The City of Newberg City Council will discuss implementation of their planned 5-year, 52-point plan for triplexes, quadplexes, townhouses and cottage clusters in all residential zones where currently, only single-family dwellings are allowed. The plan provides tax exemptions for “vertical” and low-income housing, subsidized work and living spaces, tiny housing, car camping, waived building and planning fees, density bonuses, and much much more.
The full agenda for the November 1st meeting at 7 pm can be read in this packet, but here are some highlights,
From the City’s middle housing briefing report for the meeting,
Briefing Middle Housing – Triplex, Quadplex, Cottage Clusters and Townhouses (HB 2001)
The Oregon Legislature passed HB 2001 in 2019 and appropriated funds to the Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) for the purpose of providing grants to local governments for the implementation of missing middle housing. The City Council adopted Resolution No. 202-3669 to support a grant application to address Middle Housing. DLCD ultimately awarded the City a grant of $60,000 to develop regulations to comply with the HB 2001 and OAR 660-046.
Through a Request for Proposal process 3 J Consulting was selected along with their sub-consultant Jet Planning.
The City approached the process in two phases. Phase 1 is to develop regulations for duplexes. This phase was completed on June 7, 2021. Phase 2 is for triplexes, quadplexes, cottage clusters and townhouses. A proposal on these Middle Housing types will be brought to the Planning Commission and City Council in late fall of 2021.
The City Council appointed a Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) to provide feedback and guidance to staff and the consultant team. The CAC met five times. The
Committee members include:
- Melisa Dailey – Chair
- Robert Bonner – Vice Chair
- Gabriel Skulec
- Leslie Murray
- Irma Vera
- Robert Moxley
Two Community Forums were held. The first on December 15, 2020, and the second on February 22, 2021. In coordination with the first Community Form a survey was conducted with 192 participants. A second survey was conducted after Community Form #2 and closed on March 12.
The second task for the middle housing code updates is to permit triplexes, quadplexes, cottage clusters and townhouses on all lots where single-family detached dwellings are permitted, including within all master plan areas, under the same terms. Code updates have been drafted to comply with House Bill 2001 and the provisions of Oregon Administrative Rule (OAR) 660-046, Middle Housing in Medium and Large Cities. These code amendments, which span multiple sections, will be packaged and brought before the Planning Commission on November 10, 2021, and the City Council on December 6, 2021.
Overview of Triplex., Quadplex, Cottage Cluster and Townhome Code Changes
• Adds Cottage cluster, Cottage cluster project and Dwelling, Cottage definitions.
• Modifies the Dwelling, multifamily definition to be five or more units.
• Adds definitions for Dwelling, quadplex; Dwelling, townhouse; Dwelling, triplex; Middle
housing, Quadplex, Townhouse, Townhouse Project, and Triplex.
• Allows triplexes, quadplexes, cottage clusters and townhomes R-1, R-2, R-3, RP and AR
zones as Type I review process.
• Adjusts code provisions for design review to apply to multi-family projects of five units or more.
• Modifications to the Planned Unit Development requirements to incorporate triplexes, quadplexes, cottage cluster and townhomes as part of the density point system.
• Updates the Purpose of Each Zoning District language to include triplexes, quadplexes, cottage cluster and townhomes in R-1, R-2, R-3, AR zones.
• Exempts triplexes, quadplexes, cottage cluster and townhomes for density requirements but requires minimum lot size apply under the Subdistrict section.
• Updates the Use Category chapter to include triplexes, quadplexes, cottage cluster and townhomes as residential uses.
• Revises the Zoning Use Table for triplexes, quadplexes, cottage cluster and townhomes.
• Updates the Airport Residential and Airport Overlay Subdistrict chapters for triplexes,
quadplexes, cottage cluster and townhomes.
• Modifies the Specific Plan Subdistrict for triplexes, quadplexes, cottage clusters and
townhomes cluster requirements.
• Modifies the Riverfront Overlay Subdistrict for design standards for triplexes, quadplexes, cottage cluster and townhouses.
• Establishes the minimum and maximum lot size requirements for triplexes, quadplexes, cottage cluster and townhouses.
• Modifies lot coverage requirements for townhouses in R-1, and R-2 zones.
• Establishes front yard setback for cottage clusters and interior yard setback for townhouses.
• Creates building height requirement townhomes in R-1 at 35 feet, and cottage clusters at 25 feet in any residential zone.
• Establishes design requirements or exceptions for triplexes, quadplexes, cottage cluster and townhouses.
• Creates parking requirements for triplexes, quadplexes, cottage cluster and townhouses at 1 per dwelling unit.
• Adds access requirement for triplex, quadplex and cottage clusters for sites with multiple frontages.
Funding to implement HB 2001 for Triplex, Quadplex, Cottage Cluster and Townhouses is budgeted out of Professional Service (01-4110-580000) in the amount of $5,000.
STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT: (Relate to Council Goals if applicable)
2020 Council Goals:
- Change operational culture to one focused on Customer Service and act to Resolve Ongoing Legal Disputes.
- Further develop an operational culture that adopts and cherishes Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as core values. Providing triplex, quadplex, cottage cluster and townhome housing opportunities for Newberg residents can further the Council goal for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
- Promote development of housing affordability such as houselessness, transitional housing, workforce housing. Complying with HB 2001 for triplex, quadplex, cottage cluster and townhouses can provide additional housing opportunities to address the affordability issues Newberg is facing as documented in the Housing
- Create and support an Urban Renewal Plan and Authority. Collaborate with local partners and with entities like ICLEI in the development of a Sustainability program.
The City of Newberg City Council will also be discussing their plans for “houselessness”, as detailed in the following brief,
Briefing Middle Housing – Triplex, Quadplex, Cottage Clusters and Townhouses (HB 2001)
As part of the City Council Goal of “Promote development of housing affordability such as houselessness, transitional housing, workforce housing” the City Council held discussions in 2020 on development of a Housing Work Program with input from the Affordable Housing Commission. On November 2, 2020, the City Council accepted the Housing Work Program that outlined work activities for the Community Development Department. This presentation is an update to the work program on activities that have occurred over the past year and adjustments based new opportunities or activities. Attachment 1 is the updated overall Housing Work Program.
Activities that were completed over the past year include:
- Establish a Construction Excise Tax – Completed November 2020
- Adjust timing on payment of SDCs – Completed November 2020
- Establish vertical housing tax abatement district – Completed May 2021
- Infrastructure Time Based Extension – Completed December 2020
- Update Housing Needs Analysis BLI – Completed July 2021
- Missing Middle Housing (duplexes in single family zones) – Completed June 2021
- Conduct full analysis of land sufficiency within Newberg UGB (EOA/Public-Semi Public Lands
Need/UGB Amendment) – Completed February 2021 & April 2021
Adjustments include advancing the Housing Production Strategy program, The City applied for and was awarded a grant from the Department of Land Conservation and Development in the amount of $70,000. This body of work was originally planned for FY 2022/2023. With the grant award the activity has been advanced to FY 2021. The second adjustment relates to the activity of “Decrease time from substantial completion of utilities to final plat approval.” This was advanced forward based on HB 2036 and will take place in FY 2021/2022.
The ICLEI mentioned in the documents is Local Governments for Sustainability (or simply ICLEI), an international non-governmental organization that promotes “sustainable development”.
The full council brief presentation PDF can be downloaded here. The plan includes “conversion of existing buildings” into so-called “cottage clusters”, which is a politically correct term for tiny home villages. As detailed in the plan, the goal of the council’s implementation of HOUSE BILL 2001 is to allow tiny homes in all current residential areas where single family homes are presently allowed. Part of this plan will be a significant reduction of minimum lot sizes.
As part of the strategy, ordinances are planned to be updated to allow for “car camping” in residential areas,
“Car camping” is a politically correct term for homeless people and other vagrants or vagabonds, such as van lifers, who live in their vehicles. It is also referred to as “stealth camping”.
These plans have been in the works and publicly discussed over the past 18 months and are nearing implementation. The city’s stated goal is: “Further develop an operational culture that adopts and cherishes Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as core values.”
If you wish to comment at the meeting or simply want to better understand the city’s plans, information for attending Monday night’s 7 pm meeting, the following information can be used to attend the livestream for the session, taken from the meeting packet,
Please click this url to join. https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82724150433
or join by phone: dial 1 253 215 8782 or 1 346 248 7799
webinar id: 827 2415 0433
Get a new hobby.
This isn’t a hobby. This is my job now.
Why is there no mention of “Car Camping on residential streets”except in the heading? Sounds like either a headline grab or a smokescreen to once again try to gain approvals while hiding the effects.
This WILL NOT be good for our community and small town. One only has to look to California and the mess its created, by passing similar developments. Next, it will be tent cities. No, thank you!
Let’s see if the mayor and city council will live there . Hypocrites !
I think that car camping in Newberg is a bad idea. My husband and I have lived in our home for 45 years. We had a couple drug houses in our neighborhood. It took over 5 years to get rid of the eye sore they caused plus needles randomly thrown about. People loitering and theft from my yard. I pay taxes and worked my whole life like my husband to enjoy our home yard and street. This is unfair to people who work for a living to give up their clean neighborhood to people who choose to do drugs and won’t work to buy a home to live in. No it’s a bad idea and it will cause nothing but trouble.