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Council continues Cannon Beach housing code hearing after lengthy debate over FAR, ADUs and STR cap
Summary
After staff and consultant presentations and public testimony, the council continued the zoning text amendments hearing (ZO 2502) to Sept. 1 to allow clearer language on FAR, public benefits, deed‑restriction incentives and an STR cap.
The council opened an evidentiary hearing on zoning text amendment ZO 2502, intended to encourage affordable and workforce housing through new "public benefit dwelling" provisions and other code changes. Staff framed the package as "enabling language" to allow follow‑on ordinances and incentives; consultant Marcy McAnally walked the council through definitions, FAR exemptions, ADU changes, parking reductions and nonconforming language.
Jeff (city staff) summarized the goal: "This is what we call ... an enabling language to let other ordinances come in behind and to provide, further, policies and programs for, implementing more affordable and workforce housing," and Marcy outlined the proposed FAR allowances and exemptions for public benefit dwellings. Public testimony included Jay Moore, who said the FAR reduction "doesn't move the needle in terms of housing," arguing it could penalize existing homeowners without creating significant new long‑term units. Sharon Amber, a long‑time resident, spoke in favor of limits on very large vacation homes.
Councilors engaged in a sustained debate over whether to keep the proposed FAR reduction as part of the package or to separate FAR policy from other objective code changes. Arguments for separation focused on mixed empirical evidence and the need to align FAR work with forthcoming form‑based and architectural code discussions; proponents of the FAR approach said unrestricted FAR givebacks provide a "carrot" to incentivize ADUs, duplexes or triplexes. Councilors also discussed deed restrictions, the appropriate minimum rental term to qualify as a public benefit unit (some favored 12 months), grandfathering language for existing homes and tying the ordinance to an STR cap.
Given the breadth of outstanding questions and the planning commission’s suggestions (including a recommended delay of 9–12 months before adoption), the council voted to continue the hearing to Sept. 1 to allow staff to return with clarified language on FAR options, public benefit incentives, grandfathering, and STR cap language. The public hearing was left open for additional testimony at the continuation.
