Item A: Annual Joint Meeting with Eugene Planning Commission

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Since the approval of the FY06 work plan, the Planning Commission and staffhave focused their efforts on the high priorities established by Council. As can be seen on the following pages, many of the high priority items have either been completed or are in process. The summary below represents a status report on the high priority work tasks established in FY06. Pro · ect Opportunity Siting! Infill Compatibility Standards Mixed Use Centers Minor Amendments to the Land Use Code Downtown & Courthouse associated projects Goal 5 (Natural Resources) associated proj ects StatuslNotes These programs were initiated by the City Council in 2005 and funded in June 2006 to address concerns that new development in established neighborhoods is often incompatible with, and may eventually degrade, the desirable characteristics of established neighborhoods. These programs will simultaneously explore methods of concentrating higher density housing on specific parcels ("opportunity sites"), which will eventually reduce development pressure from established residential areas, and create a "toolkit" of strategies to make infill development more compatible with its surroundings. The work program will be refined over time as lessons are learned from a couple of demonstration sites and as public involvement Increases. The Mixed Use Center program (formerly called "nodal development") implements Metro Plan, TransPlan, and Growth Management policies with an emphasis on site specific planning and extensive neighborhood collaboration and outreach. Recent and new projects include Chambers Reconsidered (infill standards and transportation improvements), Walnut Station, and Lower River Road (Rasor Park) specific area plans. Last year, the city adopted approximately 80 minor code amendments intended to address inconsistencies and gaps in the Land Use Code. Phase 2 of this process is underway. A consultant team is working with the community, planning commission and city council to prioritize the next round of potential amendments. It is hoped that this process can provide the foundation for more regularly programmed code updates. The Community Development Division continues to be lead on tasks related to the Courthouse and surrounding area, the Downtown Zoning District code amendments as well as other downtown redevelopment opportunities. Plannin Staff have provided technical assistance on an as-needed basis. Last year saw the adoption of the Goal 5 protection measures, culminating over a decade of work toward this objective. Recent years have seen approval of the Goal 5 inventory, local wetland inventory, West Eugene Wetlands Zoning Implementation ofNR zone and Wetland Buffer/Waterside Protection overlay zones, and adoption of the /WP Waterside Protection Zone. Work remains to implement and fine-tune these regulations, especially in the realm of public education, providing incentives to encourage voluntary implementation, staff training, and enforcement. The city is lead for proposing adoption of the same waterside protection measures for unincorporated properties located inside the Urban Growth Boundary. In 2005, the City Council initiated and funded the South Ridgeline Habitat Study, which is currently collecting data on additional non-Goal 5 habitat throughout large ortions of the south hills. 6