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On August 29, 2022, Federal District Court Judge Michael Mosman issued a ruling that limits the amount of time that aid and assist defendants can stay at the Oregon State Hospital (OSH). The ruling was meant to help the OSH comply with a previous court order that requires them to admit aid and assist defendants within seven days. The maximum amount of time these defendants can now stay at the state hospital are:

• Misdemeanors: 90 days
• Felonies: six months
• Measure 11 crimes: one year

This puts a big strain on our criminal justice and behavioral health systems here in Washington County and can pose a risk to community safety. The new timelines do not consider whether the defendant can actually participate in their own defense. This means that patients who must return to their local jurisdiction before treatment is complete are not able to stabilize and receive care in an appropriate environment.

The County has a system of mental health care within the community that can provide “restoration services” to most returning aid and assist defendants. However, there are other individuals who may be a serious threat to public safety and need a secure environment to complete restoration that doesn’t currently exist outside of the Oregon State Hospital.

Accessory structures (play structure, trellis, shed, etc.) are required to meet setback requirements from property lines. Waivers are not permitted. Each land use district (zone) in the County has unique setback requirements. Building permits may be required for accessory structures. Contact Current Planning/Development Review for details.

The Community Development Code (CDC) Section 430-80 regulates in which land use districts marijuana facilities can operate. See map. Districts include:

• Community Business District
• General Commercial
• Industrial District
• Rural Commercial
• Transit-Oriented Retail Commercial
• Transit-Oriented Business
• Transit-Oriented Employment
• North Bethany–Neighborhood Commercial Mixed Use
• Community Core Mixed-Use District

Washington County Community Development Code

• Middle Housing Section 430-84
• Definitions Section 106
• Land Use Districts Article III
  • Review type
  • Density/number of units
  • Dimensional requirements
• Public Facility and Service Requirements Section 501
• Middle Housing Land Division Section 606

Washington County Land Use & Transportation

• Middle Housing/HB 2001
• Middle Housing Development Application Process
• Washington County Middle Housing Development Application

State of Oregon

• Oregon Housing Choice
• Oregon House Bill 2001 (HB 2001) Housing Choices
• Oregon Senate Bill 458 Land Divisions for middle housing
• ORS 197.360 to 197.380 Expedited and middle housing land divisions

Most Washington County Land Use Districts that allow residential development also allow middle housing, as per requirements included in House Bill 2001.

Visit Middle Housing Development Application Process for more detailed information.

Oil spills can be reported to Oregon's Department of Environmental Quality.

Property owners are responsible for maintaining vegetation on their properties to ensure visibility onto and within a public right-of-way is maintained.

Many households, regardless of income, struggle to afford single-detached homes in the greater Portland area. Even with a substantial down payment, competition for some homes is fierce.

Increasing the availability of middle housing in urban neighborhoods can create more affordable options for many in neighborhoods near schools, parks, shopping and workplaces.

Oregon House Bill 2001 requires all local governments to increase potential for development of middle housing in neighborhoods where single-detached homes are allowed. We amended our regulations to allow more of it in locations where you might expect to see only single-detached homes.

The fee increases will provide critical funding to provide adequate staffing to help ensure target service levels are sustained. Workload and staffing levels change frequently. Review and response times will continue to fluctuate with changes in incoming work and staffing levels. 

We are also updating our processes to improve efficiencies and customer service. This includes: 

• Implementing concurrent review options for residential building permits to improve review timelines. 

• Streamlining during permit intake and file check (final step prior to permit issuance) processes. 

• Increasing staff members’ ability to adapt to workload needs. This may include additional cross-training so employees can move from one work area to another based on customer demand. 

• Example:  Possible software upgrades to allow applicants to directly submit permits online. 

We continue to evaluate other processes, technologies, workflows and staffing models.