After months of discussion, the Rogue River Planning Commission heard nearly no questions or resistance toward unanimously referring the establishment of a Commercial-Residential zone outside of the main downtown corridor in Rogue River, and commercial design standards within the Commercial Zone, to the City Council at the commission’s meeting on Tues., Aug. 11.
The City Council will have a similar hearing on the establishment of Chapter 17.32, the Commercial Residential District, of the city’s municipal code, and the integration of design standards in Chapter 17.05 at its meeting on Thurs., Aug. 27.
In her staff report, Onnie Heater, a planner the city has on contract with the Rogue Valley Council of Governments (RVCOG), asked that the commission add, along with the establishment of the new district, the finding that it complies with Statewide Planning Goal 10, “by encouraging the availability of adequate housing types to meet the diverse needs of the community.”
The downtown Commercial Zone is west to east, from Berglund Street to the Rogue River Shopping Center, north from Second Street to Classick Drive, and south of the Rogue River, the group of businesses that frame Fleming Park and Coyote Evans Wayside. The Commercial-Residential Zone includes structures on the perimeter of the downtown area that are currently either residences or businesses and are neighbors to each other.
The implementation of design standards is intended, according to the staff finding, “to support pedestrian-oriented development, visual compatibility, and preservation of the city’s historic river-town character.”
While mailings about the Planning Commission meeting were sent to all neighbors affected by the new zoning, no citizens came to the meeting to testify, though one attended by telephone.
Linda Bloom said she had a concern regarding properties on Cedar Street north of Main Street. City Administrator Ryan Nolan said he had previously been in contact with Ms. Bloom and addressed her question after the public hearing closed, 12 minutes into the meeting.
He said all properties on Cedar Street are zoned C-1, Commercial, but that, under the proposed zoning, houses past 101 Cedar Street would fall under the new C-R zoning, “which means that even though they’ve been developed residentially, in the future, they could be developed residentially or commercially, so we’re adding residential uses to some properties.”
This includes what’s known as the Hatch House, located behind Main Building Supply.
“So, this isn’t turning any residential property to commercial,” he said. “It is turning some properties that have been zoned commercial for a long time into C-R, which is commercial or residential zoning.”
The proposed zoning, he said, provides more options for property owners on the edge of the commercial district. He added that the only written comment the city had received was from the Oregon Housing Authority, while others visited City Hall to ask about the proposed zoning.
“Most of them, once we explained what the C-R Zone was, that it would add additional options to property owners, had no further questions,” Nolan said.
The meeting was the Planning Commission’s first since Nov. 25, 2025. While the commission holds bi-monthly workshops to discuss city planning issues, it holds official meetings only when hearing matters or referring legislation to the City Council.
Ed Hudson chaired the meeting for the first time, in the absence of Chairman Jay Chick, with Dean Stirm and Jonna Strauss, with alternate Paul Allen attending. The Commission is accepting applications for two alternate positions.
Reach reporter Brian Mortensen at [email protected] or 541-582-1707.