Public Works & Community Development Department

Building Codes Division

Building permits ensure that construction meets minimum building standards to ensure safe workmanship. You need a permit if you’re making structural, plumbing, mechanical, or electrical changes to an existing building or if you're building something new. Permits are also required for any work in the right of way (ROW), demolition, sewer connections and repairs, curb cuts, site development, and signs.

Additional information and applications. To reach the City's Building Codes Division, call 541-269-8918 or email permits@coosbay.org

All electrical and plumbing permits are processed and issued by the Oregon State Building Codes Division (BCD). The Coos County BCD office is located in Coos Bay City Hall, phone is 541-266-1098, fax is 541-266-1146.

Codes Enforcement Division

The Codes Enforcement Divsion is dedicated to working in cooperation with city officials, property owners and citizens to preserve the beauty and value of property and lands as well as promoting the safety, health and general well-being of all citizens and visitors to our city. Codes Enforcement provides information to the general public and to individuals affiliated with specific development projects. We investigate complaints and enforce compliance in the areas of nuisance standards, including:

• Accumulation of junk
• Animal permits
• Dismantled and junk vehicles
• Encroaching vegetation
• Personal storage on a public right-of-way
• Shrubbery and vision obstructions
• Signs
• Substandard dwellings
• Unauthorized dumping of garbage
• Zoning

We rely primarily on requirements from the City's Municipal Code, which is available online. Public health and safety are priorities as we work to gain compliance with existing code and administrative rules. We aim to provide exceptional customer service by emphasizing a cooperative, problem-solving approach with professionalism and respect.

Through education and enforcement, we work with community members to:

• Maintain and improve community livability
• Support healthy neighborhoods
• Enhance community beautification
• Protect natural resources
• Ensure compliance with state and local codes, policies and goals

To report a concern, please call the Codes Enforcement Officer at 541-269-1181 extension 2267 or email codes@coosbay.org

Planning Division

The Planning Division provides a range of responsive services for the citizens of Coos Bay and the development community for matters pertaining to land development and community planning. We are the primary source for public information on development in the City. Although not all development activity necessarily requires direct involvement with the planning staff and support services, we can usually guide inquiries and questions to the right person or entity. To reach the Planning Divison, call 541-269-8918 or email permits@coosbay.org

We implement the City’s Comprehensive Plan and Development Code. The Comprehensive Plan identifies the community's land use vision. The Development Code implements the community vision by identifying the regulatory side of land use and development activity. For example, we give information on where to build or add on to structures to ensure compliance with zoning, property setbacks, lot coverage, parking, and other regulations. This helps the City develop in a coordinated and organized manner that benefits not only individual property owners but adds to our community’s vitality. The Development Code is available online as Title 17 of the Coos Bay Municipal Code.

The Planning Division is responsible for project management on land use applications that propose new or modified development in the City. This includes conducting pre-application conferences, the in-take of proposed development applications, providing public notification and information on proposed development projects, reviewing projects for compliance with the adopted Development Code, making decisions or recommendations on those projects (depending on their level of review), and scheduling and conducting public hearings. Ultimately, our purpose is to guide each project through the approval process in a timely manner when all development requirements are satisfied.

The City of Coos Bay is also a participating community in the National Flood Insurance Program since areas within the City have been subject to periodic flooding. We have adopted land use control measures to reduce flood hazards and assure that city residents will continue to benefit from the national program.

sPECIAL PROJECTS

Programs and Projects of city-wide significance and value can be found here.

Front Street Blueprint:

The City of Coos Bay is expanding on the community's vision for Front Street. The Front Street Blueprint project's detailed objectives include:

• Development of strategies to implement public waterfront improvements and safe wayfinding, parking, bike, pedestrian and auto access circulation and connectivity improvements for those traveling to and through the Front Street Project Area.
• Actively engage community and property owners in support of the Project and its recommended strategies for improvement.
• Reflect the historic and cultural significance of the Front Street Project Area through public art and streetscape improvements.

As shown below, Front Street is an extension of downtown Coos Bay with a direct connection to the bayfront.

Located across Highway 101, pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicle access are available to the downtown commercial core and visitor amenities. Front Street is well positioned to provided recreational, dining, and retail opportunities for visitors and residents while maintaining its industrial heritage and utility for water-dependent businesses. Articulation of a Front Street community dream was created in 1998 when the Coos Bay community memorialized the Front Street Master Plan. Over time the area has changed and grown but the community's vision remains to restore Front Street to the vibrant and engaging waterfront of years past. In 2017, the Coos Bay Front Street Action Plan was the subject of much community engagement and provided expanded detail with the identification of implementable actions to increase connectivity, foster community access to the waterfront, attract private investment, and diversify Coos Bay's economy. Since the 2017 work effort, the City successfully sought an ODOT grant to fund opportunities to implement key improvements to Front Street.

The Coos Bay Front Street Blueprint project, like previous efforts, will engage with the community to build on the work of the 2017 Front Street Action Plan and comply with the City's 2020 Transportation System Plan.

Learn more at:

www.coosbayfrontstreetblueprint.org

notable projects

When the City receives large or unusual land development or land use law amendment applications, we strive to share this information with the public. Below is information on the following upcoming project applications:

LONG RANGE PLANNING

The City has undertaken a long-range planning effort to prepare baseline assumptions required by House Bill 2003 (2019) for a Housing Needs Capacity Analysis (HCA) 2 and Housing Production Strategy (HPS). Additionally, consistent with HB 2001, work has begun to expand the City's legislative options to enhance housing development options to create shelter opportunities for Coos Bay residents of all income. A Housing Advisory Committee provides feedback on the initial stages of this work. You may review the information from the Housing Advisory Committee meetings at Housing Advisory Committee meeting #1, Housing Advisory Committee meeting #2, and Housing Advisory Committee Meeting #3.

The data foundation of the City's efforts is the 2020 Coos Bay Housing Needs Assessment. Funding for this work has been committed by the City and matched by the Oregon Department of Land, Conservation and Development. With consultant support by 3J and the Lane Council of Governments, the following is underway:

1.  Creation of a Housing pre-production strategy to identify appropriate incentives to develop needed housing in Coos Bay. The HPPS process and outcomes are intended to identify, analyze, and recommend housing development incentives as well as legislative, regulatory, and policy options for the expansion of housing opportunities for households of all income levels.
2. Amend Coos Bay Comprehensive Plan policies related to the City's housing goals and policies.
3. Update the Coos Bay Development Code to provide consistency with the Comprehensive Plan and include legislative incentives identified in the Housing pre-production strategy for the development of new housing.

The Planning Commission and City Council held a joint public meeting on Tuesday, March 9, 2021 at 6:00 PM to go over the work completed to date. The meeting was live streamed on the City's YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-w12ikBNWVkoVWVqJ0bk2g. Materials for that meeting can be found at http://coosbay.org/government/search_agendas-minutes. Another meeting will be held on May 4, 2021, and there will be advertisement of that meeting on the web page in the City's Friday Newsletter and the World Newspaper. This meeting is a public hearing to evaluate three ordinances that will provide City implementation of HB 2001. You can find the ordinances here. You may review additional information about the public hearing at http://coosbay.org/governments/search_agendas-minutes on Friday, April 30, 2021.

The City welcomes your comments via email to cjohnson@coosbay.org and letters via City of Coos Bay, 500 Central Ave, Coos Bay Oregon 97420, Attention: Carolyn Johnson, Community Development Administrator. Questions? Please give Carolyn Johnson, Community Development Administrator a call at 541-269-8924.

DEVELOPMENT APPLICATIONS

Contact Debbie Erler at 541-269-1811 ex. 2259 or derler@coosbay.org.

FREQUENT LAND USE INQUIRIES

Accessory Dwellings - The City provides a process for securing authorization for an Accessory Dwelling Unit, commonly referred to as an ADU. An ADU is an interior, attached, or detached residential structure in a single-family residential neighborhood. An application for an ADU begins in the Planning Division, and a building permit is also necessary. This printable brochure provides additional information.   

RVs and/or Tiny Homes on wheels (less than 400 square feet) - RVs and Tiny Homes (on wheels and less than 400 square feet) are only allowed in RV or mobile home parks, as shown on this map and contact information list.

Comprehensive Plan

Volume 1;  Volume 2;  Volume 3 - Estuary Management Plan,  Coos Bay Estuary Management Plan Map,  Comprehensive Plan Map, 2020 Transportation System Plan Volume 1, 2020 Transportation System Plan Volume 2

Development Code

Development Code, Title 17 of the Coos Bay Municipal Code

Zoning Map

PLANNING Applications

Accessory Structure Application

Business License Home Occupation Application 

Land Use Development Review Pre-Application

Land Use Application

Land Use Action Appeal

Planning Fee Schedule

Public Records Request

URA Improvement Grant Pre-Application

Design Standards

Empire Waterfront Settlement Design Standards

CITY DATA AND REGIONAL INFORMATION

2020 Coos Bay Housing Needs Analysis

2018 Coos County Housing Analysis and Action Plan

Economic Development

Economic Development promotes and revitalizes the Downtown and Empire Urban Renewal Districts by coordinating with the city’s economic development partners to attract, retain, and promote expansion of local business opportunities, managing the façade improvement grant program, and coordinating urban renewal projects.

The goal of economic development is to create a downtown that is a quality of life asset for the entire community, bringing unique spaces, recreation, excitement, history, social opportunities and cultural resources to all residents and visitors.

Economic Development includes programs for Urban Renewal, Façade Improvement, and specific development and re-development projects.