decisions and next steps

The Planning Commission passed Planning Commission Resolution 06-01, a formal expression of support for the Historic Review Board's adoption of the proposed guidelines. The resolution notes the Historic Review Board will review the guidelines one year after adoption and present any recommended amendments to the Planning Commission and City Commission.

Votes at a glance

- Planning Commission Resolution 06-01 (support Historic Review Board adoption of proposed guidelines): motion carried; recorded vote: Commissioner Lejois ' Aye; Commissioner Chris Groner ' Aye; Commissioner Judd ' Aye; Commissioner Carter Stein ' Aye; Chairperson Powell ' Aye. Outcome: approved.

Implementation notes and remaining issues

- Adoption: The staff memo and speakers made clear the Planning Commission's action is a recommendation; formal adoption will be by the Historic Review Board (anticipated in September) and subsequent hearings at the City Commission. Staff said the guidelines themselves are not codified standards but are intended as a working document to guide HRB review; the overlay ordinance (Ordinance 1740) remains the controlling code.

- One-year review: The Historic Review Board will return to the Planning Commission and City Commission one year after adoption with recommended amendments or findings from applied cases.

- Outstanding concerns: public commenters and the HRB highlighted three areas for continuing attention: height limits and how to measure them on sloping sites; parking capacity and whether the city should develop a parking-management plan for the Seventh Street corridor; and material standards (for example, windows) where residents urged stronger preferences for wood or wood-clad windows but staff described a process for applicants to bring material samples to hearings if proposing alternatives.

The Planning Commission meeting record shows broad support for moving the guidelines forward while directing staff and the Historic Review Board to monitor implementation and to return with suggested changes after a one-year trial period.