What changes a site plan in Oregon
Oregon cities decide permits under ORS 227 and counties under ORS 215, and final land use decisions go to the Land Use Board of Appeals under ORS 197.830 to 197.845 (ORS 227.180(2)) [1]. Four Oregon conditions decide how a concept is drawn and filed.
A statutory clock with remedies. A city takes final action within the shortest applicable period after an application is deemed complete: 120 days, 100 days for affordable housing under ORS 197A.470, or 63 days for an expedited land division (ORS 227.178(1)) [1]. A county acts "within the shortest applicable period of the following periods, all of which begin on the date that the application is deemed complete: (a) 150 days" (ORS 215.427(1)), and the applicant can extend that by up to 215 days [2, 6]. A city that misses its deadline refunds the greater of the unexpended fees or 50% (227.178(8)), and on a mandamus petition the court "shall issue a peremptory writ" unless approval would violate a substantive provision of the plan or land use regulations (227.179(5)) [1, 7].
Housing is checked against standards, not argued. Inside an urban growth boundary a city may not deny housing that complies with clear and objective standards (ORS 227.175(4)(b)) [1]. Where at least 75% of the floor area is housing and the proposal is at or below the allowed density and height, a city may not condition approval on reducing either, unless that is needed for health, safety, habitability or a goal-protective measure (227.175(4)(c)-(e)) [1]. The site data table on an Oregon housing concept lists each standard beside the plan's measured value.
The completeness letter shapes the first submittal. The city must say exactly what is missing within 30 days, and an application is void on the 181st day if the applicant was notified and did not respond (227.178(2),(4)) [1]. A county application left incomplete is void on day 181 as well [2, 6]. A first submittal that answers the checklist in full keeps the clock running.
Wetlands go on the plan. For subdivisions, new structures, grading or fill inside Statewide Wetlands Inventory areas, the city notifies the Department of State Lands within five working days of accepting a complete application, and if DSL is silent for 30 days the city may approve with notice that state or federal permits may be required (ORS 227.350) [1]. Showing the inventory on the existing conditions sheet lets that 30-day window run alongside review.
Approval layers
| Approval | Who acts | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Permits inside a city | The city | ORS 227 [1] |
| Permits in unincorporated land | The county | ORS 215 [2] |
| Consolidated filing | Cities offer a consolidated procedure so all permits for a project can be filed at once | ORS 227.175(2) [1, 8] |
| Plats within six miles of a city | The city, unless an urban growth boundary management agreement or a county subdivision ordinance assigns them to the county | ORS 227.110 [1] |
| Written decision | Approval is "based upon and accompanied by a brief statement" of the criteria, facts and justification | ORS 227.173(3) [1] |
| Plan and land use regulation amendments | Sent to the DLCD Director under ORS 197.610, and excluded from the 120-day rule | ORS 227.178(7)(a) [1] |
| Appeals | Land Use Board of Appeals | ORS 197.830 to 197.845 [1] |
| Recreation park plans | DCBS Building Codes Division plan approval before construction | OAR 333-031-0059 [9] |
Who prepares what
The preliminary site plan is the concept the Oregon application is built from: disposition, buildings, drives, parking, pads, units and yield, with a site data table that sets each clear and objective standard against the drawn value [1]. Grading, drainage, stormwater, water and sewer design belong to the engineer of record, who builds the permit set on the preliminary plan. The who prepares a site plan guide sets out the division of work, and preliminary versus final site plan what the permit set adds.
Statewide overlays
| Overlay | Rule |
|---|---|
| Commercial building code | The 2025 OSSC, based on the 2024 IBC, the 2024 IFC new construction provisions and the 2024 IEBC, took effect October 1, 2025 with a 6-month phase-in and became mandatory April 1, 2026 (OAR 918-460-0010) [3, 4, 10] |
| Residential building code | The 2023 ORSC, mandatory April 1, 2024 [3, 11] |
| Wetlands | DSL notice within five working days of accepting a complete application in Statewide Wetlands Inventory areas; approval possible after 30 days of DSL silence (ORS 227.350) [1] |
| Airports | Notice to public-use airport owners within 5,000 ft of a visual runway or 10,000 ft of an instrument runway (ORS 227.175(6)) [1] |
Law changes and shot clocks, 2023 to 2026
| Rule | What it does |
|---|---|
| ORS 227.178, 2025 edition | Sets the "shortest applicable period": 120 days, 100 for affordable housing, 63 for expedited land divisions; amended by 2023 c.223, 2024 c.102 and c.110, and 2025 c.38, c.476 and c.530 [1] |
| Housing standards election | For housing inside a UGB, the applicant may ask to be reviewed under the standards in effect at the time of the request, and the clocks restart (227.178(3)(a)(B)) [1] |
| Extensions | No more than 245 days in total, plus up to 90 days for mediation (227.178(5),(11)) [1] |
| Waiver | A city cannot require the applicant to waive the 120 days except where the application is filed jointly with a plan amendment (227.178(10)) [12] |
| Local appeal window | At least 12 days from mailing for a decision made without a hearing (227.175(10)(a)(C)) [1] |
| County clock | 150 days from completeness, extendable by the applicant by up to 215 days, void on day 181 if incomplete (ORS 215.427) [2, 6] |
Asset rules that reach the plan
| Asset class | Jurisdiction | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| RV parks | Statewide | The Oregon Health Authority licenses recreation parks under OAR 333-031, adopted under ORS 446.330 [5, 9] |
| RV parks | Statewide | The recreation park definition excludes units for human occupancy that are permanently affixed (OAR 333-031-0002(12)) [13] |
| RV parks | Sutherlin | A 2-acre minimum park and 22 sites per acre, or 25 with a density bonus (12.40.090) [14] |
| Campgrounds | Benton County | File LU-25-022, a campground conditional use permit in the FC zone [15] |
| Self storage | Portland | Outside the Central City Plan District, self-service storage is prohibited on certain sites (33.284.020.A) [16] |
| Self storage | Portland | On a neighborhood corridor, civic corridor or streetcar line, at least 50 percent of the ground-level floor area in listed active uses, at least 25 feet deep, with a main entrance facing the street; 100 feet maximum site frontage in the C and EX zones (33.284.020.B, 33.284.030) [16] |
| Self storage | Coos Bay | Resolution 25-29, adopted unanimously Aug. 19, 2025, a moratorium of up to 12 months on new facilities; the city cited 13 facilities, more than twice typical supply for its size [17] |
| Industrial | Union County | Industrial Site Plan Review File 2025-0040, under Subsection 20.10, requires a scaled site development plan before construction [18] |
| ADUs | Statewide | Cities over 2,500 and counties over 15,000 allow at least one ADU per detached single-unit dwelling inside a UGB, under "reasonable local regulations relating to siting and design"; the statute sets no unit size or setback floor (ORS 197A.425) [19] |
| Middle housing | Statewide | SB 458 (2021), ORS 92.031: a middle housing land division puts each unit on its own lot, exactly one dwelling per resulting lot, with no further division; the tentative plan is approved when it includes a middle housing proposal that complies with the Oregon Residential Specialty Code, it may use the expedited procedure of ORS 197A.140 on request and be filed with building permits, and tentative approval is void without a final plat within 3 years [20, 21] |
Portland's version dated 10/1/24 applies the active use standard to sites with corridor frontage; the earlier 3/31/23 version reached uses "within 100 feet" of those corridors, so the rule tightened between editions [16, 22]. Layout standards for each class sit on the RV park, campground, glamping, self storage and industrial hubs. Oregon middle housing land division covers the lot-split plans.
What the preliminary plan carries in Oregon
An Oregon preliminary plan is written for a review that runs against a clock and against stated standards [1]. Its site data table lists the clear and objective standards for housing with the measured value for each, the share of floor area in housing where the 75% rule applies [1], any Statewide Wetlands Inventory area on the parcel [1], and, for a recreation park, the site count against the local cap, such as Sutherlin's 22 per acre [14]. It is the drawing a developer takes into the city's consolidated filing under ORS 227.175(2) [1], shows a lender or a general contractor, and passes to the engineer of record for the permit set.
Oregon borders Washington, Idaho, Nevada and California; service areas lists every state page.
Frequently asked questions
How long does an Oregon city have to decide a permit?
120 days from the date the application is deemed complete, including local appeals (ORS 227.178(1)) [1].
How long does an Oregon county have?
150 days from completeness (ORS 215.427(1)) [2].
What happens if the city misses the deadline?
It refunds the greater of the unexpended fees or 50% (227.178(8)), and the applicant may seek mandamus (227.179) [1].
Can a city deny housing that meets clear and objective standards?
Not inside an urban growth boundary, with limited exceptions (ORS 227.175(4)(b)) [1].
Can the city make me waive the 120 days?
No, except when the application is filed jointly with a plan amendment (227.178(10)) [12].
What is the shortest local appeal window for a decision made without a hearing?
At least 12 days from mailing (227.175(10)(a)(C)) [1].
Which building code applies to a commercial permit filed now?
Can an Oregon city require parking or owner occupancy for an ADU?
No. Under ORS 197A.425 a city cannot require additional off-street parking or owner occupancy of either unit, vacation occupancies excepted [19].
Sources
- 1)ORS Chapter 227, Cities, Planning; Zoning (2025 edition), Oregon Legislature. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 2)ORS Chapter 215, County Planning; Zoning, Oregon Legislature. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 3)Adopted codes online, Oregon Building Codes Division. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 4)2025 Oregon Structural Specialty Code adoption, Oregon Building Codes Division. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 5)RV Parks, Linn County Health Services, Environmental Health. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 6)County Planning Department applicant information sheet, Wallowa County. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 7)State v. City of Lake Oswego (Or. Ct. App. 1995), Oregon Court of Appeals (via Justia). Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 8)ORS 227.175, Oregon Legislature (text via public.law). Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 9)OAR 333-031, recreation parks, Oregon Secretary of State, Administrative Rules. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 10)OAR 918-460-0010, Oregon Secretary of State, Administrative Rules. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 11)Code books and codes in effect, Clatsop County Building Codes. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 12)ORS 227.178, Oregon Legislature (text via FindLaw). Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 13)OAR 333-031-0002, definitions, Oregon Health Authority (text via public.law). Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 14)Sutherlin Municipal Code Chapter 12.40, Recreational Vehicle Parks and Campgrounds, City of Sutherlin (via Code Publishing). Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 15)LU-25-022 staff report, Benton County Community Development. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 16)Title 33, Chapter 33.284, Self-Service Storage (10/1/24), City of Portland. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 17)New Self-Storage Facility Moratorium, City of Coos Bay. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 18)Bear Creek Bridge LLC, File No. 2025-0040, staff report, Union County, Oregon. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 19)ORS Chapter 197A, Oregon Legislature. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 20)ORS Chapter 92, Oregon Legislature. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 21)Housing Choice, Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development. Accessed 2026-10-10.
- 22)Title 33, Chapter 33.284, Self-Service Storage (3/31/23), City of Portland. Accessed 2026-10-10.