Planning Commission Looks to Initiate Code for Solar and Trees on Parking Lots

The paper nearly has a real thread of climate coverage in the first section this morning. As it is, and leading with the trope of water play rather than any image that expresses danger, the paper leaves connections mostly implied, merely the result of juxtaposition, and not connected nearly enough.

Opportunity for fun or hazardous air?

Youth and death

This evening the Planning Commission looks to initiate some code changes on parking as well as on other matters. This is only to start a process, and later they will schedule a formal Public Hearing with draft code and a much longer Staff Report.

From the Staff Report on initiating new code:

Salem already complies with some portions of the parking rules, including those that require the City to promote shared parking, allow conversion of parking to other uses, and encourage alternative modes of transportation. The City also eliminated minimum parking requirements earlier this year.

However, Salem needs to amend its regulations to comply with other requirements of the parking rules. Specifically, the proposed code amendment will require large parking lots – those over one-half acre in size – to reduce or mitigate their climate impacts by providing additional tree canopy cover, generating solar power, or contributing to an equitable renewable energy fund. The proposed code amendment will also allow park and ride uses more broadly across Salem, as required by the rules.

The additional requirements for large parking lots are expected to result, over time, in reduced greenhouse gas emissions from new developments that elect to provide on-site solar panels. Alternatively, developments that provide additional tree canopy coverage will help to reduce the urban heat island effect. Both outcomes align with the goals and policies of the updated Salem Area Comprehensive Plan and Salem Climate Action Plan. Under the proposed code amendment, the City would also create a new equitable renewable energy fund, which developers could pay into in lieu of providing on-site solar power generation. This fund would be used to promote wind and solar power generation in affordable housing projects supported by the Salem Housing Authority.

The proposed code amendment would also allow single-room occupancy housing more broadly in Salem – as required by House Bill 3395, which passed in the 2023 Oregon Legislative Session – and make clarifications to design standards for multifamily housing.

There will of course be more to say later! 

On the agenda are also some things on the greenhouse gas inventory and the Goal 5 riparian inventory, neither of which have any details in any meeting packet, so it's hard to say that exactly will be in the update. 

In January the Climate Action Plan Committee saw a new update, and it is reasonable to suppose this will echo those materials and not represent any major new thing.

No relevant search results!

The Goal 5 riparian inventory seems to be flying very much under the radar and the City site doesn't serve up anything meaningful in search results. The plans and projects page doesn't have anything either.

Maybe the City will publish some materials now.