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of a citizen involvement committee for the downtown zoning district project, Walnut Station mixed use <br />project, and South Ridgeline habitat study. She described the commission’s efforts to date with respect to <br />opportunity siting and infill standards. She said the Historic Review Board, one of the commission’s <br />standing committees, had completed the first historic survey of the River Road area. <br /> <br />Mr. Hledik discussed the commission’s current high priority projects, beginning with opportunity siting and <br />infill standards. He said direction from the council at a joint meeting in July 2006 had been very helpful. <br />He indicated that the purpose of the project was to concentrate higher density housing on specific parcels <br />that could best accommodate density in terms of compatibility with existing neighborhoods and to create a <br />tool kit of strategies to make infill development more compatible with its surroundings. He said tasks to be <br />completed during the next 12 to 18 months were incorporated into the 2007 work plan. He reported an <br />initial public forum had been held to discuss community concerns as the commission began its work and a <br />staff person had been hired to lead the project. <br /> <br />Mr. Hledik emphasized that opportunity siting and infill standards would proceed on separate but equal <br />tracks because while they were complementary, one was not necessarily dependent on the other; the <br />commission was keeping the distinction in mind as it proceeded. He said possible opportunity sites would be <br />identified and that process would involve a wide representation of interests and broad community outreach in <br />collaboration with the Neighborhood Leadership Council (NLC). He said the process would also provide an <br />opportunity to explore a prototype of the alternate path process in which the council had expressed an <br />interest. Mr. Hledik anticipated that the end results of the project would include broad public awareness and <br />participation, a full study of one or two opportunity sites, a feasibility analysis of high-density housing <br />generally and specifically for the demonstration sites, criteria for identifying future opportunity sites, a tool <br />kit of compatibility strategies, a report of neighborhood concerns about infill and a strategy for addressing <br />those concerns, and an analysis of the net effect on housing yield, which would be the metrics portion of the <br />project. <br /> <br />Mr. Lawless addressed mixed-use centers. He said that Walnut Station was an effort to implement mixed- <br />use development and significantly increase the amount of housing in the study area. He said a major issue <br />was continuing refinement of the selection of a preferred design concept. He said the Rasor Park project on <br />lower River Road would provide an implementation strategy to guide redevelopment of the area into a <br />pedestrian- and transit-oriented, higher density mixed-use center. He identified the next steps as involving <br />the neighborhood in the planning process, development of a common vision for the area, a realistic <br />assessment of the study area’s mixed-use center potential, developing strategies for improved connectivity, <br />design standards and guidelines, plan amendments, and implementation strategies. He said a primary issue <br />in mixed-use centers was effectively managing citizen involvement in the projects. <br /> <br />Mr. Hledik related that the South Ridgeline Habitat Study was a field inventory and analysis project that <br />would address nearly 2,000 acres of potential habitat area in the south Hills as well as across the south <br />ridgeline. <br /> <br />Mr. Lawless stated that the code amendments project would enter Phase 2, which would focus on a limited <br />number of changes to the code as suggested by the community. He said the initial steps of the process <br />would include community outreach forums, opportunities to identify the areas of desired change and <br />prioritization of potential amendments. He said several opportunities for the public and the Planning <br />Commission to discuss the direction and focus of amendments would be organized and conducted prior to <br />any public hearings on the proposed amendments. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />MINUTES—City Council September 27, 2006 Page 2 <br /> Work Session <br /> <br />