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The city of Portland has agreed to amend its planning and zoning code to comply with state requirements to allow adjustments to a range of development standards, especially where housing is proposed. Amendments approved Wednesday allow discussions for unlimited building heights for projects in the Central City.

The ordinance passed by the Portland City Council is a response to the Oregon Legislature鈥檚 passage of earlier this year. The city is required to comply with the law by Jan. 1, 2025.

The updates the city鈥檚 zoning code to align with state standards. The ordinance adopts the Portland Planning Commission鈥檚 recommended draft and amends Title 33 of the planning and zoning code.

Senate Bill 1537 was signed into law by Gov. Tina Kotek in April. This bill established development and design standards requiring local jurisdictions to allow applicants to request adjustments when housing is proposed.

The city amendments allow more regulatory flexibility in certain developments that provide housing, including allowing requests tied to minimize lot size, maximum height limits, bike parking location and cottage cluster development standards. The intent of the amendments is to encourage real estate development during the current downturn and housing shortage.

The council approved the Planning Commission鈥檚 recommended draft and code amendments, including changes to height allowances. The law requires a 20 percent height adjustment allowance in the Central City. Testimony during the Planning Commission鈥檚 public hearing in August was focused on expanding the height adjustments beyond what the state requires.

鈥淭he Planning Commission did go a step forward and is recommending unlimited height adjustment allowance,鈥� said Sandra Wood, principal planner at the Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability.

The adjustments, approved by the City Council on Wednesday, will require a land use review. The amendment does not guarantee a height increase, said Erica Thompson, vice chair of the Planning Commission. It simply provides project teams with a pathway to ask for a height increase during design review and make a case for how the increase is compatible with applicable design standards. The amendments signal to the development community and the state that Portland is continuing to remove barriers to housing development, Thompson said.

The zoning code changes will take effect on Jan. 1.