CC Minutes - 10/24/07 Work Session

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Ms. Kneeland offered a review of the Planning Commission’s work on MUCs, including Walnut Station and Rasor Park. Work would continue to proceed on forming the recommended vision of the area which would be considered by the Planning Commission in November 2008. Primary tasks included preparation of the development plan, specifically focusing on form based codes, that would allow the commission to focus more on detailed site specific form and the design rather than the use of buildings for integration into the Walnut Station project. Additionally, the Rasor Park MUC CAC vision specifically related to density, including design and plan elements, as well as implementation strategies, would be forwarded to the Planning Commission later this year. Ms. Kneeland stated continued work on the South Ridgeline Habitat Study would provide an opportunity to enhance public involvement programs and develop recommendations for consideration by the City Council in 2008. The Rasor Park and Walnut Station MUCs and the South Ridgeline Habitat Study would give the commission an opportunity to integrate the Growth Management Policies (GMPs) and become more cognizant on how those policies could shape the commission’s work. Additionally, these three projects would support the commission’s efforts in developing a land survey. Ms. Kneeland said the Planning Commission recognized the need to integrate green planning and sustainability into its work to include collaborating with the newly created Sustainability Commission. Two specific items were solar access from the Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB) and green infrastructure from the City Council. Mr. Carroll stated additions to the work program House Bill (HB) 3337 required the City to study the supply of and demand for buildable residential lands in the urban growth boundary (UGB) by 2010. The commission recommended broadening the scope of that state mandate to include development of a comprehensive data base that would consist of natural resource lands, and the three major types of land use, i.e., residential, commercial and industrial. The commission further recommended creating the data base in a way that would allow assessment of the redevelopment capacity of those lands. The commission felt strongly that this would be an essential tool as it moved forward with many of its integrated land use projects including Infill Compatibility Standards, Opportunity Siting, MUC implementation, corridor redevelopment, and neighborhood planning. Mr. Carroll said that it was clear from the 2007 Neighborhood Summit attended by most members of the Planning Commission that land use issues were foremost on residents’ minds. The Empowerment Initiative implementation provided a framework for better integration of the commission’s work program tasks both within the Planning Division and across all departments. The Neighborhood Services Program currently housed in the Planning Division and the Empowerment Initiative would enable the commission to work more closely with neighborhood leaders to identify appropriate mechanisms to develop the next generation of refinement plans. Mr. Carroll affirmed the need to assess the strengths and shortcomings, as well as update those plans. Mr. Carroll said the code amendment process brought to like a great demand in the community to make changes in the code. Twenty code elements had been identified for review and possible revision. Mr. Duncan summarized the commissioners’ comments, noting priorities had been solicited from the community in developing the FY08 Work Program. Ms. Gardner thanked the Planning Commission for its work and dedication during the past year. Ms. Gardner asked the City Council for specific direction on prioritization of the work program items, noting the City Manager recommended that the City Council approve the FY08 Planning Commission and Planning Division work program contained in the annual report. MINUTES—Eugene City Council October 24, 2007 Page 3 Work Session