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HBA and our members are working with the City of Gresham to help address an ongoing issue around moving architectural design standards for larger subdivision developments. Following HBA advocacy, the City Council approved a request to allow staff to begin reviewing the development code in order to update how the city calculates and approves vesting periods for planned subdivisions. Given the increasingly complex and time intensive processes required to plan, finance, and buildout new subdivisions, builders (both affordable and market-rate) are finding it difficult to meet ever-changing architectural development standards, especially in light of the less familiar Middle Housing Land Division standards. Add in recent supply chain and labor shortages to this mix and the timeframe to complete a planned subdivision takes even longer than in past years. This is why the HBA is working closely with Gresham staff to improve the vesting period and process for subdivisions. In collaboration with city leadership and staff, we believe that allowing more time to complete planned housing developments (some with over 200 units), will ensure that homes are built thoughtfully and with safety and efficiency in mind, without being rushed in order to meet new architectural standards. Click here to view HBA testimony supporting Gresham’s development vesting. If you would like to learn more or engage in this process, please reach out to our Government Affairs team.