Climate-Friendly and Equitable Communities Rules

The Oregon Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC) adopted administrative rules in 2022 that were developed through a rulemaking project called Climate Friendly and Equitable Communities (CFEC).

The CFEC rules aim to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) pollution from transportation while increasing housing choices and creating more equitable outcomes for Oregonians. The City is responding to these new rules by updating its transportation and land use plans and regulations. The major components of the CFEC work include: 

• TSP Update Phase 1: Regional Scenario Planning
• TSP Update Phase 2: Policies and Projects
• Land Use
• Parking Reforms

The City is planning to update the TSP in phases. The first phase will focus on conducting regional scenario planning as required by the CFEC rules.

These State rules require Salem to undertake this work with regional partners - including Marion County and the City of Keizer - to reduce GHG emissions and meet the State's climate pollution reduction targets for transportation.

What is regional scenario planning? 

Scenario planning is a planning exercise for exploring an area's long-term future. The process is similar to the scenario planning work that was done with the Our Salem project which focused on land use changes. The new regional scenario planning work will focus on transportation changes need to meet or exceed the state's climate pollution reduction targets. We will be looking at current and future investments in: 

• Active transportation
• Fleets and fuels
• Public transportation
• Pricing
• Parking management
• Education and marketing, and 
• Roads

What's first?

To initiate this work, Salem and its regional partners are required to submit a work program to DLCD by June 30, 2023. The work program must include a proposed governance structure for regional cooperation, scope of work, community engagement plan, funding estimate, and schedule. Coordination with Salem's regional partners has begun and will continue. 

The second phase of the TSP update will focus on local priorities in addition to implementing the new CFEC rules. This includes aligning transportation policies with the updated Salem Area Comprehensive Policies Plan and Our Salem project. The scope of this second phase is under development. 

What do the new State rules require in TSP updates?

The CFEC rules require that the TSP meet or exceed the State's GHG reduction goals. This will be done by aligning the Salem TSP with the preferred scenario developed through the regional scenario planning process in phase 1 of the TSP update. 

In addition, the State rules require Salem to:

• Develop and adopt new system performance measures that achieve community livability goals

• Plan for enhanced facilities to serve people walking, bicycling, and using transit - with a focus on walkable, mixed-use areas

• Adopt a financially-constrained project list in the TSP

• Prioritize investments for reaching destinations by walking, bicycling, and transit

• Undertake enhanced review of roadway projects that would add significant capacity for motor vehicles

• Regularly monitor and report progress

Walkable, Mixed-Use Areas

Learn about new State rules that aim to promote walkable, mixed-use areas in Salem and Keizer by watching a recording of the February 23, 2023, virtual public meeting. Staff from the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development explain the new Climate Friendly and Equitable Communities (CFEC) rules and describe what walkable, mixed-use areas are. Planners from the cities of Salem and Keizer discuss how the rules will be implemented in our communities. 

• Recording of virtual meeting on Walkable, Mixed-Use Areas (February 23, 2023)
• Presentation slides from virtual meeting on Walkable, Mixed-Use Areas

Background 

The CFEC rules require the City to facilitate the development of walkable, mixed-use areas - referred to as Climate-Friendly Areas by the State - in Salem. Specifically, the City must adopt regulations in these areas to promote compact, walkable, mixed-use development and to support access by people who walk, bike, or take transit. 

• Walkable Mixed-Use Area Overview (English)
• Walkable Mixed-Use Area Overview (Spanish)

What's first? 

The first step in this work is to conduct a study of potential walkable, mixed-use areas in Salem. This work will build upon the Our Salem project, which rezoned many areas for mixed-use development. The study is being funded by DLCD, and the scope of work is included in an intergovernmental agreement between the City and DLCD. Documents produced through this study are listed below. New documents will be added as they are completed.

• Technical Memo #1, Housing Need
• Technical Memo #2, Draft Candidate Climate Friendly Areas (Walkable, Mixed-use Areas)
• Technical Memo #5, Dwelling Unit Capacity

The City is also forming an equity roundtable, which includes representatives from traditionally underserved communities in Salem. This includes communities of color, lower-income residents, people with disabilities, youth, tribal governments, refugees, and others. The equity roundtable, which is a pilot project, will meet this spring to discuss issues related to land use, housing, and displacement. Input from the roundtable will inform the City's work related to walkable, mixed-use areas. 

What other land use changes are required? 

The rules require the City to update how it regulates development. For example, the rules call for pedestrian-oriented design standards and pedestrian access standards in commercial and mixed-use areas. The rules also require neighborhoods to be designed with connected networks of streets, paths, and accessways. The City has many such regulations already in place, but staff will evaluate and implement any additional code and Comprehensive Plan changes that are required. 

The new State rules require the City to reform the way it manages and requires parking. The City must implement one of several parking reform options by June 30, 2023, unless an extension is approved by the State.

Public Hearing Scheduled for April 10

City Council will hold a public hearing on April 10, 2023, 6 p.m., to consider code amendments that would eliminate requirements for developers to provide off-street parking citywide. Review the proposed code amendments here. The public hearing staff report will be published on this web page prior to the public hearing on April 10. Click here for information on how to participate in at a City Council meeting.

Parking Reform Open House January 31

Residents were invited to an open house on January 31, 2023 to learn about the proposal to no longer require minimum parking for uses citywide. Information shared at the open house included information boards and a map of the areas that would be impacted by this change.

The overarching policy decision for Salem is whether the City wants to eliminate minimum parking requirements for all uses citywide. If the City chooses to do that, it is not required to implement other parking reform options, although it could voluntarily choose to do so.

• Parking Reform Overview (English)
• Parking Reform Overview (Spanish)

On November 7, 2022, the Climate Action Plan Committee voted to recommend that the City eliminate all minimum parking requirements citywide. Staff plans to bring that proposal in a code amendment to the City Council in early 2023. Eliminating minimum parking requirements aligns with the Climate Action Plan and allows the market to determine how much parking is provided.

The other parking reform options include, but are not limited to, the list below.

• Pricing at least 10% of on-street parking spaces in Salem

• Unbundling parking for multifamily housing near transit and in walkable, mixed-use areas (e.g., require that the cost of parking is separated from the cost of renting or buying a dwelling unit)

• Reducing or eliminate parking requirements for a variety of uses and locations 

The City has implemented several of the parking reforms required by the State through a code amendment:

• Removing minimum off-street parking spaces for certain uses – such as shelters, residential care facilities, and affordable housing – and in locations near 15-minute transit service.

• Requiring electrical vehicle charging conduit to be installed for 40% of the parking spaces provided on a site for a new multifamily or mixed-use building.

These changes went into effect on December 28, 2022.

2202 November - Climate Action Plan Committee Presentation: Parking Reform

Parking Reform Overview (English)

Parking Reform Overview (Spanish)