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Economic Vitality Committee asks staff to analyze whether ADUs belong in the National Scenic Area

Columbia River Gorge Commission · December 2, 2025
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

The Columbia River Gorge Commission Economic Vitality Committee asked staff to analyze whether allowing accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in specific land-use designations warrants a midterm plan amendment or should be deferred to the next full plan review; staff cautioned the legal standard and limited capacity will shape next steps.

The Columbia River Gorge Commission’s Economic Vitality Committee directed staff to analyze whether allowing accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in parts of the National Scenic Area (NSA) meets the legal threshold for a plan amendment and whether the Commission could act productively if that threshold is met.

Chair (an Oregon governor appointee) opened the discussion by saying “there is a housing crisis underway in our community,” and framed the committee’s task as deciding whether the change since the last plan review justifies expedited action or can wait for the next management plan update.

Bryce, a planning staff member, summarized current practice: the Scenic Area has generally operated on a ‘‘one…

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