The City Commission adopted the Park Place Concept Plan Code Amendments on January 7, 2025.

Clear and Objective Code Implementation

The Park Place Concept Plan (PPCP) was adopted through Legislative File 08-01 in 2008 and provided high-level planning for an area that was recently brought into the Urban Growth Boundary. At the time, the Oregon City Municipal Code was amended to implement the principles of the concept plan. In 2008, some of these key elements were codified; some were implemented through design standards, while others were envisioned to be implemented by future zone changes or through a more discretionary master plan process. Following the adoption of the concept plan, multiple infrastructure master plans were updated and adopted. These plans accounted for growth and new development in Park Place, such as the 2013 Transportation System Plan and the 2020 Stormwater and Grading Design Standards.

Since then, land use regulations in the State of Oregon have changed, and recently, the city reviewed its first land use application in the concept plan area 16 years after the initial adoption of the concept plan. That review illuminated some of the areas in the code that need refining in order to properly implement the Park Place Concept Plan. 

Key updates include new park, trail and open space standards, the removal of vague and / or discretionary approval standards for residential design and development, updated design standards for the neighborhood commercial areas in the North Village and South Village, and clarification of alley standards. 

Key Elements of the Park Place Concept Plan

• Two primary north-south connections between Holcomb Boulevard and Redland Road (Swan Avenue and Holly Lane)
  
• Two distinct mixed-use neighborhoods (North Village and South Village) that accommodate 1,459 new dwelling units
• Neighborhood-oriented commercial nodes that integrate commercial land uses, residential land use, and public open space.
• An area for a new civic institution, such as a library or community center
• A mix of housing types and ranges of affordability
• An extensive system of off-street and on-street trails and pedestrian/bicycle connections
• Innovative, “green” on-site stormwater treatment methods
• Protected sensitive areas, including drainages and steep slopes
• Streets and buildings oriented for solar access
• The use of green edges to define neighborhoods and buffer developments
• Integration of parks and open spaces into existing and future neighborhoods

Changes to Statewide Land Use Regulation

Since the plan's original addition in 2008, there have been significant changes to the land use regulations in Oregon. New rules, such as the 2022 HB 2001 Middle Housing mandates and the 2017 Senate Bill 1051, have allowed for the construction of duplexes, triplexes, quadplexes, townhomes, and cottage clusters in single-family zones and mandated clear and objective standards for housing development applications. Additionally, the 2024 SB 1537 now requires jurisdictions to make "mandatory adjustments" for developments that meet specific criteria. In response to these changes, staff has proposed a revised code to better implement the 11 Key Elements through a nondiscretionary, clear, and objective development code approach.

Below are the chapters of the Oregon City Municipal Code (OCMC) that were revised as part of the code refinement process:

17.04 Definitions
17.10 Medium-Density Residential Districts (R-5 and R-3.5)
17.21 Residential Standards- Park Place Concept Plan
17.24 Neighborhood Commercial
17.62 Site Plan and Design Review
16.08 Land Divisions
16.12.026 Street Standards- Alleys
17.65 Master Plans

The Oregon City Municipal Code is on-line at the following link: https://library.municode.com/or/oregon_city/codes/municipal_code