Item B: Jefferson-Westside Options for Immediate Protection

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Contrary to this later-adopted refinement plan language and at least.one zone change request in the area that reflect the Council's policy choice to (carefully).increase density in the area, the Metro Plan diagram still appeared to designate much of this area as Low Density Residential. Additional information can be provided on the zone change history in the area if the Council desires. Through the Housekeeping Amendments, the Metro Plan diagram was updated to reflect the policy choice made when the refinement plan was adopted. The revised diagram depicts this area as Medium Density Residential (there is no "Low-Medium Density Residential" category available in the Metro Plan). The Homebuilders Association of Lane County (HBA) appealed the Task 17 Housekeeping Amendments to the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD). DLCD reviewed the action and the adoption process and upheld the local governments. HBA then appealed DLCD's decision to the Oregon Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC). In an Order dated May 3, 2005, LCDC specifically addressed the propriety of making Metro Plan diagram amendments as a "housekeeping" matters. LCDC supported the City's adoption of an updated Metro Plan diagram, stating that the local jurisdictions "have taken the acknowledged plan map and updated it based on parcel-specific information from recent locally adopted plan amendments, refinement plans, functional plans and inventories. Task 17 is a housekeeping assignment that provides enhanced clarity to one of the local jurisdictions' planning tools, the generalized regional land use map." Part of Councilor Bettman's question asks "under what circumstances it is legal or appropriate for zone changes to be processed as 'housekeeping.'" The term "housekeeping" is not a legal term. For purposes of Work Task 1 7, LCDC used the term as "to review and revise, as appropriate, Metro Plan chapters and elements that are not updated as part of separate [work tasks]." Based on LCDC's definition, it is appropriate that the Metro Plan diagram update was referred to as "housekeeping." However, referring to a zone change or a Metro Plan amendment as a "housekeeping" matter does not relieve the local government from the legal requirements applicable to its adoption. In adopting the Metro Plan diagram updates described herein, the City complied with the legal requirements applicable to a three-jurisdiction Metro Plan amendment.