The McMinnville Planning Commission voted to recommend that the mayor and aldermen rezone a parcel on Page Street from R-1 to R-6 after a lengthy public hearing in which multiple neighbors raised concerns about drainage, street capacity and neighborhood character.

The project manager for the property told the commission that rising lot prices have made it difficult to build median-priced single-family houses and that changing the zoning would create more, lower-cost lots on the city portion of the parcel. He estimated an additional dozen to 15 lots might be possible in the city portion; at other points in the hearing broader estimates were discussed in the range of roughly 50–60 lots for the overall tract pending final engineering.

City staff told the commission the property is a large parcel with a back portion located in the county, and that the city’s general plan labels the area as mixed residential. Staff said R-6 in McMinnville is intended to allow single detached homes in the city’s application of the code (staff stated R-6 does not permit duplexes or multifamily in this jurisdiction) and emphasized that detailed subdivision matters — stormwater, sewer, platting and street improvements — would be handled at the engineering and permitting phase, not during the rezoning decision.

Multiple residents urged the commission to keep the area at R-1. Carol Ruffin, who said she lives directly across from the site, described a narrow street and an open ditch in front of her house and warned that poor drainage already sends water into neighbors’ yards: "The street is very narrow. I have a ditch in front of my house. So if the water drainage is not good, then where is it gonna go? It's gonna go in my yard." Roger Yates, another resident, asked for documentation explaining how the city could be sued over prior denials and questioned acreage discrepancies raised during the hearing.

Staff clarified that a prior application had been for a planned residential district (PRD) that allowed greater density and that applicants have the right to reapply with different requests. Commissioner (Speaker 4) moved to forward a recommendation to the mayor and aldermen to change the zoning; the motion was seconded and passed by voice vote. The commission emphasized that its action is only a recommendation and that final approval rests with the mayor and aldermen.

Next steps: the recommendation will go to the mayor and aldermen for their review and public process; subdivision-level engineering (plat, stormwater and sewer) would be required before building permits could be issued.