Item 5 - PH on Laurel Hill Plan - Laserfiche WebLink

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Eugene Planning Commission September 14, 2004 Page 3 of 4 that, "Undeveloped residential land is considered unbuildable and removed from the supply if it is within 230 KV powerline easements[.]" That change in findings recognizes a new community policy of where residential development will occur within the city. Consequently, the current application addresses an amended community policy now in effect and the Planning Commission can make positive findings for criterion EC 9.8424(2). We ask the Planning Commission to do so. Laurel Itill Policy//5 Laurel Hill Plan Policy number five provides; "No additional sector of East Laurel Hill shall be designated for commercial purposes until a public need can be demonstrated." The staff report and public comments read that provision to require that all possible commercial development in the area must be completed before any public need can be demonstrated. In short, they contend that "public need" means "public need for more commercially designated land." That is not what Policy #5 expressly provides; they seek to insert words into the language of that policy where those words have been omitted. Policy #5 says that a "public need" must be demonstrated. The public need here is a very real public need. The public has a need for property to be developable under the plan and zone designations given to that property. That is the core of effective land use planning. This is not an abstract need applicable to every parcel of property within the City because nearly every other parcel in the City is developable under the plan and zone designations given to it. Here, the land use process failed and imposed designations that result in an undevelopable property. The public need to have developable property has been violated. We are seeking to correct that error. I believe you will receive testimony tonight concerning the need for motel sites visible from I- 5 and accessible to both the highway and to the City. As that testimony demonstrates, that commercial public need is unmet by other properties in the Eugene area. If these applications are approved, the site will remained severely constrained. However, the property will be able to be put to use under the new land use designations. That is currently not the case. We ask that the Planning Commission conclude that the proposal satisfies Laurel Hill Policy # 5 for the reasons provided above. Traffic Impacts While the staff report does not indicate any major traffic concerns related to the application, there is a comment submitted by ODOT that concerns traffic impacts that may arise from development of the subject property. Attached as Exhibits C and D hereto is an e-mail exchange between myself and Tom Boyatt concerning ODOT's comments that are included as part of your IV-13