The Deschutes County Planning Commission invites property owners to attend a public hearing on Thursday, March 13 as it reviews proposed changes to the requirements for temporary hardship dwellings.
Under Deschutes County Code (DCC), Title 18, property owners may obtain a temporary use permit for secondary dwellings on their property if they are used as housing that allows a relative to live independently while receiving care for a medical condition. Secondary dwellings include Recreational Vehicles (RVs), manufactured homes, and existing buildings.
The Planning Commission’s main objectives for amending the code are to make the local requirements more consistent with state rules and statutes, and to make the review process of hardship dwelling applications more cohesive across all county zones. Notable changes include:
- Reorganizing the content for easier reading
- Updating outdated references
- Clarifying that hardship dwellings can be used for both the elderly (“aged”), as well as individuals with a medical condition diagnosed by a healthcare professional (“infirmed”)
- Allowing the use of existing buildings for hardship dwellings
- Clarifying that a hardship dwelling can be the only second dwelling on the property
- Changing the renewal requirement from every year to every two years
- Listing the allowable use in all permissible zones for better clarity
The public hearing will be held during the Planning Commission’s regularly scheduled meeting on Thursday, March 13, at 5:30 p.m. at the Deschutes Services Building, 1300 NW Wall St. in Bend. Property owners are invited to learn more about the proposed amendments and provide their feedback in person, or virtually. The meeting agenda and virtual log in information can be found at www.deschutes.org/meetings
For more information visit the project website.