Tigard delays River Terrace 2 adoption, asks council to weigh policy trade-offs on street designs

City staff told the council the River Terrace 2 community plan will move more slowly: adoption previously scheduled for late this year has been pushed back by five months to April–May 2027 to allow additional time for development-code amendments and a coordinated finance strategy.

At a study-session presentation the senior planner said city leadership will advance a study on tiered system development charges (SDCs) citywide and in River Terrace 2 to support housing production and equity goals, but has decided not to impose a supplemental maintenance fee specifically on River Terrace 2 residents. Staff cited equity concerns and implementation challenges as reasons to prefer a citywide study rather than a localized supplemental fee.

Staff also told council two proposed street types—the Mountainside Way collector extension and a Commercial Collector/Main Street variant—lacked consensus at a prior briefing. The project team recommended council either identify specific policy changes or move forward with the designs as presented at a May 26 meeting; staff said the May 26 direction should be either consensus or a formal vote.

Councilors pressed for trade-off examples: one councilor asked staff to show what policy changes would be needed to reach lower development cost targets, and another asked for comparisons from other jurisdictions. Staff said they have not completed detailed cost estimates but will prepare examples showing what must change in policy to alter the cost envelope.

Why it matters: The timeline delay and the looming May 26 directional decision shift when development standards, street types and finance tools will be finalized — affecting infrastructure costs, development feasibility and long-term affordability for future residents.

Next steps: Staff will return on May 26 with the street-design recommendations and illustrative policy trade-offs, and will publish results of the SDC study when available.