Planning staff outline 2024 activity and 2025 priorities, flag FEMA 'PICM' mandate and housing shortfall

Planning staff presented a year‑end review and an outline of priorities for 2025 at the The Dalles Planning Commission meeting on Dec. 5, highlighting a dip in residential permit activity, several multifamily land‑use approvals still awaiting building permits, and a federal floodplain compliance deadline that will change how projects in flood‑exposed areas are reviewed.

"In 2024, a total of 12 new residential dwelling units were approved," Joshua Chandler, community development staff, told commissioners, listing five single‑family homes, three duplexes, one accessory dwelling unit and two replacement units. Chandler said these replacement permits do not increase overall housing inventory. He contrasted 2024 totals with 2021 when the city approved about 50 dwelling units and emphasized the city's adopted 2023 Housing Needs Analysis target of roughly 505 units over 20 years (about 26 units per year).

Chandler said the city approved four multifamily land‑use applications in 2024 totaling 206 units — including Basalt Commons (about 116 units) and a 78‑unit Lone Pine project — but that none of those projects had yet advanced to the building‑permit phase. He noted one six‑plex land‑division application has since moved toward building permits.

Staff also described active land‑division work: nine minor partitions creating 15 parcels, a recently approved 14‑lot subdivision off Columbia View Drive, and proposals for additional subdivisions (29 and 6 lots) under review.

A major near‑term priority staff flagged is compliance with FEMA’s pre‑implementation compliance measures (PICM). Chandler said FEMA Region 10 instructed jurisdictions participating in the National Flood Insurance Program to choose one of three PICM options and that The Dalles’ city council directed staff Nov. 25 to pursue the model‑ordinance option. By choosing that option the city met an early deadline (Dec. 1) but must adopt implementing code changes by July 31. Until the model ordinance is adopted, projects in newly mapped floodplain areas will undergo a site‑specific "permit‑by‑permit" review process, Chandler said, potentially adding time and cost to development permits.

Chandler estimated the updated maps could affect roughly 300 properties when accounting for existing mapped properties and those added or removed during the update and said the city plans to send broad Ballot Measure 56 notifications to ensure affected property owners receive notice. He also noted the city relies on FEMA technical assistance for navigating the new requirement and flagged potential near‑term housing impacts because the permit‑by‑permit requirement could be an additional barrier until the model ordinance is adopted.

Other 2025 priorities listed by staff included updating the sign code (a comprehensive cleanup), a downtown parking assessment intended to identify low‑cost efficiency measures, a land‑division code review, a use‑type review to clarify change‑of‑use procedures and a planned update to the Economic Opportunities Analysis and buildable lands inventory starting in 2025 to reflect state methodology and recent industrial site activity.

Chandler introduced Sandy Freund as the new senior planner who will oversee long‑range planning and the Historic Landmarks Commission. He said staffing levels are near full and that the department will continue to work on housing production strategy implementation and other code updates in 2025.

Next procedural steps: staff will draft the PICM/model ordinance code amendments for commission and council review, continue outreach on floodmap changes, and advance ongoing land‑division and parking work in the coming year.