The County currently requires most housing projects to hold a neighborhood meeting before an application can be submitted to the County.
The requirement applies broadly, even to smaller projects. Most nearby cities, including Beaverton, Hillsboro, and Forest Grove limit neighborhood meetings to larger or more complex projects. The County’s approach casts a wider net.
Meetings can influence project outcomes even though they don’t formally change decisions. Community expectations raised during meetings can shape conditions of approval, which can add uncertainty to projects that otherwise meet objective standards.
A more targeted approach could focus input where it matters most. Rather than requiring neighborhood meetings for most development projects, the County could set thresholds for when meetings are required, based on project size, intensity, or type.
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