Municipal Code Revision Question
The City is considering revising sections of the City’s Municipal Code. These are the issues under consideration:
- Residential parking of larger commercial vehicles
- Weekend construction noise in residential areas
- Keeping of backyard chickens
Commercial Parking in Residential Areas
The current code reads that it is not allowed to have a commercial vehicle which exceeds eight thousand pounds gross weight, twenty-one feet in length, or eight feet in height parked in the driveway or parking area in a residential zone unless it is a vehicle that is routinely on standby and necessary to use under emergency circumstances. Newer pickup trucks can have a weight and length that exceeds this standard, but since it’s not a commercial vehicle it’s okay. Even though a community member can have a personal vehicle that exceeds these provisions, someone who uses the same or similar truck for work cannot park it at their home. There are also some semi-truck drivers who live in the City and park their trucks at home for the few days they are here each month. We know this occurs, and there have been very few complaints on it over the years. The Council wants to know if we should revise our rules on it. Long term parking on streets, blocking views from driveways and streets, and restricting access would still be prohibited.
Weekend Construction Noise in Residential Areas
The current code outlines that construction activity is not allowed except between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., on weekdays. We know that several people complete improvement projects over the weekend. Whether it’s building a shed or repairing a deck, sometimes that only time of people have is on the weekends. The Council wants to know if the noise code should be revised to allow non-commercial weekend construction work from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends. All other noise regulations would remain in place.
Keeping of Backyard Chickens
Our current code on chickens was adopted over ten years ago and contains some language that could be looked at. The first is the zone where chickens are allowed. Currently, chickens are only allowed in what is called the LR 7.5 zone, which is most of the Original Village area. Those in the LR 12 or any of the MR zones are not currently allowed to keep chickens. Should that be revised, and what zones should be allowed to have chickens? The second question is how many chickens should be allowed. The current code allows for up to three chickens, which is the same as Gresham. Portland allows for up to four chickens, and Troutdale allows for up to six chickens.
Feedback Wanted
The Council has asked for your input and feedback and will use it to determine next steps. Next steps may include drafting the code revisions as outlined above and taking it to a hearing, crafting some other kind of revisions based on your feedback and taking that to a hearing, or not take any action at all if the community likes the code the way it is. Let us know what you think: