Forest Grove City Council Work Session on Historic Design Standards and Downtown Parking – April 13, 2026
Forest Grove City Council Work Session on Historic Design Standards and Downtown Parking – April 13, 2026
This work session of the Forest Grove City Council covered two major topics: the development of historic downtown design standards and guidelines, and a review of downtown parking conditions and potential solutions. No public comment was taken, and no formal action was approved. The meeting began with a presentation on historic design standards, followed by a detailed discussion on the 2022 downtown parking study. Council members provided feedback and direction on both topics.
Discussion Items
Historic Downtown Design Standards and Guidelines
- Staff (Jesse, Kim, Matt) and consultant Robert Dortnet presented the timeline from the 2017 historic preservation plan to the 2020 designation of the national historic district, and the current project to create design standards and guidelines funded by an Oregon Heritage grant.
- Robert explained the difference between clear-and-objective standards and flexible guidelines, using examples from residential districts he previously worked on for Forest Grove (2014).
- The consultant reviewed scope: establish framework, define district character, develop detailed design guidance for building features, conduct field review (which occurred that day), and prepare supporting graphics.
- State review of the initial draft must occur by the end of July 2026 to meet federal Department of Interior standards; the city can then refine and adopt locally on its own timeline.
- Councilmembers expressed several positions:
- Councilor Valenzuela urged that standards not deter investment, should incentivize preservation, and should not require new development to mimic historic styles (avoid “theme park” architecture).
- Councilor Schimmel, with commercial renovation experience, discussed operationalizing guidelines for materials and methods, noting challenges with seismic retrofits and code compliance.
- Mayor raised concerns about structural integrity of adjacent buildings when one owner makes changes, and about ensuring grant investments do not harm neighboring properties.
- The consultant noted that life-safety codes supersede historic review, and that party walls and structural issues are outside the design guidelines but may arise during permitting.
Downtown Parking Study
- Jesse and Greg presented the 2022 parking study (cost $14,000), which analyzed parking occupancy on a Tuesday (school day) and Saturday, using the 85% occupancy threshold.
- Key findings: overall supply is adequate, but localized congestion occurs at peak times (Main Street and 21st Avenue). Central City Lot (Lot 2) is heavily used by employees during weekdays; other lots (4–7) are underutilized.
- Recommendations included: prioritize maintenance of Lot 2, improve wayfinding signage, consider employee-only designation for Lot 2, add two-hour time limits to Lot 1, and create fast-stop positions.
- Council discussed each potential solution:
- Code Enforcement: Councilor Marshall noted that effective enforcement requires dedicated staffing; Mayor asked about metrics and efficiency. Jesse acknowledged challenges balancing parking enforcement with other code complaints.
- Signage and Wayfinding: Council supported a comprehensive, branded signage plan; Councilor Falkner emphasized consistent design (e.g., standard blue P symbol). Staff aim to install signage summer 2026, possibly requiring a supplemental budget request.
- Central City Lot (Lot 2): Councilor Valenzuela initially supported employee-only signs, but after discussion with Councilor Marshall (small business owner) and others, consensus was not to designate Lot 2 as employee-only at this time. Instead, the city should first improve wayfinding and education.
- Lot 1 (18 spaces): Proposed two-hour time limit. Councilor Marshall opposed, noting the lot is already used heavily by employees; Council decided not to impose time limits or employee-only designation now.
- Fast‑Stop Positions: Staff proposed a 15‑minute pilot stall at the no‑parking zone in front of Pizza Schmizza (corner of 21st and Main). Council supported this as a trial, noting it creates a new spot without eliminating existing parking.
- Additional Parking Spots: Greg and Crystal from Public Works identified up to 16 additional on‑street stalls (primarily on Pacific Avenue) by restriping yellow zones and underutilized areas. Council endorsed adding these spots, possibly using existing summer striping contract.
- Private Parking Lots: Staff have approached private owners (e.g., Wells Fargo North lot) without success. Councilor Valenzuela suggested exploring shared‑use agreements with Pacific University and other institutions, citing examples of underused lots during evening or weekend events.
- Events and Placemaking: Council discussed moving major events (Uncorked, Oktoberfest) off Main Street to reduce 32 days of closures. Councilor Falkner supported evaluating College Way and 21st Avenue as festival streets. Staff agreed to bring back information on placemaking options, including use of the city‑owned former theater site (Lot B). Councilor Marshall requested a cost estimate for resurfacing the central gravel lot as part of any event space.
Key Outcomes
- Historic Design Standards: Council provided general guardrails – standards should incentivize preservation, not deter investment; new development should not be forced to mimic historic styles; and flexibility is needed for structural and life‑safety improvements. No formal action taken; staff will incorporate feedback as the consultant drafts guidelines.
- Parking – Fast‑Stop Pilot: Staff will proceed with installing a 15‑minute fast‑stop stall in front of Pizza Schmizza as a pilot project, pending signage and striping.
- Parking – Additional Spots: Staff will add up to 16 new on‑street parking spaces downtown, likely this summer, adjusting striping as needed.
- Parking – Signage: Staff will develop a comprehensive wayfinding sign plan incorporating branding, with installation targeted for summer 2026 (may require a budget amendment).
- Parking – Code Enforcement: Council directed staff to prioritize a dedicated percentage of code enforcement time to parking compliance and to explore more efficient enforcement technologies.
- Placemaking and Events: Staff will prepare options for a work session on creating a central gathering space and potentially relocating major events to College Way or 21st Avenue. The URA may also discuss the former theater site for mixed‑use development including parking and a festival street.
- No formal votes were taken; these outcomes reflect council consensus and direction to staff.
Meeting Transcript
Excuse me. I'm going to call to order this work session of the Forest Grove City Council. The date is April 13th. The topic is historic downtown design standards and guidelines. Just a reminder: no public comment will be taken, and the council will take no formal action. And with that, I'm going to turn it over to Jesse. Thank you, Mayor, members of the council. So this work session is really intended to allow City Council an opportunity to comment on our historic guidelines and standards before we get started in this process. As Kim and Matt will take you through the presentation and also through the work session, we'll introduce the consultant, introduce kind of the scope of the project that's before us. But before we get started, if there was any kind of overarching kind of guardrails that the council may or may not have pertaining to this particular effort, we would love to hear from you about that. We had a previous work session, kind of just explaining what historic uh design guidelines and standards were and the difference between standards and guidelines. We'll do a little bit of recapping about that. But um other than that, um thank you, Mayor, and I'd like to turn it over to Kim and Matt. Cool. All right, thank you, Gen C Council Matt Johnson Senior Planner, Robert Dortnet. Next to me, historic architect. Um I'll give him a more formal proper introduction here in a moment. We'll go ahead and go to the next slide. So here's what we're we'll be talking about today. Uh we'll connect it to the Vision 2040 plan, uh, describe a purpose, uh, do a whole timeline uh creation from the district to where we are now, uh, introduce Robert, um, give you another little bit of project background, because I know it's been about a year since we last talked about this. Um scope of work, um, uh what Robert will be producing for us and how it will be applied, um, and then we'll invite your discussion. Okay, so within the vision 2040 plan, uh the goal statement economy very much applies uh the outcome to revitalize downtown and foster community identity and sense of place uh actions that it contributes to increase volume and diversity of commercial business development, encourage and attract more events downtown to promote traffic, and of course, explore exterior and architectural design standards to create that visual identity. So our purpose again today is to uh discuss the process, our our timing and expectations of the development of these standards and guidelines for our downtown historic district. Let's go ahead and get started on this timeline. And next slide, please. Thank you. All right, so this is uh been a long time in the making. Uh so this all started in 2017 when city council adopted the city's historic preservation plan. Part of that preservation plan was to explore the creation of a downtown district. Um the first steps in establishing that district were to identify and evaluate uh historic resources uh to our downtown. Um the city completed an updated historic survey, uh part of the original town plat, um, accompanied by a contextual statement that basically details all the the character of Forest Grove. Um the consultant that was hired to prepare those updates was also directed to find out you know what's the what's the best boundaries for our district. Three years later, um city council recommended the nomination of the districts in early 2020, and then uh it was sent to the state and was officially recognized as a national historic district um in October, late October 2020. And then in 2023, council officially adds the downtown historic district into our city's comprehensive plan. And just last year, around this time, staff secured a grant from the state preservation office, now Oregon Heritage, to create these standards and guidelines to accompany our national historic district downtown. Um shortly thereafter, we held the work session with council and the HLB describing what this is. The winter we found Robert uh who will draft our standards and guidelines for the districts. Slide please. And so this is Mr. Mr. Dortney. This is uh Robert has very long career. These are just a few things that are specifically applicable to the work that he's doing here in Forest Grove. He was the one that actually created the standards and guidelines for all three of our residential districts. I believe that's 2016. 2014, time flies. So in addition to his work that he's done here, specific in Forest Grove, he's also created design guidelines for Oregon City. And he's worked with the city of Independent Independence to combine their work guidelines with the commercial and residential. As a conservator for the American Institute for Conservation, he prepared architectural condition reports for the Hoover Minthorne Historic Museum and Property in Newburgh, and also for the Troutdale Historic Society properties. And lastly, he prepared preservation ports projects and consultations for Fort Dells, the Salem Pioneer Cemetery, the Willamette Heritage Center, Jason Lee House, Deepwood State Patrol Garden, and he's continuously involved with ongoing work for the Portland's Water Bureau, Washington Park Historic District, and Mount Tabor.
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