On Monday, July 10, 2023 (7:00 pm), the City of Independence Planning Commission will hold a public hearing to consider potential changes to the Independence Development Code. The proposed changes would limit the height of buildings in the Downtown Overlay Zone to 40 feet when measured from the street elevation and add a standard to ensure that buildings over 100 feet in length have the appearance of multiple buildings.
What is the Problem?
The changes are proposed because:
- Most buildings on Main Street are relatively narrow and are no more than 40 feet inheight.
- The City of Independence currently allows buildings up to 45 feet in height, andpotentially up to 55 feet if certain criteria are met.
- The City has minimal standards in place to require long buildings to be broken intodistinct, smaller portions.
What is Proposed?
The proposed changes are intended to better ensure that new buildings fit the characteristics of the historic buildings on Main Street.
To see the proposed changes, please click here.
To see a sample of building heights and lengths in downtown, please click here.
If you have any questions or comments about the changes, please contact Fred Evander, Community Planner at (503) 837-1168.
The City of Independence plans to designate a vertical housing development zone in downtown Independence per the requirements in ORS 307.844. The zone would provide a partial tax exemption for certain mixed-use developments that included housing on the upper floors.
Boundaries of Proposed Zone
The boundaries of the zone would be:
- On the North – Ash Creek
- On the South – G Street
- On the West – The alley between Second and Third Streets from B Street to D Street, and Third Street from D Street to G Street
- On the East – All parcels along Main Street from Ash Creek to E Street
The exact location of the zone can be viewed here.
Description of Property Tax Exemption
The vertical housing development zone would provide a partial tax exemption for mixed-use developments that incorporate at least eight residential housing units. The details of the tax exemption associated with a vertical housing zone are detailed in ORS 307.864
ORS 307.864 establishes a tiered reduction in property taxes which apply if an applicant meets set local and state criteria. Tax reductions range from 20% to 80%, and exemptions increase with the amount of floors devoted to residential housing that are included in the proposal.
ORS 307.864 is set forth in full, below, for your convenience:
(1) For the first tax year in which, as of the assessment date, a vertical housing development project is occupied or ready for occupancy following certification under ORS 307.857 (Application for exemption), and for the next nine consecutive tax years:
(a) The property of the vertical housing development project, except for the land of the project, shall be partially exempt from ad valorem property taxes imposed by local taxing districts, other than the districts that elected not to participate in the vertical housing development zone pursuant to ORS 307.844 (Zone designation) (4), according to the following schedule and as identified in the certification issued under ORS 307.857 (Application for exemption) (8):
(A) If the project consists of the equivalent of one equalized floor allocated to residential housing, the project shall be 20 percent exempt.
(B) If the project consists of the equivalent of two equalized floors allocated to residential housing, the project shall be 40 percent exempt.
(C) If the project consists of the equivalent of three equalized floors allocated to residential housing, the project shall be 60 percent exempt.
(D) If the project consists of the equivalent of four or more equalized floors allocated to residential housing, the project shall be 80 percent exempt.
(b) The land of the vertical housing development project shall be partially exempt from ad valorem property taxes imposed by local taxing districts, other than the districts that elected not to participate in the vertical housing development zone pursuant to ORS 307.844 (Zone designation) (4), in the same percentages determined under paragraph (a) of this subsection, for each equalized floor allocated to low income residential housing, as identified in the certification issued under ORS 307.857 (Application for exemption) (8).
(2) In order for the property of a vertical housing development project to receive the partial property tax exemption described in subsection (1) of this section, the vertical housing development project property owner, project applicant or other person responsible for the payment of property taxes on the project must notify the city or county that the project is occupied or ready for occupancy, and the city or county must notify the assessor of the county in which the project is located, in the manner set forth in ORS 307.512 (Filing deadline for certain housing-related exemption and special assessment programs), that the project is occupied or ready for occupancy and has been certified under ORS 307.857 (Application for exemption).
Process by Which Local Taxing District May Choose not to Participate
A local taxing district may elect to not participate in the vertical housing development zone by submitting a letter to the City of Independence by May 9, 2022. Please send the letter to Karin Johnson, City Recorder at the Independence Civic Center, 555 S. Main Street, Independence, OR 97351, (503) 837-1172, or kjohnson@ci.independence.or.us.
Staff Contact
For further information, please contact Fred Evander, Community Planner, at the Independence Civic Center, 555 S. Main Street, Independence, OR 97351, (503) 837-1168, or fevander@ci.independence.or.us.
