Council tables middle‑housing land‑division code amendments for staff and task‑force revisions

City staff and consultant Matt Hasty of MIG briefed the council on proposed amendments to the Grants Pass development code to implement Oregon’s middle‑housing land‑division rules (Senate Bill 458). The changes would insert middle‑housing land divisions into Articles 2 and 3, add substantive land-division language to Article 17 (tentative plan criteria, sequencing with building permits, and expedited review timing), and update access and utilities language in Articles 27 and 28.

Hasty explained the intent: to allow owners of duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, townhomes and cottage clusters to subdivide sites so that individual units can be sold, improving opportunities for homeownership. He said many provisions derive directly from the statute and that local flexibility is limited in some areas (for example, the requirement to show compliance with building-code standards for proposed units).

Justin Gurlitz, chair of the development‑code task force, and other commenters flagged three drafting concerns: a calendar‑year restriction in 17.4182(e) that may limit allowable splits, a code line that appeared to require public water service in all cases, and language in 17.4184(d) that might be read to require full building plans rather than planning‑level submittals. Staff and MIG acknowledged those points and recommended taking time to reconcile public‑works, fire and task‑force input before adoption.

Given the outstanding technical edits and the need to coordinate with public works and the city engineer, councilor Rob moved to table the hearing and return after staff, task‑force and consultant revisions; the motion passed on a roll call vote.

Staff said they would return with revised draft language and updated findings for council consideration.