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West Linn Council adopts code changes to meet state climate parking rules
Summary
The West Linn City Council unanimously adopted Ordinance 1754, amending multiple chapters of the Community Development Code to comply with Oregon’s Climate Friendly and Equitable Communities rules by removing certain parking mandates and adding EV‑ready conduit and parking‑lot design standards.
The West Linn City Council on Nov. 12 unanimously adopted Ordinance 1754, a package of amendments to the city’s Community Development Code intended to bring the city into compliance with Oregon Administrative Rules implementing the Climate Friendly and Equitable Communities (CFEC) program. The ordinance removes or revises required parking minimums across multiple CDC chapters, adds requirements to prepare for electric vehicles and updates parking‑lot design standards.
Darren Weiss, the city’s planning manager, told the council that state rules (OAR chapter 660, division 12) and related Metro requirements left the city with a narrow set of options: remove parking mandates citywide, limit removals to specific corridors and town centers, or adopt alternate measures such as paid on‑street parking or a commercial parking lot tax. Weiss said roughly 90% of the city’s commercial land would be exempt from parking mandates under the options the state allows and that commercial property owners the city consulted largely supported removing minimums.
The adopted ordinance keeps the city’s existing maximum parking standards, adds a definition for electric‑vehicle service capacity and requires conduit installation for future EV charging infrastructure in certain parking areas. The code changes also add parking‑lot pedestrian walkway requirements and tree canopy targets for parking lots. The planning manager said the Department of Land Conservation and Development reviewed the draft and requested minor edits, which staff incorporated.
Councilors asked whether the city had received public opposition during the planning process; Weiss said the Planning Commission and staff had not received comments opposing the policy. Council members agreed to a staff check‑in — roughly one to two years after implementation — to monitor for any unintended consequences and to return if adjustments are needed.
An unidentified councilor moved approval of the first reading of Ordinance 1754 with a staff change updating a stormwater design reference in CDC 46; a second reading passed later the same evening, allowing immediate adoption. The ordinance was adopted by unanimous roll‑call vote and will take effect in 30 days.
The council and staff emphasized that the changes do not prohibit developers from building parking; rather, the amendments remove minimums that had required parking in some situations and add standards to guide future design and EV readiness. The planning manager said the city used grant funds and consultant assistance to develop the code language and that the Planning Commission recommended adoption unanimously.
The council’s action implements the state‑mandated CFEC parking reforms and directs staff to monitor the ordinance’s effects and report back if the city finds implementation issues.
