The Autumn Ridge subdivision in Talent is nearly fully rebuilt from the 2020 Almeda Fire. 

Rebuilding a single-family house similar to one that burned in the Almeda Fire will become impossible in many areas of Talent if an emergency order allowing the practice is lifted. But that action could be years away.

Talent City Council is scheduled to discuss a timeline for rescinding the order at its May 17 session, with action potentially occurring at the following meeting. The issue has been discussed by the council multiple times, and residents rebuilding in subdivisions have offered input.

At a January meeting, the council directed staff to develop Option 2, which would set an end date for the change, which could be several years out. The other options presented were to end the order immediately/in the near future (Option 1) or to let it stand indefinitely (Option 3).

Many residential areas in Talent were rezoned in 2007 or 2009 to increase density and encourage multi-family housing. In 2019, adoption of standards with high-density requirements further defined what could be built to meet the requirements.

The new zoning precludes construction of single-family units, because they would be non-conforming uses, but the city suspended those provisions after the Sept. 8, 2020, fire to allow like-for-like rebuilds.

“The majority of the residences that burned down in the fire are in high-density zoning,” said City Manager Jordan Rooklyn. The Autumn Ridge and Oak Valley subdivisions are among affected neighborhoods.

Trevor Perry and his girlfriend purchased a lot in Autumn Ridge in 2021 with the hope of building a single-family residence. “We would be inclined to sell the lot if it has to be multi-family,” Perry told the council in January. He urged continuation of the emergency declaration or consideration of options 2 or 3.

Discussion of the issue was planned for the March 15 meeting, but Rooklyn called for a separate study session to look at the issue. That’s hasn’t occurred, but the issue will be looked at during the May 17 council meeting, with staff likely bringing back an ordinance at the next session, she said.

“We are busy writing code,” said Kristen Maze, community development director. Besides legislation to cover a timeline for rescinding the order, the department is also writing rules on how nonconforming structures in high-density zones will be treated.

The density changes came about in 2019 because the regulations in place had only changed minimum densities and were not going to increase housing in the town, Mayor Darby Ayers-Flood explained at the January session.

“When those change were made, it was to get more density. Housing studies were done,” said Ayers-Flood. “If they changed the densities, they could archive certain benchmarks.”

Autumn Ridge resident Karen Larsen said at the January session that when residents received notification letters about the upcoming change in 2019, no one envisioned the fire losses, so they thought it wouldn’t apply to the area. She encouraged the council to give more time to those who wanted to rebuild single-family residences.

Rebuilding in town is proceeding at varying paces.

Most of Autumn Ridge is rebuilt. About half of the structures in Oak Valley have been rebuilt, said Maze.

In Autumn Ridge, one property owner opted to divide a lot. A single-family home will be built on one of the lots, while a multi-family unit will be built on the other, said Maze. She is also anticipating a second similar application in the near future.

Residences in Oak Valley, a 55-plus development, are on smaller lots, and it would be extremely difficult to add an additional dwelling unit there due to regulations on setbacks and other criteria, Maze said. Most owners are also rebuilding larger homes.

An 11-unit, three-story project approved for building on a .22-acre lot in an area of single-family homes is currently on hold. Neighbors have voiced opposition to the project. Homes in the neighborhood burned in the Almeda Fire.

Developers gained approval to build the structure at 461 Arnos St., when they appealed an initial rejection by Community Development to the Talent Planning Commission. Originally, the project didn’t meet setback and parking requirements.

But the neighbors have taken the case to court, contesting use of an 11-foot-wide easement on a separate, adjacent property to provide for a 24-foot-wide driveway for the development, said Maze. Construction is on hold while the issue is litigated.

Ayers-Flood’s home was destroyed in the Almeda Fire.

It was located on the largest lot in her area, and she considered building a four-unit project on it to help increase housing in town, but reported at the January session that cost was an obstacle.

A number of homeowners who are rebuilding are putting additional dwelling units or multi-family units on their proprieties, Maze reported. “People are looking to subdivisions and building higher density,” she said.

Some duplexes and

other multi-family structures have also been built, and the city has approved cottage-style smaller housing developments in several areas.

“Generally, the people that came back and rebuilt are shocked by the fact that they are in high density,” said Maze. “They see the high density going in around them and they are unhappy with that.”

City officials at times have noted that the increased densities coming with the rebuilds will likely bring a need for enhanced infrastructure to handle additional residents.