GRACE COFFEY

Grace Coffey is an Associate Planner with Winterbrook Planning. She specializes in housing projects, GIS and spatial analysis, zoning, code research and development, and community engagement. Her extensive background in working with municipal planners throughout the development review process, coordinating with subcontractors, and communicating with homeowners has shown her to be a valuable team player and creative problem solver.

“I hope to apply my skills to reduce inequalities, provide  opportunities, and create better environments.”

Grace received her Bachelor of Arts in Urban Planning and Sustainable Development through Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington. While working her way through her Bachelor’s, she worked as a Housing and Green Building Intern where she engaged local housing stakeholders, worked on housing infill communication and policy, and researched housing solutions on the municipal level. She recently wrapped up her Master of Urban and Regional Planning at Portland State University. Over her time at PSU, she was involved in several housing related projects, and worked for Dweller, a company that installs turnkey, prefab ADU’s. Throughout her schooling, she focused on land use and housing, and has accumulated a wide array of problem solving tools, allowing her to be nimble and creative in her approach to every day planning problems–one of these tools being a thorough understanding and education of GIS and spatial analyses.

In her free time, Grace enjoys mushroom hunting, making pottery, and going blues dancing!

Representative Experience:

Project Coordinator at Dweller — Coordinated the installation of prefabricated Accessory Dwelling Units in short time frames, scheduling and planning with subcontractors, homeowners, and inspectors. Along with facilitating communications between tenants, property managers, homeowners, and contractors, she assessed properties for feasibility, created site plans, compiled and submitted permit applications, and interpreted municipal code in cities across Oregon.

Wood Village Additional Housing Choices Code Update Workshop Project — Managed a team that worked on a zoning code amendment for recreational vehicles and tiny homes for the city of Wood Village. Work included drafting zoning code amendments, public engagement and communication around potential zoning code changes.

Emanuel Hospital  —  Managed a team that researched and reported on the history of urban renewal in the Albina neighborhood. Utilized GIS tools to analyze and communicate land use patterns and ownership in the Albina neighborhood. Conducted stakeholder interviews and presented a report on the history, present circumstances, and strategies for Prosper Portland to work with and for the displaced Black community.

Housing and Green Building Intern — Engaged local housing stakeholders through organizing the Bellingham Housing Coalition. Work included ADI and housing infill communication and policy, researching housing issues and solutions on the municipal level, and creating an Infill Housing handout