Housing and Community Development

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  • 1.  Pre-Approved Housing Plans

    Posted 9 hours ago

    Hello!  Our local component's Advocacy team has been tracking interest from our local planning department in developing "pre-approved" housing typologies (pattern book) for missing-middle scale housing. I noted that the new federal law includes "Authorizing a new grant program to help communities establish pre-approved housing designs, or pattern books, to help streamline and expedite local construction processes and build more homes", which will likely increase municipalities seeking to implement this kind of program. 

    I have seen several examples of ADU typologies, but not necessarily town home and multiplex typologies. Does anyone have experience with this directly?  Is anyone aware of other jurisdictions actively working on this? 

    Questions and concerns our group has raised:

    • Liability and ownership of documents?
    • Are you really saving time when each plan will need to be adjusted to meet the site constraints?
    • Lack of accountability in CA process 
    • Responsibility for modifications

    Look forward to hearing input!

    Best,

    Amy Daniels, AIA

    Chair, Government Relations AIA Middle TN 



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    Amy Daniels AIA
    WBA Architecture
    Nashville TN
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    26.09.14 CRAN Symposium Final


  • 2.  RE: Pre-Approved Housing Plans

    Posted 4 hours ago

    So the city of Bend OR has issued 6 ADU plans that are "pre approved" but of course need the utilities specifically designed for the site. Our foundations here are not required to have a soils report as we are on lava rock and the plans do include raised foundation designs. What the city had to do was go to a local builder and have them produce the plans as the liability insurance requirements for architects or designers were untenable. Having to indemnify the city for instance. No local architect or designer wanted to touch it. They tried using the Chamber of Commerce first but they did not attract anyone either. Now we hate to give up work but the need is great and in the end I don't think it will hurt our local design community. Below is a link to the program.

     Pre-Approved Plans Program - City of Bend

    City of Bend remove preview
    Pre-Approved Plans Program - City of Bend
    The City of Bend Free Pre-Approved Plans Program streamlines the permitting process and saves cost for building your small unit. The Pre-Approved Plans Program is a simple but powerful concept: reusing building plans that have already been thoroughly reviewed and approved for compliance with building codes.
    View this on City of Bend >



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    [Katherine] [Austin] [AIA]
    [Owner]
    [Katherine Austin, AIA, Architect]
    Bend OR
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    26.09.14 CRAN Symposium Final


  • 3.  RE: Pre-Approved Housing Plans

    Posted 3 hours ago

    Amy,

    I encourage you to reach out to the Michigan Historic Preservation Network and the Michigan Municipal League. Last year I attended a webinar about the Missing Middle Housing in Michigan entitled Enabling Desirable Neighborhoods with Melissa Milton-Pung. It was focused on Pattern Book Homes for the Michigan region – both size, scale, & neighborhood design features as well as climate. Two booklets have been produced from the program – one is called Pattern Book Homes for 21st Century Michigan and the other is called The Missing Middle Mixtape: More Pattern Book Homes for 21st Century Michigan.

    Yes there are some ADU's involved, but there are also duplexes and fourplexes. They have been working with this for a few years now.

     

    There is a recording of the webinar on this page: https://www.mhpn.org/workshop-recordings/ Scroll down to November 13, 2025.

     

    Please share what you find out. Cincinnati is looking at this sort of thing right now.

     

     

    Neena Jud, AIA, LEED AP

    Harmony Architecture

    harmony@fuse.net

     




    26.09.14 CRAN Symposium Final


  • 4.  RE: Pre-Approved Housing Plans

    Posted 2 hours ago
    Over 20 years Portland Oregon tried to establish model community design standards for as-of -right approvals, workable "model" infill prototypes and has tried  "competitions" for various dense single dwelling housing types including internal conversions with much fanfare. Bottom line is that the developers have used every argument (especially impediments to much needed housing or impediments to affordable housing) to eliminate as many "design" standards as possible. The competitions to develop prototypes may be personally gratifying to the competition winners and the planners who plan, promote and judge but are largely ignored by the developers.

    Los Angeles has also sponsored competition(s)  for several infill  housing types for specific prototypical sites. Not clear on the effect.

    As you are likely aware, most infill and attached housing at the lower price level is to mimic what sold nearby and figure how to do the same for less.
    Mexican cities like Guadalajara have vast tracts of identical attached houses whether by example or just to maximize production.

    Never give up trying !

    Rod Merrick, AIA NCARB
    Merrick Architecture Planning 
    Portland, OR         503.771.7762





    26.09.14 CRAN Symposium Final


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