PP 22-0001: Implementation of State Requirements for Climate-Friendly and Equitable Communities

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 earlier this year 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 Climate-Friendly Equitable Communities 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 building and 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 must 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.