The Oregon City Planning Commission on Oct. 11 approved a set of cleanup amendments to the comprehensive plan, zoning map and zoning code adopted June 18, 2004, voting 5–0 to adopt the staff report presented at the public hearing.

Planning staff told the commission the package is mostly housekeeping but contains targeted clarifications: rezonings along Falcon Drive (proposal to change selected parcels from R‑10 to R‑8 to reflect surrounding R‑6 and R‑8 lots and to enable partitions where road dedications otherwise would make partitions infeasible); a recommendation to designate certain FU‑10 parcels as Campus Industrial; and code changes in the mixed‑use downtown chapter to allow drive‑through facilities as a conditional use (except drive‑through car washes) and to add parking lots not associated with a primary use to the conditional‑use list for that district. Staff also clarified home‑occupation rules to distinguish shipped internet sales from onsite retail and to bar outdoor storage associated with a home occupation.

Why it matters: the package updates zoning designations created during prior annexations, addresses several property owners' requests for consistent zoning, and tightens procedures for notice and appeals to reduce delays in processing. The Falcon Drive rezonings were prompted in part by required right‑of‑way dedications that would otherwise eliminate the remaining buildable area on lots currently zoned R‑10.

Planning staff explained past island annexations left some industrially designated properties at FU‑10 rather than a specific industrial zone; designating those parcels Campus Industrial aligns city code with Metro's land accounting and clarifies development expectations. Staff said the mixed‑use downtown changes would permit drive‑through facilities only through a conditional‑use review, not as an outright permitted use.

On appeals and notices, staff reported a procedural change: appeals will require written notice to the appellant, applicant, property owner and all persons who testified (oral or written) rather than full re‑notice to the 300‑foot radius, a change intended to help meet statutorily mandated processing timelines.

Commissioner Carter praised collaborative work with stakeholders, saying the process "when it's allowed to work properly" produced better code language. Tony Konkle, planning staff, read the prior farm language into the record as: "farms, commercial, or truck gardening, and horticultural nurseries on a on a lot not less than 20,000 square feet in area. Commercial buildings are not permitted." He told the commission staff recommended restoring that language as an interim measure while staff continues to work with public works and state and county agencies on water quality and other technical matters.

The commission adopted the staff report as written. Roll call: Commissioner Orson, aye; Commissioner Paul, aye; Commissioner Mengelberg, aye; Commissioner Lejois, aye; Chair Carter, aye. The commission recorded the motion as carried 5–0.

What comes next: the planning commission's recommendation will go to the City Commission for final action; staff identified the City Commission meeting on Nov. 3 where the matter will appear. Staff also said it will pursue joint work sessions with the City Commission and additional public work sessions on farm uses and other cleanup items.

Provenance: staff presentation and code details first appear in the hearing at about 04:15 (staff overview) and discussion, deliberation and vote run through the hearing record to the recorded roll call at about 01:13:06.