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Recommendations deriving from Portland’s are beginning to be put into action by city staffers. The on Monday got its first briefing on how implementation may affect its work.

The recommendations were the result of more than a year of work led by Mark Hinshaw, an urban designer at Walker Macy. Hinshaw and his team studied ways the city could streamline the review process for projects that fall within the city’s various design overlay zones.

Staffers with the Bureau of Development Services (BDS) and Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS) have grouped the recommendations in three different areas.

One area will focus on process and continue through August 2018. BPS will look to amend the purpose statement for design review and adjust the project size thresholds for design review. Also, the review process will be realigned and public notice requirements will be improved.

A second area will focus on administration. BPS staffers will look for ways to increase staff capacity, better manage commission meetings and improve public notification and involvement. Also, staffers will aim to develop tools to support commission deliberation and institute new training for staff.

In the third area, BPS will also spend the next two years studying ways to improve the guidelines and standards that are used by the landmarks and design commissions.