Planning staff briefed the Troutdale Planning Commission on a package of 2025 Oregon bills that staff said will change how the city reviews private development, approach middle housing and treat restrictive covenants.

The memo and presentation, distributed in the commission packet, singled out Senate Bill 974 as the most consequential for Troutdale. Staff said SB 974 would set a 120‑day maximum for engineering review of private development plans and streamline some rezoning and plan‑unit development requests so they can be processed as “type 2” applications rather than higher‑level hearings. Planning staff said the law also establishes a 30‑day completeness determination requirement for local governments and sets a statutory minimum 100‑foot notice radius for certain land‑use changes.

“These shorter review timelines are meant to make things faster for applicants, but they can create friction when we rely on outside agencies for information,” planning staff said, noting staff has begun outreach to the Multnomah County transportation department to coordinate faster responses so the city can meet the 30‑day completeness deadline without repeatedly returning incomplete applications to applicants.

Commissioners pressed staff on how the bill counts housing types. Staff explained duplexes and rowhouses on separate lots count individually toward the 20‑home threshold referenced in the statute; units that are connected on a single lot are more likely to be classified as multifamily. That distinction matters because the bill allows some increased density zoning changes to be treated as type 2 reviews. Staff said that while cities may choose to notify more broadly, the statute’s 100‑foot minimum could narrow neighborhood notice by default.

The update also covered HB 2138 and related middle‑housing measures. Staff said the state requires clear‑and‑objective standards for middle‑housing land divisions; Troutdale does not yet have code language for those procedures and staff will return with draft middle‑housing land‑division standards for commission review in early 2026. Staff also flagged a provision that voids private covenants (CC&Rs) that restrict manufactured or middle housing beginning Jan. 1, 2027.

Other bills summarized included SB 1099 (allowing preschools near places of worship, which staff said Troutdale largely already allows), HB 2005 (behavioral health facility siting — staff said Troutdale permits these uses in many zones), and HB 2658 (limiting frontage improvement requirements for small‑scale alterations under a $150,000 annual cap, with ADA exceptions).

Commissioners raised concerns about public engagement and the small sample size cited in local outreach: staff agreed to revise minutes language describing Halsey quarter tabling to note the very small sample (about nine respondents) rather than implying broad support. Several commissioners emphasized that shorter local review windows and narrower minimum notice could reduce opportunities for meaningful community input.

Next steps: staff will continue interagency coordination (Multnomah County DOT) to address completeness timelines, prepare draft middle‑housing land‑division language for early‑2026 review, and monitor rulemaking by the Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD). The commission is expected to revisit specific code amendments and the draft language at future meetings.