The Living Smart house plan program is a pilot program intended to be an incentive to easily build well designed houses on narrow lots in the City of Portland.

Qualifying Standards
Living Smart house plans are available to owners of or builders on lots less than 36’ wide in the City of Portland that are:

• outside historic and conservation districts
• on a lot with no more than on a 20% grade
• no more than a 4-foot change in elevation from corner to corner on any side of the foundation
• no more than a 4-foot elevation change between interior and exterior grade.

Living Smart House Plans have been reviewed for building code compliance. The Living Smart house plans will be issued along with the residential building permit once all fees and charges are paid. All BDS-related fees comprising the review and inspection of these houses will be reduced by 50%. Living Smart house plans will be submitted through the fast track process regardless of whether the buyer is a resident or a builder.

Activities not meeting the qualifying standards of the Living Smart House Program:

• If the buyer wants to build the house on a larger lot, in historic or conservation district, on a steeper lot, change the exterior of the house, they will no longer be able to use the Living Smart house plans. Instead, they will contact the designer and directly purchase the house plans with the appropriate changes. Once the plans are completed, the buyer will submit them and pay for the necessary land use adjustments, land use reviews, and building permit fees.

Use of Plans - Application/Registration/Purchase
Living Smart House plan selection, submittal, intake, and issuance takes 4 easy steps:

1. Once the buyer has selected a Living Smart house plan, they will go to the Development Services Center (DSC) and be directed to visit with Planning and Zoning staff, plan review staff, and staff from the City of Portland’s Department of Transportation and Environmental Services staff, to make sure the lot and ideas will work using the Living Smart house plans. The buyer is also encouraged to speak with the City of Portland’s Water Bureau staff at 503-823-7364 to confirm there is water service to the lot.
2. If there are no problems with the lot, the buyer will sign the Living Smart house buyer agreement, and be given the site plan sheet with the footprint of the design they have selected.
3. When the buyer returns to the DSC, they will submit the three(3) copies of the completed site plan, sign forms, and pay the intake fees. The plans will be submitted into the Fast Track program.
4. The buyer will be notified when the permit and plan set are ready to be issued. The buyer will pick up the permit, plan set, and pay the remaining fees at Document Services located on the 2nd floor of 1900 SW 4th Avenue, Portland.

Fees and Billing
The buyer will be charged 50% of all BDS related fees and 100% of other Bureau’s fees including System Development Charges. At plan submittal the buyer will pay required intake fees, and at permit issuance, the buyer will pay all remaining fees and charges.

Additional Fees

• Changes and alterations:
  • If exterior changes are proposed, including windows and doors, the “permit ready” regulations in the Zoning Code no longer apply. The plan will be reviewed and land use adjustment required.
  • If interior changes are proposed, the “permit ready” regulations in the Zoning Code still apply. Revisions have to be approved by the architect of record.
  • For changes, the buyer will make their own arrangements with the architect of record to revise the plans and pay the fees associated with those changes. Once the plans are complete, the buyer will submit them for any necessary land use adjustments and plan review. All fees and charges will be 100% and review of revisions will be charged at an hourly rate.
• Deferred Submittals:
  • The Higgins plans require deferred submittals. Stamped, engineered details are required to be submitted prior to the construction of the roof. Once the buyer obtains structural calculations that are stamped by a Design engineer, the plans and calculations will be reviewed and approved by the Engineer of record for the building. The buyer will submit two (2) sets of plans with stamped structural calculations for review by City staff. Deferred submittal fees are due upon plan submittal.

Buyer - Duties and Responsibilities
As part of the submittal process, the buyer will sign an “Agreement to Purchase Use of Living Smart House Design.”

Compliance
If at any time during or after construction, the Living smart House is not in compliance with Title 33 of the Portland Zoning code, the buyer will be notified of the prescribed remedy necessary to address the item of concern through the Compliance Service Section of the City of Portland’s Bureau of Development Services.