The Landing at Regner: Family-Centric Growth in Gresham

BY SAMANTHA THOMAS AND PRESTON KORST, HBA STAFF

Upon acquiring the land for The Landing at Regner development, Pacific Lifestyle Homes aimed to introduce a diverse range of attractive and comfortable residences to a rapidly expanding region, addressing its pressing need for increased housing options. Gresham is a vibrant and growing community and according to their recently completed Housing Capacity Analysis, the city has optimistic levels of opportunity and room to grow to address housing needs over the next several decades. “Gresham is forecast to increase by over 6,000 households over the next 20 years,” says Ashley Miller, Director of Urban Design and Planning for the City of Gresham.

Pacific Lifestyle Homes was drawn to Gresham due to their previous achievements in the city, and the city’s leadership recognizing the demand for new housing in light of the rapid expansion of the east metro area. The Landing at Regner development is set to have 37 homes ranging from about 1,500 square feet to nearly 4,000 square feet situated on a beautiful plat in a convenient yet quiet location with amazing views and greenspace homesites, according to Mark Kesling, Sales Manager for Pacific Lifestyle Homes. The Landing at Regner community enables Pacific Lifestyle Homes to cater to a diverse array of potential buyers including individuals seeking to downsize and enjoy single-level living, young families in search of ample space for future growth, and those interested in the home builder’s highly sought-after multigenerational home designs.

“There is a lot of demand for the Gresham area and new home projects haven’t kept up with the need. We are happy and proud to be building in a beautiful part of the east metro area while bringing award-winning homes to the area.”

– Mark Kesling, Sales Manager, Pacific Lifestyle Homes

Working with the City of Gresham

Gresham is experiencing a high level of demand and according to Kesling, the supply of new home projects hasn’t kept pace with this demand. Gresham has a clear and measurable goal of reaching 6,000 households over the next 20 years, as previously stated, however, some well-intentioned Middle Housing codes created hurdles for the home builder. The city’s codes affected the architectural standards and articulation requirements that all housing being built in Gresham must meet and as a result, created delays and unnecessary costs for the home builder.

The City of Gresham staff and elected officials provided support and ultimately found a solution for active projects in the city by updating their vesting of codes. Kesling goes on to explain that “the City’s Middle Housing Code and Architectural Standards have good intent but in practical application, they heavily impact housing affordability. We are a builder that prides ourselves on building communities we can be proud of for years to come.”

Gresham and HBA’s advocacy efforts

Compared to most jurisdictions in Oregon where our members build, the City of Gresham (and the city staff especially) has a more proactive engagement strategy in place. Especially at the leadership levels, Gresham welcomes builders and developers into their thought process early, and often requests early-assistance meetings to help make sure their plans align with newly mandated codes as well as existing building requirements. This includes hosting regular meetings with the development community, in addition to having frequent checkins with HBA Government Affairs staff on ongoing projects. The thoughtful collaboration between HBA, the building community, and city leadership continues to evolve and benefit the builder, buyer, and future residents. It also means prioritizing the direct and fruitful relationships with the City’s elected leaders who often engage directly on housing issues to ensure community-building assets continue to be built.

Preston Korst, HBA’s Director of Policy and Government Affairs, says that Gresham is a top-priority jurisdiction for members, reflected in future advocacy objectives for the area. “Moving forward, HBA’s advocacy strategies in Gresham really revolve around building stronger ties to the city’s planning and development staff.” This, he hopes, will “continue to improve permitting timelines and address how middle housing is approved and processed efficiently and accurately.” Many builders, including Pacific Lifestyle Homes and the Landing at Regner, have directly benefitted from HBA’s existing ties to the City of Gresham elected officials and staff. Going forward, it is sure to make building easier and more affordable for our members.

Gresham And The Importance Of Housing For The Community

The Gresham City Council acknowledges the utmost significance of housing for all and has integrated it into the City’s 2022-25 Strategic Plan. Gresham aspires to ensure that every resident in the community has access to a stable and dependable place they can truly call home, eliminating any uncertainties regarding housing. Their aim is to provide all members of the Gresham community with the ability to secure housing that aligns with their evolving needs and desires. One key objective in Gresham is to endorse and facilitate the creation of affordable housing options across various housing categories. In Gresham, city staff takes great pride in their customer-centric approach and actively collaborates with developers to achieve these goals. The

Gresham’s plans for continued economic growth

Gresham also places a strong emphasis on economic development and the creation of jobs that pay a living wage within the city. Notably, Gresham recently revealed that Grainger is in the process of constructing a cutting-edge 500,000-square-foot distribution facility.

Furthermore, the city is enthusiastic and well-prepared to foster continued growth, exemplified by the ongoing construction of Multnomah County’s flagship library in the Civic neighborhood. This neighborhood is poised for exciting developments in the coming years, encompassing both commercial and residential projects. Gresham actively collaborates with developers and stakeholders in the Civic, Downtown, and Pleasant Valley areas to identify opportunities for growth in both the commercial and residential sectors, according to Miller.

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