Council supports proceeding with Tigard Home policy drafting; asks for clarity on neighborhood‑scale commercial

Associate planner Amber Gomez presented the Tigard Home project update, summarizing phase‑two engagement and recommended policy approaches developed from 27 outreach events that drew more than 1,000 direct participants. Gomez said the engagement program used tabling events, targeted CBO outreach, community dinners, pop‑ups, and surveys to gather preferences on building forms and locations for neighborhood shops and services.

Staff proposed a three‑tier business framework to allow small‑scale commerce in residential areas while managing impacts: "home occupations" (low‑impact activities such as bookkeeping or online sales) would be allowed by right with minimal standards; "home businesses" (in‑person services such as tutoring or therapy) would require a Type I review; and "neighborhood‑scale commercial" (corner markets or small restaurants) would be subject to Type II review, more extensive standards, and location restrictions (staff recommended limiting these to main roads).

Gomez explained recommended building design approaches that allow a variety of forms — adaptive reuse of houses, accessory commercial units, mixed‑use buildings, or small standalone retail — and noted no single building type dominated community preference. Staff also recommended standards for operating hours, outdoor activity, signage and building/site design be scaled by business type and that neighborhood scale commercial be carefully sited near main roads, parks or trailheads.

Council feedback was generally supportive of proceeding with regulations for home occupations and home businesses. Several councilors asked for clearer definitions of "main roads," for examples of how neighborhood‑scale commercial would function (food service versus low‑traffic businesses), and for illustrations of mitigation measures to minimize noise and traffic concerns. Councilor Robbins suggested including sample visuals in the final presentation to show likely impacts and how the city would limit adverse effects. Staff agreed to proceed with drafting regulations and to highlight particular elements when seeking final public input in phase 3.

No formal policy adoptions occurred at the meeting; staff will continue phase‑three engagement and return with a draft regulatory package for subsequent hearings.