Speaker Tina Kotek (D – St Johns) has introduced House Bill 2001 (HB2001) that will take away local control of neighborhood zoning. HB2001 will force every Oregon city to permit quadplexes in every neighborhood. Regardless of local views and conditions. This is a state take-over of local zoning and land use. Under HB2001, legislators in Salem decide what happens in neighborhoods.
Here is what HB2001 would do:
- Define “middle housing” as duplexes, triplexes, quadplexes, and cottage clusters (complexes of small houses).
- Require every Oregon city with more than 15,000 residents, and every Oregon county with more than 10,000 residents, to permit middle housing on every lot.
- HB2001 will also exempt new triplexes and quadplexes from the building code requirements (e.g. for fire safety) that currently apply to this type of multi-unit building.
- HB2001 will not allow cities to require off-street parking for these developments.
This legislation is being pushed by the real estate development industry, among Rep Kotek’s largest campaign contributors. It follows her and their attempt to re-zone all Oregon neighborhoods for duplexes and eliminate local governments’ ability to review the design of new development and protect historic districts – see HB2007 (2017).
Neighborhoods rose up against HB2007 and largely defeated it. More opposition is emerging to this year’s HB2001.
HB2001 will get its first hearing next week, on Feb 11.