Planning director recommends reversing denial for 40 North Main housing appeal; commission votes to approve with conditions

The Warrenton City Commission voted to reverse the planning commission's denial of AP-2026-1, approving a conditional-use permit and site-design review for a proposed sixplex and fourplex at 40 North Main Avenue with conditions.

Anne Marie Skinner, the city's planning director, told the commission that recent state law limits application of subjective criteria to housing and that the staff report found criterion 5 (development standards of the applicable C-1 zone) was met. "So there is no valid or legitimate basis for denial," Skinner said, adding that staff recommended approval with the conditions listed in the report. She also cited Senate Bill 1537 in explaining why a mandatory parking adjustment for housing applied to the request and that the application met the staff-adjusted parking standard.

Applicant Gerardo Castro told the commission the project team would address technical development-permit requirements later in the permitting process. "As far as the stormwater containment, that stuff is gonna be there with the building permit application," Castro said, noting that detailed stormwater plans would come with construction permits.

Commissioners pressed staff and the applicant on access and emergency response. Commissioners and the fire chief noted that access from U.S. Highway 104 requires Oregon Department of Transportation approval. The fire chief said he could stage an aerial apparatus on North Main with hose stretch if access arrangements were made but expressed concern about turning space on the parcel as proposed. Skinner and staff said conditions will require site-plan revisions to demonstrate vehicle movements that avoid backing onto a public street and compliance with the Uniform Fire Code before permits are issued.

The motion to approve, which included the staff-recommended conditions and additional requirements addressing backing onto a public street and ODOT authorization for access, passed following a second and vote by the commission. The commission's conditions require demonstration of compliance with city stormwater chapter 16.14 and other Title 16 requirements prior to permits and prior to issuance of a certificate of occupancy.

The commission's approval reverses the April 9, 2026 planning commission denial and allows the applicant to pursue development permits subject to the listed conditions. The planning director emphasised that any access permitted by the city would still require ODOT written approval before city permits could be issued.