Beaverton Planning Commission Meeting - October 1, 2025: Code Maintenance Text Amendment Review and Recommendation
Beaverton Planning Commission Meeting - October 1, 2025
Meeting Duration: 7:00 PM – 7:36 PM (36 minutes)
Attendance: Chair Adams, Commissioner McAvoy, Commissioner McCann, Commissioner Mettler, Commissioner Winter (present); Commissioners Holmes and Spec (excused/absent).
Note: This was the first in-person planning commission meeting since 2020, though hybrid participation was allowed.
Staff Present: Anna Slatinski (Planning Division Manager), Steve Regner (Senior Planner, presenting virtually), Robin McIntyre (Assistant City Attorney), Jana Fox (Current Planning Manager).
Agenda Item: The sole agenda item was a code maintenance text amendment application (Case File TA 42024-00709 / LU4 2024 00710 – the agenda and minutes were not available, and the transcript uses both numbers; staff referred to the application as LU4 2024 00710). The proposal is a policy-neutral update to the Beaverton Development Code, covering chapters 20, 40, 50, 60, 70, and 90, with a focus on transportation-related changes.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No members of the public testified in favor, in opposition, or neither. The hearing was closed after staff confirmed no additional comments.
Discussion Items
- Staff Presentation (Steve Regner): Mr. Regner provided a high-level overview of the proposed amendments, including:
- Chapter 20: Updates to comply with Oregon House Bill 3560 (effective 2026) regarding child care facility siting; clarification that outdoor commercial operation limits do not apply to outdoor seating for eating/drinking establishments; corrections for Cooper Mountain housing type integration and land division rules.
- Chapter 40: Shifting bicycle parking deviations from the adjustment application to the parking determination process; adding two new land division applications for Cooper Mountain (large lot land division and public facilities preliminary land division); eliminating the sidewalk design modification application and transferring authority to the city engineer via the Engineering Design Manual (EDM).
- Chapter 50: Removing internal policies from the code to allow more nimble updates; specifying that applications are not deemed received until fees are paid; updating language for digital submittals and virtual neighborhood meetings; adding a limited land use decision process; streamlining notice of decision distribution (full staff report to parties, two-page letter to public commenters).
- Chapter 60: Differentiating between walkways (on-site) and sidewalks (right-of-way); clarifying bicycle parking requirements for all development types and adding an “other” category; transferring wider sidewalk requirements for high-pedestrian areas to the EDM; allowing weather protection (up to 15 feet tall) on decks/patios within rear setbacks (similar to ADU rules); clarifying the threshold for Tree Plan Type 3 (preserving less than 25% of a significant grove requires a public hearing); updating driveway design rules for infill development (three tiers based on number of lots served, with shared driveways allowed across property lines).
- Chapter 70: Aligning with HB 3560 for child care facilities; transferring sidewalk width regulations to the EDM; adding a conflict resolution rule that defers to the EDM when development code and EDM conflict on driveway placement.
- Chapter 90: Adding/modifying definitions for bus bay, care facilities (all ages, not just children/seniors), child care center (consistent with HB 3560), fence height measurement (measured from high side), and initial development (exempting new large lot land divisions).
- Commissioner Questions:
- Commissioner McCann asked about the process for changing sidewalk design standards if moved to engineering. Staff clarified that policy decisions (e.g., wider sidewalks) are made by City Council, and the Transportation System Plan update will address cross-section design, with planning commission involved as appropriate.
- Commissioner McCann also asked about fire access for narrower driveways. Staff noted that fire access can be satisfied via sprinkler systems or Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue approval; the new driveway tiers are designed to accommodate fire apparatus needs.
- Commissioner McAvoy asked about the five-acre minimum for the new large lot land division application. Staff explained that five acres was chosen to allow coherent development (e.g., separating commercial and residential portions) while still enabling further subdivision, and is based on lessons from South Cooper Mountain.
- Commissioner McAvoy asked why child care facilities remain conditionally permitted in lower-density residential zones (RMB, RMC) as standalone uses, while state law requires outright permitting when co-located with institutional uses. Staff responded that the text amendment is policy-neutral, and state law does not require the standalone use to be permitted outright; changing that would require a separate, more engaged process.
Key Outcomes
- Motion: Commissioner Mettler moved to recommend passage of the code maintenance project (LU4 2024 00710) to City Council, based on the findings in the September 17 staff report and supplemental memos. Commissioner McCann seconded.
- Vote: The motion passed unanimously (5-0).
- Next Steps: The planning commission’s recommendation will be forwarded to City Council, which will hold a public hearing and make the final decision. The companion Engineering Design Manual amendments are expected to be considered by Council in December 2025.
Meeting Transcript
I'm Chair Adams. Now is the time and place for a meeting of the Beaverton Planning Commission. And we'll get the mic set up in just a second. For the record, I will do a roll call to verify which commission members are participating this evening. Commissioner McAvoy. Here. Commissioner McCann. Here. Commissioner Mettler. Here. Commissioner Winter. And let the record show that Commissioners Holmes and Spec are excused and absent from the meeting tonight. We are now at Commission Communications. Commission, any communications. Looks like no communications. We are now at staff communications. Staff, any communications. Good evening, Chair. My name is Anna Slatinski. I'm the planning division manager here in Beaverton. I just have a few comments. One of them is to just mark that this is the first in-person planning commission meeting since 2020. It is still a hybrid meeting, so we have a few commissioners joining us virtually and a staff member who's presenting virtually, but it still feels like a really important milestone to get back to holding these meetings here in Council Chambers down at Beaverton City Hall. I also want to announce that the annual one book one Beaverton book has been announced for the coming year. It is Dr. Jim O'Connell's urgent mission to bring healing to homeless people. And it is, excuse me, I missed part of the title. Rough sleepers, Dr. Jim O'Connell's urgent mission to bring healing to homeless people. And there will be a variety of events scheduled to facilitate community conversations around this book. It's a kind of really really fun activity that the library has hosted for many years now. Represent one of a number of volunteer boards and commissions here at the City of Beaverton, but for anyone watching who may be interested in becoming a volunteer, uh check out the boards and commissions section of the Beaverton City website to see what opportunities are available. And that is all of my comments for this evening. Excellent. Thank you, Ana. New business. Case file number TA 42024-00709. Before we move on to the ab to the substance of the hearing, I will ask the city attorney to cover a pre-hearing matter. Thank you, Chair, and good evening, Commissioners. I'm Robin McIntyre, Assistant City Attorney. Testimony arguments and evidence must be presented, must be directed toward these approval criteria or other criteria in the comprehensive plan or development code that the speaker believes apply to the application. Failure to raise an issue accompanied by statements or evidence sufficient to allow the planning commission and other interested parties an opportunity to respond may preclude an appeal to the land use board of appeals based on that issue. Anyone who submits written comments or gives oral testimony has standing to appeal this decision. Failure of the applicant to raise constitutional or other issues related to proposed conditions of approval with sufficient specificity to allow the city to respond may preclude an action for damages in circuit court. State and local law require commissioners to make certain disclosures to these ends. The following question will be asked. Does any commissioner have a potential or actual conflict of interest? Chair Adams. No conflict of interest on either account. Thank you.
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