Planning Projects

Senate Bill 1537 (SB 1537) was adopted by the Oregon State Legislature in May of 2024. The bill has measures to reduce regulatory and procedural barriers for housing.  In reviewing the bill, staff have identified items that need to be changed in the Medford Municipal Code to fully comply. 

The two main items needing to be addressed relates to the “goal post rule” and limited land use decisions.  Both are statutory requirements cities must follow currently.   SB 1537 changes both requirements to provide for more flexibility in land use reviews. 

The following list summarizes the changes. 

• Added definition of replat
• Removed the conditional use permit requirement for changes or expansions to nonconforming uses
• Added replats to procedural table as Type II decisions
• Separated nonconformities in use table as Type I and Type II decisions
• Revised re-notice fee section to expand reasons for re-noticing
• Added option for applicants to request new regulations to apply to already submitted applications

Hearing Dates:

• Planning Commission – October 24, 2024
• City Council – November 21, 2024

Full Amendment Text(PDF, 120KB)

(7-11-23) Kick-off Meeting

• Meeting Agenda 7-11-2023(PDF, 267KB)
• Kickoff Meeting Recording

meeting 2 (8-8-23) 

• Meeting Agenda 8-8-23(PDF, 120KB)

meeting 3 (8-29-23) 

• Meeting Agenda 8-29-23(PDF, 181KB)
• Meeting 3 Recording

meetinG 4 (9-12-23) 

• Meeting Agenda 9-12-23(PDF, 118KB)
• Meeting 4 Recording
  
  

MEETING 5 (9-26-2023)

• Meeting Agenda(PDF, 117KB)

The purpose of the Ad Hoc Parking Committee is to learn and discuss the direct and indirect effects of parking minimums on the community and environment. Over the course of the coming months, this group will develop a recommendation to the Medford City Council on whether or not parking minimums should be abolished citywide. To learn more about this topic and why we're facilitating this conversation, please review the resources below.

• Zoning Practice: Parking Reform, Donald Shoup

• A Business Case for Dropping Parking Minimums, Jeff Spivak 

• Quantified Parking: Comprehensive Parking Inventories for Five U.S. Cities, Eric Scharnhorst

• People Over Parking, Jeff Spivak 

• The Environmental & Economic Costs of Sprawling Parking Lots in the United States, Amelie Y. Davis & et al.

• Mapping the Effect of Parking Minimums, Joshua McCarty 

• Fun Parking Facts, Todd Litman

• America has Eight Parking Spaces for Every Car: Here's How Cities are Rethinking that Land, Daniel Baldwin Hess & Jefrey Rehler

• High Cost of Free Parking, Donald Shoup 

• Shifting Gears, Catie Gould

• Ugly By Law, Alan Durning 

• Parking Reform for 21st Century Communities, Chris McCahill 

Enrolled August 17, 2022 the Climate Friendly and Equitable Communities Rulemaking from the Department of Land Conservation and Development establishes new land use rules to improve sustainable design and development to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The adopted rules will be implemented over the next few years, with some in effect as early as December 31, 2022. 

This draft code amendment, otherwise known as Parking A, will eliminate parking minimums for some use and development types; and for areas within 1/2 mile of Frequent Transit Corridors. Please see OAR 660-012-0430 and 0440 for the legal language, or refer to the past meetings for more information. 

• August 8, 2022 Planning Commission Study Session 
• October 10, 2022 Planning Commission Study Session 
• October 24, 2022 Planning Commission Study Session 
• November 10, 2022 Planning Commission Hearing 
• December 1, 2022 City Council Hearing 

 Parking A reform was approved December 1, 2022 and will become effective January 1, 2023. Please see Ordinance No. 2022-137 here(PDF, 1MB) for approved language. 

Please reach out to one of the following with questions pertaining to this draft code amendment. 

Casandra Brown, Planner II

casi.brown@cityofmedford.org 

541-774-2386

Carla Angeli-Paladino, Principal Planner

carla.paladino@cityofmedford.org 

541-772-2395

• American Planning Association, A Business Case for Dropping Parking Minimums 
• Sightline Institute, Ugly By Law
• Strong Towns, The Hidden Inequity of Car-Based Design
• Strong Towns, Mapping the Effects of Parking Minimums 
• JAPA, Minus Minimums
• Sidewalk Labs, Buffalo ended parking requirements. What did developers do next?
• Brookings Institute, The economic power of walkability in metro areas
• Brookings Institute, Around the world cities are falling short on health and sustainability goals

Medford's downtown streets have seen activity and outdoor seating through the conversion of parking spaces in the right-of-way. This started as a temporary program in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting limitations placed on restaurants and bars for indoor seating of patrons.  Today, several businesses are using the program. 

City Council adopted an ordinance to amend the Medford Municipal Code allowing regulated parklets within the downtown Central Business District.  The ordinance took effect on October 1, 2021.

Parklet Design Standards(PDF, 651KB)

2020(PDF, 816KB)

2019(PDF, 1MB)

2018(PDF, 996KB)

2017(PDF, 1MB)

2016(PDF, 672KB)

2015(PDF, 1MB)

2014(PDF, 310KB)