If you've found yourself bamboozled by Multnomah County's zoning code, your chance to weigh in is coming up. The county is revamping its zoning code and wants locals to help fine-tune the amendments and set priorities at a series of public meetings. It's all part of a longer-term project to audit, rewrite, and modernize the convoluted code, according to an announcement on the county's website.
Your feedback could actually make a difference in shaping a zoning code that's more user-friendly and efficient. This effort comes after complaints that the current code is a maze of confusion, lacking in clarity and direction, making it tough for property owners to navigate even minor changes. Now, the county is taking steps to streamline the processes and clear up the rules by updating the code.
Dust off your calendars and note the following dates. On July 24 at 7:00 p.m., catch the in-person session at Skyline Memorial Gardens. If you're out on Sauvie Island, drop in at the Sauvie Island Community Association meeting taking place on August 5 at 6:30 p.m. The NE Multnomah County Community Association will open its doors on August 21 at 6:30 p.m. And if you can't make it in person, there's a hybrid meeting scheduled for August 22 at 1:00 p.m. in the Multnomah County Board Room, which will zoom in on agricultural lands and concerns of the farming community.
So what's expected to improve? The county plans to enhance operations and customer service by "streamlining permit review processes and easing some requirements," as well as adding "clear and objective standards for most types of housing in unincorporated Multnomah County." There's also the promise to provide clearer land use application pathways to help make permitting quicker and simpler.
To find out more about where and when these meetings are, and what they're all about, you don't have to look further than Multnomah County's website. Your voice and opinion are invited as the county embarks on this necessary retreat from obfuscation to clarity.
