The Planning and Sustainability Commission voted on June 26, 2012, to recommend approval of a rezoning proposal that would add 22 acres of commercially zoned property to SE 122^nd Avenue between Powell Boulevard and Foster Road. The proposal is the result of a nearly year-long process to address residents concerns about the lack of neighborhood-serving commercial development in the area. Two acres of property owned by the Portland Parks Bureau as part of the Leach Botanical Gardens were also recommended to be rezoned as open space, in recognition of its public ownership and continuing park use. 

The PSC recommendation included approximately six acres of land near the intersection of Powell Boulevard and SE 122^nd Avenue that had tentatively been withdrawn by City staff in response to concerns the Oregon Department of Transportation had about safety. The commissioners directed staff to work with ODOT to resolve these outstanding safety and traffic modeling concerns prior to City Council consideration and adoption, tentatively scheduled for later this fall.  

Staff briefly reported on proposed changes to the City’s home occupation regulations and multi-family density and design issues that were also discussed by the project advisory group during the course of the rezone study. The PSC recommended that these topics be included in the Comprehensive Plan Update currently underway.