Fairview planning panel recommends City Council allow small residential care facilities along Holly Street

The Fairview Planning Commission voted unanimously on Jan. 27, 2026 to recommend that the City Council adopt ordinance 03-2026, which would add residential care facilities as a conditional use in a limited portion of the R10 zoning district along Holly Street.

City staff presented the amendment as a narrowly tailored change to Fairview Municipal Code Chapter 19.30. Staff said the draft language would remove an obsolete off-street parking minimum, clarify that residential care facilities (defined in meeting materials as facilities licensed by the Oregon Department of Human Resources serving 6 to 15 unrelated individuals) are subject to the city's clear-and-objective residential site and design standards, and limit eligibility to the seven R10 lots that both abut the Holly Street minor arterial and take primary access from it. Staff identified the applicable review criteria as sections 19.205 (amendments), 19.413 (type 4 procedures), and 19.470 (land use map/text amendments) and said a 35-day notice to DLCD was mailed Dec. 22, 2025.

The applicant, who identified herself as Laura and said she has been licensed with "M County" for 24 years, told the commission she currently operates a residential care home in the R10 district and seeks the code change in order to develop an adjacent property. Laura said the homes offer 24/7 supervision, help keep residents in the local community, and reduce pressure on hospitals and longer-term care institutions. She told the commission she would provide on-site parking across the two properties and expects four to five family vehicles in addition to occasional visiting providers. "This is a very much needed... it is a major community need," Laura said.

Commissioners asked whether the proposal would convert or demolish existing homes, whether the applicant owned adjacent lots, and how many cars would be parked on site. The applicant said she plans to replace or substantially renovate the adjacent building and that the two properties would provide parking capacity; staff reminded commissioners that the ordinance is legislative, and specific traffic, parking and compatibility issues will be considered during any future conditional-use (Type III) application, which will require public notice and opportunity for comment.

After deliberation, a commissioner moved to recommend City Council adoption of ordinance 03-2026 with the staff-recommended attachment; a second was made and a roll call vote recorded unanimous approval. Commissioners Dub, Monero, Williams, Hooper, Pearson, Walters and Chair Bram voted yes. The commission's recommendation will be forwarded to the City Council for consideration.

What happens next: If the City Council takes up and adopts the ordinance, developers seeking to open a residential care facility on any of the seven eligible R10 lots would still be required to submit a conditional-use application and meet the city's site development and design standards before a facility could be approved.

Key details extracted from the hearing: ordinance 03-2026; land use file 2025-48-8; seven properties targeted; facility size defined in hearing materials as 6'to 15 residents; applicable code references 19.205, 19.413, 19.470; staff recommended forwarding the amendment to City Council.