In Yachats, a Housing Code Conversation Worth Reading
In March, the Lincoln Chronicle — Lincoln County’s independent nonprofit newspaper — published a detailed account of CP’s housing code update work in Yachats, Oregon. Reporter Garret Jaros covered a joint City Council and Planning Commission work session where CP walked through proposed code amendments to expand housing options in the small coastal city.
Project Director Rachel Cotton fielded pointed questions about density, property values, and the pace of change. Her answer cut through the anxiety with data: code changes enabling more housing types tend to produce gradual, incremental results — not overnight transformation. “There is maybe at most a 5 percent uptake on the new options,” she told the session. “The alarmist’s perspective is everything is going to change very quickly and the reality that plays out is very little changes, it is incremental and it’s gentle.”
Councilor Nicole Hedlund closed the session on a note that speaks to what this kind of process can accomplish: “I’m really happy about this process. I feel like this process including more housing options is really going to address the future needs of Yachats.”
