G&G Development Group, working under the name Timberline Development, recently received partial approval for zoning code compliance adjustments requested for its cottage cluster project at 305 SE 75th Avenue. The developer will add a pair of detached two-level homes behind the existing 1950-era single-story house. Demolition crews will raze a detached garage connected to the original house by a breezeway to make room for one of the two new units facing SE Pine Street.
The current owner bought the modest 600-square-foot house surrounded by mature greenery in May with plans to create more housing. The corner lot is slightly smaller than the required size for this type of infill housing, prompting the design team to seek some adjustments to build the additional units. On June 4th, Portland Permitting & Development approved the developer’s request to reduce the minimum lot size for a cottage cluster from 5,000 square feet to 4,994 square feet, but denied the request to reduce the minimum width of an outdoor common area from 15 feet to 13.5 feet.
The project planner allowed for a shared green space between the original home and the adjacent new structure. However, it was 1.5 feet short on one side but exceeded the minimum total area. The outdoor common area is part of the cottage-cluster style of middle housing land division (MHLD), which allows yard space to be shared among the homes, increasing buildable land. A Timberline Development representative explained that this denial will not change their plans to add two homes on the site, but they will need to adjust the layout. “We’re working through minor adjustments to the site plan with our designer to meet the common area standard.”
The new two-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bathroom homes’ front doors will each open directly onto SE Pine Street’s sidewalk. This corner configuration has regularly allowed more homes on a single residential lot without the need for a shared walkway, even before MHLD code updates. The extra street frontage on two sides provides added curbside parking space for future residents. The project is currently in its design and permitting phase, with construction expected to begin after permit approval.
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