11/07/1990 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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e Mayor Miller wondered how it would be possible to negotiate with developers on site development standards and yet remain objective and equitable to all parties. Ms. Nathanson said that the commission has discussed the possible implementation of an administrative plan review and appeal process; she stressed that the commission has not completed this discussion yet. Mr. Rutan observed that developments can increase property values through landscaping and the addition of other amenities and suggested that the com- mission promote these standards as an opportunity for developers to improve commercial property values. Ms. Nathanson reviewed a list of items taken from the Retail Task Force re- port which the commission felt were important within the context of the Com- mercial Lands Study, including: implementing more stringent design and site review, implementing parking maximums and minimums, designating downtown as a commercial service area for south and southeast Eugene, and discouraging major office development outside of downtown. Mayor Miller cautioned the Planning Commission that the council has not reached agreement on Section 4 of the Retail Task Force report which included the recommendation to discourage major office development outside of down- town. He said that it would be inappropriate for the commission to deal with this issue until the council has reached some agreement. IV. WORK SESSION: SIGN CODE AMENDMENT TO ALLOW FLAGS FOR GOVERNMENTAL e ENTITIES Marsha Miller, Planning and Development Department, reported that at its September 12 council work session, the council directed staff to draft an amendment to the Sign Code that would exempt governmental entities from spec- ified flag or banner use. This request was due to a specific request for banners on flag poles on Centennial Boulevard at Autzen Stadium. Ms. Miller said that based on a review of the specific request involved, and the provisions of the new Sign Code, staff has identified four options that the council could consider: make no change in the current code; expand the exemption for "public signs" in the code to include the University in the category of governmental agencies; expand the exemption for "conference and convention banners" to include for a limited time the banners; or create a new exemption that would be broad enough to allow this class of banners. Ms. Miller said that staff recommends that the council choose the first op- tion, to make no change in the current code. She explained that although at the time of the request, the University did not feel that it would be able to go though the revokable permit process, it has since begun the exemption process and found it to be workable. Also, the new Sign Code has not been in operation long enough for staff to evaluate whether the request about the banners on Centennial Boulevard is unique and whether an amendment of this area of the code is in order. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 7, 1990 Page 6