June 30, 2026
(NEWBERG, OR) – Beginning July 1, 2026, the City of Newberg is implementing changes to its land use notification and appeals process in compliance with Oregon House Bill 4037 and Senate Bill 974. These changes affect how residents are notified about nearby development projects and who has the right to appeal land use decisions.
What is changing?State law now limits the notification distance for most residential development applications and restricts who can formally appeal land use decisions.
For most residential projects, including apartments and subdivisions with fewer than 20 units, the required notification radius has been reduced from 500 feet to 100 feet. Larger subdivisions or apartment developments of 20 or more units will continue to use a 500-foot notification radius.
The city may no longer require public hearings for most residential applications, including apartments, subdivisions, rezoning for higher-density residential uses (if already residentially zoned), and residential planned unit developments. Previously, rezoning and planned unit development applications required a public hearing.
Who can appeal a decision?Under the new rules, appeal rights for most application types are now limited to the applicant only. Previously, neighboring property owners, agencies, and members of the public who submitted comments could also appeal decisions.
Exceptions apply to rezoning for higher-density residential uses and residential planned unit developments. Those who submit public comments on those applications retain appeal rights.
Some application types require no notice at all. Middle housing cottage clusters, and other middle housing units such as duplexes, triplexes, quadplexes, and townhouses, single-family homes, and accessory dwelling units, proceed directly to the building permit process, without a public notice period.
Why is this changing?These updates are required by Oregon state law, which aims to streamline housing production across the state to help address housing shortages. The City of Newberg is implementing these changes to remain in compliance with state law.
Residents who want to stay informed about development activity in their neighborhood are encouraged to check the City’s website or contact the Planning Department directly at planning@newbergoregon.gov.
Visit the link on our website titled ‘What’s Happening On My Street?’ to view an up to date interactive map of active planning applications, or follow this link: https://map-newberg.hub.arcgis.com/pages/newberg-projects-and-development
Questions?
Reach out to Scot Siegel, Community Development Director at planning@newbergoregon.gov
The table below provides an at-a-glance overview of what's changing for noticing requirements and appeal rights after July 1, 2026.
Notification/Hearing/Appeals Update Based on HB4037 and SB974
|
Type of Application |
Notification to Property Owner Distance |
Public Hearing Required? |
Who has appeal rights? |
|||
|
|
Pre-July 2026 |
Post July 1, 2026 |
Pre-July 2026 |
Post July 1, 2026 |
Pre-July 2026 |
Post July 1, 2026 |
|
Subdivisions or Development of Multi-family (Apartments) of 20+ Residential units |
500’ |
500’ |
No* |
No* |
Applicant, Agencies, Public submitting comments |
Applicant Only |
|
Subdivision or Multi-family (Apartments) development of less than 20 residential units (Non-Expedited/Middle Housing Land Divisions) |
500’ |
100’ |
No* |
No* |
Applicant, Agencies, Public submitting comments |
Applicant Only |
|
Expedited/Middle Housing Land divisions |
500’ (Prior to July 1, 2025) |
None |
No |
No |
Applicant Only |
Applicant Only |
|
Middle Housing Cottage Cluster with any number of units (minimum of 4) |
Does not require notice, only staff report with no hearing and only applicant can appeal. |
|||||
|
Middle Housing Units (Quadplex, Triplex, Duplex, Townhouses) |
Goes straight to building permits with no notice and only applicant can appeal. |
|||||
|
Single-Family House and Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU’s) |
Goes straight to building permits with no notice and only applicant can appeal. |
|||||
|
Rezoning for higher density residential on an already zoned residential land |
500 feet |
100 Feet |
Yes |
No |
Applicant, Agencies, Public submitting comments |
Applicant, Agencies, Public submitting comments |
|
Residential Planned Unit Developments |
500 feet |
100 feet |
Yes |
No |
Applicant, Agencies, Public submitting comments |
Applicant, Agencies, Public submitting comments |
*Note that if using a discretionary process for multi-family or if it is a historic property, a hearing can be required in certain cases.
Download the full press release.
