Talent planning commission forwards updated residential buildable‑lands inventory to City Council

TALENT, Ore. — The City of Talent Planning Commission voted Oct. 28 to recommend that the City Council adopt amendments to Element G (Housing) of the comprehensive plan, including a new residential buildable‑lands inventory.

The motion, made by Commissioner Damato and seconded by Commissioner Hazel, passed on a 5–0 roll call. Commissioners Tabata, Davis, Shapiro, Hazel and Clark voted in the affirmative.

The staff report summarized the inventory process required under state law, describing it as a parcel‑by‑parcel analysis of parcels inside the urban growth boundary. The inventory found 114 acres of buildable residential land, primarily comprised of 102 acres that are partially vacant and 12 acres entirely vacant. Staff noted that of 1,922 residentially designated tax lots within the urban growth boundary, about 90% were counted as developed with no remaining development capacity; the remaining roughly 10% of lots account for the 114 acres identified as having development capacity.

The inventory and proposed comp‑plan text amendments are being transmitted to the council as a recommendation; the commission does not decide the final adoption. A staff explanation read into the record emphasized the legal framework: “State law provides land use applications and appeals of administrative land use decisions must be judged based on the law that existed when an application was filed,” and the inventory was prepared under the statewide planning goals and applicable Oregon Administrative Rules.

Public testimony included a statement by Ron Lopheimer of the South Talent Neighborhood Association, who said the association "is not opposed to the motion before the planning commission recommending city council adoption of the updated, residential building lands inventory" but urged the commission to go further. Lopheimer asked the commission to recommend that the council remove the Railroad District Master Plan lands from the comprehensive plan and pursue an urban growth boundary land swap, saying the feasibility study "will not come close to satisfying the city's alleged future needs over the next 20 years" and that the estimated cost made full development of the Railroad District economically infeasible.

Staff responded that written materials from the association are part of the record and that the consultant’s response concludes there is not legal justification under state law to remove lands currently inside the urban growth boundary from the inventory. Staff said any formal removal of land from the comprehensive plan is typically done in tandem with an actual UGB land‑swap action and that the city has secured grant funding to study potential swaps.

Commission discussion focused on technical points: how partially vacant parcels were counted, whether parcels in the UGB but outside city limits are subdividable or developable without annexation, and the inventory’s purpose as a long‑range planning tool rather than an immediate change to regulation.

Action: Motion to adopt the proposed order recommending council adoption of the comp‑plan text amendments and new residential buildable‑lands inventory (Planning Commission file CPA‑2025‑002). Mover: Commissioner Damato. Second: Commissioner Hazel. Vote: Hazel — yes; Tabata — yes; Davis — yes; Shapiro — yes; Clark — yes. Outcome: approved (5–0).

Next steps: The commission’s recommendation will be forwarded to the City Council for public hearings and final action on the comp‑plan amendments and inventory.