Florence advances annexation, MDR zoning for 3rd Avenue parcel

Florence City Council moved forward at its April 6, 2026 meeting on ordinances to annex 88179 3rd Avenue and assign Medium-Density Residential zoning for the parcel owned by Michelle Bertao, a property that sold on Dec. 8, 2025 for about $325,000. The agenda listed Ordinance No. 1, Series 2026 (annexation) and Ordinance No. 2, Series 2026 (zoning); the draft ordinance language records the Council "ordains" MDR zoning and describes the property as "approximately 0.25 acres."

The petition, filed as PC 25-27 ANN 02 and PC 25-28 ZC 02, was heard by the Planning Commission on March 10, 2026, which recommended approval and forwarded the staff report and findings of fact to City Council. Jacob Foutz is listed as Planning Manager on the materials; the city posted a public notice March 30, 2026 and notified the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development through the PAPA portal on Feb. 3, 2026 because the action included a legislative zoning map amendment. The April 6 meeting video and a Speakers’ Cards & Written Comments log are archived on the City of Florence Vimeo page and in the council packet.

The Florence zoning code, Title 10 Chapter 10, identifies MDR as permitting single-family detached homes, duplexes/duets and accessory dwelling units, while larger multi-family developments of five or more units are typically restricted in MDR. That regulatory framework means annexation to city jurisdiction would allow Bertao to pursue redevelopment options consistent with the city’s "missing middle" policy goals, including a duplex or an ADU, rather than remaining under Lane County rules that apply outside city limits.

City materials identify the site as Lane County Assessor’s Map 18-12-04-44, Tax Lots 03000 and 03101, 88179 3rd Avenue in the Heceta Beach/East Heceta Beach area. Real estate listings and MLS records list the lot at roughly 7,405 square feet, about 0.17 acres, while Planning Commission documents describe the petitioned area as approximately 0.19 acres and the ordinance text lists "approximately 0.25 acres," a variance reflected in multiple packet pages and listings that city or county records will need to reconcile for final tax and mapping purposes.

Public comment on April 6 appears in the record: Mike Allen submitted a written comment and was logged as Speaker 1, Linda Poppenheimer was Speaker 2, and written commenters included John Raleigh and Andy Marohl; the agenda also references remarks citing the Florence Climate Emergency Campaign and Elders Climate Action Oregon Chapter. Annexation shifts municipal responsibilities, and the draft ordinance directs the City Recorder to file certified copies with the Lane County Assessment and Taxation Office and the Lane Council of Governments after ordinance adoption, transferring road maintenance, utilities and code enforcement responsibilities from Lane County to the City.

This action continues Florence’s recent pattern of small, incremental annexations — 2024 ordinances annexed parcels roughly 0.14–0.20 acres — that make individually modest additions to the city’s housing capacity while standardizing zoning and service delivery inside the Urban Growth Boundary. For 88179 3rd Avenue, the immediate consequence is procedural: the property is now positioned to pursue medium-density, city-regulated development options permitted in MDR rather than remaining subject to county land use rules.