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<br />e <br /> <br />III. WORK SESSION: AMENDMENTS TO SOLAR ACCESS REGULATIONS <br /> <br />Jim Croteau, Planning staff, said the City Council adopted solar access <br />regulations several months ago and directed staff to study the impact of <br />these regulations after a year. The council also directed staff to consider <br />some special exemptions to the solar access regulations. He said he would <br />review the two exemptions and, if the council wished, staff would develop <br />detailed proposals for the Planning Commission and City Council to consider. <br /> <br />Mr. Croteau reviewed the first exemption, which would allow the construction <br />of two-story residential buildings not meeting the solar access setback <br />requirements if the property is surrounded by other two-story buildings <br />(i.e., to the north and south). <br /> <br />Ms. Ehrman asked whether allowing such an exemption would impair the solar <br />access of property to the east and west. Mr. Croteau said it would not. <br /> <br />The council directed staff to prepare a specific proposal for this exemption <br />to the solar access regulations. <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />Mr. Croteau reviewed the second exemption. Suppose there are two vacant <br />lots, A and B. Lot A is directly south of Lot B, and the owner of Lot A <br />wishes to build a house that would infringe upon the solar access of Lot B. <br />This exemption would allow the two property owners to enter into an agreement <br />allowing the construction of the house, provided that this house and any <br />house built on Lot B are constructed according to certain energy-saving <br />standards. <br /> <br />Mr. Bennett said it is hard to argue against this exemption if the two houses <br />have to be developed in a way that will save energy; however, he did not <br />think that this exemption would send the right message about the community's <br />commitment to solar access. <br /> <br />Mr. Miller disagreed, saying that the exemption would require energy <br />efficiency without precluding the development of certain lots. He did not <br />think this exemption would be applied on a wholesale level; rather, it would <br />be an exception intended to allow development where it might not otherwise <br />occur because of an inability to comply with solar access regulations. <br /> <br />Ms. Ehrman asked if any evidence exists that development of certain lots has <br />been precluded because of the solar access regulations. Mr. Croteau said <br />staff had no such evidence; however, developers have had to make certain <br />design modifications in order to comply with the regulations. <br /> <br />Ms. Schue expressed some concern that the exemption might be used to <br />circumvent the Solar Access Ordinance. Sha also said the purpose of the <br />ordinance was not just to save energy. <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />MINUTES--Eugene City Council <br /> <br />June 8, 1988 <br /> <br />Page 5 <br />