Ashland Planning Commission - October 27, 2026

The City of Ashland Planning Commission met on October 27, 2026. Staff announced that City Council had approved Ordinance 3309, concerning variances for flag-drive grades, and distributed a draft of Ordinance 3310 on housing amendments for a November 10 study session. The commission unanimously approved the September 8 and September 22 meeting minutes. No procurement, contract awards, or spending decisions were identified.

The commission held hearings on land-use applications. For an appeal concerning a driveway-spacing variance at 349 South Mountain Avenue, staff recommended denying the appeal and affirming the variance, with a conditional use permit as an alternative basis; the transcript does not capture the commission’s final decision on that matter. In a separate hearing, commissioners considered a hardship exception to the Water Resource Protection Zone buffer for a proposed home near Beach Creek. Neighbors raised concerns about flooding, wildlife habitat, tree impacts, and construction effects, while the applicant argued the exception was needed to make the lot usable. The commission voted 5–1 to reject the hardship-exception application.