Item 2C: IGR Committee Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Mr. Yeiter reviewed three proposed transportation growth management (TGM) grant applications, noting that TGM grants had been the City's main source of funding for nodal-related planning. Currently there was one FTE working on all nodal planning issues. The first grant would be used for the second phase of the ongoing planning for the Walnut Street transit station area. Mr. Yeiter believed it was a timely grant because of the University's planning for a new arena, the construction of the Bus Rapid Transit route along Franklin Boulevard, and the potential of new off ramp from 1-5 to Franklin Boulevard. Staff would work with commercial property owners in the area to determine how the area could best evolve and create a master plan. Mr. Yeiter said the second grant would be used for planning in the Rasor Park mixed-use center. He recalled that the neighborhood had specifically requested the Nodal Development \ND overlay zone. The funding would be used to determine if new streets or infrastructure were needed, and help establish the appropriate boundaries for the mixed-use area. The neighbors had questioned the existing boundaries and questioned whether there was more potential for a mixed-use center further north on River Road in an area not currently designated for that purpose. Ms. Bettman said one of the neighborhood's concerns was about the need for connecting the east and west sides of River Road, and asked if that concern would be addressed. Mr. Yeiter said yes. Public Works Department had some pedestrian crosses planned along River Road, although not in this area. Planning staff would work with the Public Works staff to determine the location of the pedestrian crossings. Ms. Bettman expressed concern about what she termed ~definition creep" from the term ~nodal" to the term ~mixed-use." She said that currently, River Road contained pockets of commercial uses but the residential uses had been preserved. If the City proposed to transition a large area of River Road to commercial use, the result would be strip development all along River Road. Mr. Yeiter did not envision that result. Mr. Pap~ pointed out the result of the grant would be a plan the council could review and adopt. Mr. Yeiter said the study was intended to address neighborhood concerns about where mixed-use development was most appropriate, how large it should be, and what types of uses were desirable. In regard the terms ~mixed-use" and ~node," Mr. Yeiter said that from a staff perspective, the two terms were interchangeable. He said that ~mixed-use" was evolving to become what was most appropriate for each neighborhood. He believed people got a more accurate picture of what the City was aiming for from the term ~mixed-use." Mr. Yeiter said the third grant would be used to hire outside consultants to do a Land Use Code audit to identify obstacles to mixed-use development. The consultant would be asked to review the code and flag elements of the code that were working counter to nodal development. Ms. Taylor noted her increasing skepticism about nodal development as it did not appear to be working. She thought such an audit was needed and asked Ms. Bettman the reason for her opposition. Ms. Bettman responded that mixed-use centers and nodes were different things. The City had mixed-use zoning west of downtown, which meant that residences, offices, and commercial uses existed side-by-side. She said that the nodal concept was completely different. The council had %ought off" on the nodal concept as a policy approach but had not discussed and compared the mixed use and nodal concepts and made a policy decision to adopt mixed use. Ms. Bettman was alarmed to see the extent to which ~mixed use" was being substituted for ~nodal" without council discussion. She thought the audit was premature and believed the outcome MINUTES--Council Committee on Intergovernmental Relations May 5, 2005 Page 2