SB 534 – Allows a Single Family Dwelling on Every Residential Urban Lot: SB 534 allows a property owner to construct at least one single family dwelling on every platted lot zoned to allow single family residences. The property must be located within an urban growth boundary, and must be within a city with a population of at least 25,000 people.
There are some exceptions. Cities are not required to allow development on lots with inadequate services, steep slopes, in floodplains, or in sensitive environmental areas. Although SB 534 doesn’t sound remarkable, there are some cities (e.g. Portland) who are contemplating changing their zoning ordinance to prohibit a dwelling on small lots that were typically platted in the early 1900’s. This bill overrides any efforts to do that. The bill was a priority for the Oregon Homebuilders Association, who did a great job getting it across the finish line.