PP 22-0001: Citywide Parking Reform

*Please note that the Citywide Parking Reform / CFEC project is now being tracked as a land use case. Please visit the land use webpage for LU 24-0025 for more information.*

On December 17, 2024, City Council approved findings, conclusions, and order to adopt amendments to the Comprehensive Plan and Community Development Code (CDC) that comply with Phase B of the state of Oregon’s Climate-Friendly and Equitable Communities program (CFEC) rules. Pursuant to Council direction, the City opted to comply with the CFEC parking rules by removing minimum parking requirements citywide pursuant to CFEC Option 1: No Mandates.
 

The following changes will be effective as of January 16, 2025:

  • Minimum parking requirements will be removed from the CDC and will no longer be applicable on a Citywide basis.
     
  • Maximum off-street parking regulations will be modified as required to comply with the maximum parking ratios in OAR 660-012-0415(1)(a) - (b) and Table 3.08-3 of the Metro Regional Functional Transportation Plan (RTP), including the following changes:
     
    • Maximum parking regulations will now apply to multifamily residential use within the Downtown Redevelopment Design (DRD) Overlay District, Lake Grove Village Center Overlay (LGVCO) District, and within one-half mile of TriMet Bus Line #35 – a maximum of 1.2 spaces per studio unit and 2 spaces for all other units will be permitted in multifamily residential buildings. Detached single-family dwellings, middle housing, and multifamily residential uses elsewhere in the City will continue to have no maximum parking limitations.

    • Maximum parking regulations for commercial and retail uses are now set at five parking spaces per 1,000 sq. ft. of floor space (except for automobile sales and repair, eating and drinking establishments, and entertainment and commercial recreation uses). This entails an increase in the maximum parking allowed for a wide range of commercial uses. 

    • Maximum parking regulations for office uses were decreased to a maximum of 3.4 spaces per 1,000 sq. ft. of floor area within the DRD Overlay District, LGVCO District, and within one-half mile of TriMet Bus Line #35; maximum parking for office use elsewhere in the City was decreased to a maximum of 4.1 spaces per 1,000 sq. ft. of floor area.

  • Development that includes more than one-half acre of new on-site surface parking will now be required to provide at least one of three listed “climate mitigation actions” – providing solar panels on-site, paying into a renewable energy fund, or providing at least 40 percent tree canopy – and to provide either trees along driveways or a minimum of 30 percent tree canopy coverage over new parking areas.
     

Visit the City’s general information page for more background about the Citywide Parking Reform project, and visit the project page for LU 24-0025 for more information about the adopted amendments.

 


 

Project Background / Summary: 

On March 10, 2020, Governor Kate Brown issued Executive Order 20-04, directing state agencies to reduce climate pollution. In response, the Oregon Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC) adopted rules in 2022 requiring that cities in the state’s eight metropolitan areas, including Portland Metro, update their comprehensive plans and development regulations to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

The State’s CFEC rules are intended to reduce GHG, with a particular focus on reducing emissions from transportation, such that Oregon can meet its climate mitigation goals by the year 2050. For Portland Metro, the GHG reduction target for emissions from travel in light vehicles is 20 percent by 2035 and 35 percent by 2050. Toward this end, the State’s rules require that cities plan for high-density and mixed-use development in downtowns and town centers (Climate-Friendly Areas), greater efficiency in parking, and alternatives to the automobile for getting around.

Lake Oswego’s Comprehensive Plan and Sustainability and Climate Action Plan are already aligned with these goals, but the City is required to take further action in 2023, including changing its development codes. An update to the City’s transportation plan is expected to follow after Metro updates the regional transportation plan in 2023. In the interim, beginning January 1, 2023, Lake Oswego and other metro cities began to apply the following parking rules to new development:

  • Require not more than one parking space per multifamily housing unit. This is the current standard for single-family houses and middle housing.

  • Exempt from required parking all housing units that are smaller than 750 square feet, and all affordable housing and childcare uses. 

  • Exempt from required parking all land uses located within one-half mile of TriMet Bus Line #35, the city’s most frequent bus transit line. This applies to a broad corridor along Highway 43/State Street, and in Downtown Lake Oswego. The map is based on straight distance and does not take into account topography.

The above policies are not intended to prevent builders from providing parking. Instead, the intent is to allow the market to set the correct amount of parking in new development and avoid overbuilding. In addition, beginning in 2023, new multifamily and multi-use developments must be equipped with conduit for at least 40 percent of all parking spaces to serve electric vehicle charging. Parking requirements for persons with disabilities, as required by the Americans With Disabilities Act, are not affected.

 


 

Project Updates: 

 

09/03/2024 - City Council Study Session

The City Council will hold a study session on September 3, 2024, on the State of Oregon’s Climate-Friendly and Equitable Communities (CFEC) rules for parking reform.

For more information regarding the Council's agenda and schedule, contact Kari Linder, City Recorder, (503) 534-4225 or email.

Documents are available in the "Public Records" folder, click here.

 


 

Citywide Parking Reform Community Forum – July 24 at 5:00 

The City will host a Citywide Parking Reform Community Forum on Wednesday, July 24th at 5:00 PM in order to provide information and receive public input on the City’s efforts to comply with the CFEC rules for parking reform. As a reminder, the City is actively engaged in a multi-year project to comply with the CFEC rules, which has included targeted outreach to key project stakeholders on an ongoing basis.

For more information on the City’s work related to Citywide Parking Reform (PP 22-0001), please visit the project page: https://www.ci.oswego.or.us/planning/pp-22-0001-citywide-parking-reform. For more background, please visit the City’s the general information page: https://www.ci.oswego.or.us/citywide-parking-reform.

 


 

07/22/24 - Work Session #4

On July 22, 24 the Planning Commission will conduct their fourth work session to discuss the City’s efforts to comply with the State of Oregon’s Climate Friendly and Equitable Communities rules.

Documents are available in the "Public Records" file, click here.

 


 

11/29/2023 - City Council Study Session

The City Council will hold a study session on December 5, 2023 on the State of Oregon’s Climate-Friendly and Equitable Communities (CFEC) rules for parking reform, 

For more information regarding the Council's agenda and schedule, contact Kari Linder, City Recorder, (503) 534-4225 or email.

Documents are available in the "Public Records" file, click here.

 


 

 

11/17/2023 - Work Session #3

On November 27, 2023 the Planning Commission will conduct their third work session to discuss the City’s efforts to comply with the State of Oregon’s Climate Friendly and Equitable Communities rules.

Documents are available in the "Public Records" file, click here.

 


 

 

09/15/2023 - Work Session #2

On September 25, 2023 the Planning Commission will conduct their second work session to discuss the City’s efforts to comply with the State of Oregon’s Climate Friendly and Equitable Communities rules.

Documents are available in the "Public Records" file, click here.

 


 

08/30/2023 - City Council Study Session

The City Council will hold a study session on September 5, 2023 on a proposed work plan to develop code amendments that comply with Phase B of the Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD)’s Climate-Friendly and Equitable Communities (CFEC) parking rules by December 31, 2024.

For more information regarding the Council's agenda and schedule, contact Kari Linder, City Recorder, (503) 534-4225 or email.

Documents are available in the "Public Records" file, click here.

 


 

07/12/2023 - Work Session #1

On July 24, 2023 the Planning Commission will conduct a work session to discuss the City’s efforts to comply with the State of Oregon’s Climate Friendly and Equitable Communities rules.

Documents are available in the "Public Records" file, click here.

 


 

 06/27/2022 - Planning Commission Update #1

The Planning Commission will receive an update from staff on the State of Oregon’s Climate Friendly and Equitable Communities (CFEC) Rules.  Documents are available in the "Public Records" file, click here.

 


 

06/21/2022 - City Council Study Session

Staff provided an overview on recently adopted rules by the State Land Conservation and Development Commission on Climate-Friendly and Equitable Communities (CFEC) rules and Council provided direction to staff on next steps.

Documents are available in the "Public Records" file, click here.

 


 

Project Details
ID: 
PP 22-0001
Year: 
2022
Status: 
Active
Project Contact: 

Erik Olson, Long Range Planning Manager

Phone: (503) 697-6524

Email: eolson@lakeoswego.city

Reviewing Body: 
Related Meetings

Sep 3 2024 - 5:30pm

Jul 22 2024 - 6:30pm

Dec 5 2023 - 5:30pm

Nov 27 2023 - 6:30pm

Sep 25 2023 - 6:30pm

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