Planning commission reviews draft housing-and-design code changes to allow more mixed‑use housing

The Springfield Planning Commission reviewed a draft of Phase 1 of the Housing and Design Initiative at a work session, where staff outlined proposed code and plan amendments to expand where housing and higher‑density mixed‑use development are permitted.

The planner leading the presentation said the package contains “four recommendations”: allow housing in more mixed‑use locations, provide more flexibility in the size and location of commercial space, permit standalone multi‑unit residential development in more places, and encourage higher‑density housing in additional locations. The changes are based on roughly a year of work with consultant Cascadia Partners and a grant from the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development, staff said.

Why it matters: staff said the amendments aim to reduce barriers to mixed‑use projects and make redevelopment along Main Street and other corridors more feasible by lowering the amount of required ground‑floor commercial, allowing horizontal mixed‑use (separate commercial and residential buildings on the same lot), and raising allowable heights in some neighborhood commercial zones.

Key proposed technical changes - Permitted uses: the draft amends neighborhood and community commercial permitted‑use tables to allow mixed‑use development with residential uses along Main Street and South A corridor areas and to allow single‑room occupancy, multi‑unit housing, townhouses, childcare centers and residential care facilities in appropriate commercial districts. - Minimum densities and lot limits: mixed‑use development would generally require 15 dwelling units per net acre and standalone multifamily could require 20 units per net acre (the higher standard applies in the community commercial district). Where residential development is allowed in the community commercial district, staff proposed a maximum lot size of 1 acre to preserve larger industrial or redevelopable parcels. - Ground‑floor commercial flexibility: staff proposed multiple options to meet ground‑floor commercial standards: (1) 30% of total ground‑floor area or 10,000 sq. ft., whichever is less; (2) at least 50% of street frontage with a 25‑ft minimum depth, windows and doors; or (3) a commercial‑ready ground floor built to standards, with a minimum 12‑ft ground‑floor height. Staff said the building department reviewed these options with no concerns. - Height, lot coverage, and step‑down: neighborhood commercial maximum height would increase from 20 ft to 50 ft (allowing up to four stories); lot coverage in neighborhood commercial would rise from 35% to 60% to enable horizontal mixed‑use layouts; and the height step‑down distance adjacent to low‑density residential would be reduced from 50 ft to 25 ft to improve market feasibility for upper‑floor housing. - Design standards and landscaping: new, clearer development and building design standards would apply to commercial and mixed‑use areas to comply with CFEC walkable‑design requirements (off‑street parking placement, entrance orientation, pedestrian connectivity). Landscaping and screening standards for parking, circulation areas and utility collection points were clarified and retained.

Commission questions and clarifications Commissioners asked whether the draft sets maximum densities; staff confirmed the proposed code does not establish a citywide maximum density for mixed‑use districts. Staff also noted a technical discrepancy between slide language and the draft legislative code language for whether ‘‘residential home’’ uses are permitted in the neighborhood commercial district; staff acknowledged the inconsistency and said they will correct it in the public record and code language. A commissioner also asked about the housing capacity analysis that will examine where other housing types should be located citywide; staff said that work is forthcoming.

What’s next Staff opened the item for questions and asked the commission for feedback on whether the amendments will increase housing affordability, production and choice. This item remains a work session topic; staff will return with refinements and technical corrections prior to public hearings and subsequent hearings at the City Council.

Attribution of key speakers - Presenter (staff member leading the code update presentation) - Commission members who asked clarifying questions (identified in the transcript by role labels)

The commission did not take formal votes on these code amendments during this session; the draft will be revised based on commission feedback and posted ahead of public hearings.