1.23.2019 City Council Work Session Minutes

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MINUTES Eugene City Council Harris Hall, 125 East 8h Avenue Eugene, Oregon 97401 January 23, 2019 12:00 p.m. Councilors Present: Emily Semple, Jennifer Yeh, Alan Zelenka, Mike Clark Chris Pryor, Betty Taylor, Claire Syrett Councilors Absent: Greg Evans Mayor Vinis opened the January 23, 2019, Work Session of the Eugene City Council. WORK SESSION: Clear & Objective Housing - Approval Criteria Update Senior Planner Jenessa Dragovich and Principal Planner Alissa Hansen provided a project update of the Clear & Objective Housing: Approval Criteria Update, including the Draft Preferred Concepts Report. Council Discussion • Councilor Taylor - asked questions about the legal process for revising or dismantling a refinement plan, and outreach to and involvement of residents; expressed concern that the proposal represented a drastic change to adopted plans. • Councilor Clark- suggested that analysis should happen earlier in the process and include information in the Buildable Lands Inventory; supported listing the constraints upfront. • Councilor Syrett - noted that mitigation was required for other building process, similar to the tree preservation component. • Councilor Zelenka- said he was challenged by the open space proposal; seems like a weakening of existing requirements. • Councilor Semple - expressed concern about the tree preservation proposal; asked questions about the data around current practices and how the parameters/scale will be determined under the proposal. • Councilor Pryor - acknowledged the in-depth work of the Planning Commission on this issue, in an effort to bring the Clear & Objective standards into alignment with what is being developed. • Councilor Yeh - said the Planning Commission did a good job of vetting the proposals; findings will be needed to adopt the Planning Commission recommendation on the open space requirement. • Councilor Clark - said more time is needed for council to think about and deliberate on the recommendations, which represents a significant change in policy. • Councilor Zelenka - requested clarification on several of the recommendations. • Councilor Taylor - said the setback requirement is important and that it is impossible to mitigate the removal of mature trees. • Councilor Semple - expressed her general support for the recommendation; asked questions about the proposed setback proposal. • Councilor Clark- asked if future comprehensive lands assessments will be done on a lot - specific basis; still has significant concerns and questions about the overall policy direction. • Councilor Zelenka - said streamlining development in thoughtful manner is good; there is still ample time to hear testimony and consider and revise the proposal. MINUTES — Eugene City Council January 23, 2019 Page 1 Work Session