Planning Commission Meeting
The North Plains Planning Commission met on October 8, 2025, with Council President Aaron Dumbrell seated as ex officio. Commissioners focused on zoning code reform, endorsed a state planning grant application, and reviewed active land use files heading into fall.
Highlights
- š§ Commissioners agreed to form a code update subcommittee to prioritize urgent fixes while longer-term reforms are underway.
- šļø Staff will submit a $75,000 DLCD technical assistance grant to overhaul housing and neighborhood commercial standards, with the commission signing a support letter.
- š£ļø Council recently shifted the TGM concept-planning grant toward multiple small community meetings to broaden engagement on UGB expansion scenarios.
- šļø North Plains Food Bankās Type II design review is now deemed complete, and new housing and fueling projects entered the pipeline.
Notes
- Minutes & housekeeping: September minutes were approved with minor AI-transcription corrections; commissioners complimented the improved accuracy of the new minutes workflow.
- Code update strategy: Staff summarized commissioner feedback on problematic zoning and development code sections, highlighting the neighborhood community (NC) zoneās friction with adjacent residential districts, non-conforming use rules that are too rigid for small-town contexts, and parking/street standards that need clarity. With only modest staff capacity, commissioners supported creating a three-member subcommittee to triage quick fixes and collaborate with staff on recommendations that can move faster than the full rewrite.
- DLCD grant plan: Planning Manager Madeline (Maddy) explained the Department of Land Conservation and Developmentās technical assistance grant program and outlined North Plainsā proposal: focus on housing and commercial code interactions, expand infill options, and tighten clear-and-objective standards. The scope includes community engagement (public advisory committee plus two large open houses), a consultant-led code audit in 2026, alternative concepts, and delivery of adoptable code language by early 2027. The commission reached consensus for Chair Stuart King to sign the required support letter so the $75,000 request can be filed before the Oct. 11 deadline.
- Community engagement shift: Staff noted that city council reallocated the TGM concept-planning grant contingency from one large event to several neighborhood-scale meetings to capture sharper feedback on urban growth boundary (UGB) options.
- Land use docket: Rumors of a Taco Bell sign permit were dispelled (the application was for an ODOT travel information sign in the right-of-way). The North Plains Food Bank design review application is complete and out for notice after a rocky start; an accessory dwelling unit on NW 314th Street is under review; and Space Age Fuels held a pre-application meeting about adding separate truck and auto fuel islands, triggering requests from city/county/state agencies for a full traffic study due to the Highland Court interchange.
- Upcoming work: Council will hold a late-October work session on the A-Goods neighborhood concept, and planning staff will attend the Oregon APA conference in Bend to gather best practices. Commissioners reaffirmed interest in keeping code updates on every agenda for status checks.
Follow-Ups
- Chair King to sign and staff to submit the DLCD technical assistance grant application and support letter by the Friday deadline.
- Planning staff to convene the code update subcommittee (membership to be finalized offline) and report back on scheduling and priority tasks.
- Staff to continue retooling the TGM concept-planning engagement plan and share meeting dates when available.
- Planning staff to process the North Plains Food Bank design review (public notice already mailed) and coordinate traffic study expectations with Space Age Fuels before any formal application.