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- e e need is minimal in this case, since this request will meet public need by the application of appropriate City zoning to the property. The present request is essentially a housekeeping measure and will not substantially change the uses allowed in the subject property or affect the inventory of available residential 1 and one way or another. II He said that the staff notes also indicated that the Metropolitan Area General Plan was the governing document for the area in question. Mr. Johnson said he felt this indicated that when a zone request is clearly in conformance with the General Plan, the need requirement has already been satisfied. He said that unless this interpretation is used, adherence to the letter of the public need criterion would mean that as long as there is one available parcel of land of corresponding zoning anywhere in the City, a rezoning in that category could not be granted. Mr. Johnson referred to materials submitted previously to support the statement that there is not sufficient, available C-2-zoned land to meet the short-term needs of the City, defined as a six- to ten-year supply of land. Mr. Johnson said that it was important to note that this was not an abstract zone change request and that his client has a signed lease with Skipper's Restaurants, who are ready to begin construction within the next week. He said that this construction would employ 15 people. He said that his client had lost one potential tenant in the past month, due to confusion over the land use regulations. He said that if another tenant is lost, it is possible that Cowboy Country will discontinue operations here, and the opportunity to bring capital into the City from a thriving chainstore will be lost. Mr. Johnson said that staff had advised him tonight that the West 11th Commer- cial Corridor Study might be finished by early August, and that it is very likely the study will find that the subject property should be zoned commercial. He said staff had said that if the applicant would agree to a continuance of this hearing until the study is finished, the applicant would avoid the neces- sity of filing another application and perhaps not getting a hearing until October. Mr. Johnson said he felt, and staff seemed to recognize, that there is a strong likelihood that the study will recommend commercial zoning for this property, which is surrounded on three sides by commercial uses and would thus be unsuited for industrial use. He said there was thus no reason to delay rezoning of the property, since it can be recognized that the pattern of past planning decisions in the area has committed this ~arcel to commercial use in the future. Councilor Obie asked Mr. Johnson whether he was aware that if the City Council makes a decision on this item which contradicts the Planning Commission deci- sion, then the two bodies must meet jointly to resolve the issue. Mr. Johnson said he was aware of this and hoped that part of the Council's resolution would address holding that joint meeting soon after the Council's decision. Ms. Schue asked staff the status of funding for the West 11th Commercial Cor- ridor Study. Mr. Croteau responded that work on this study was under way in conjunction with the Willow Creek Basin Special Area Study, and that the Plan- ning Commission should receive a draft of the study in May. He anticipated that the Planning Commission would hold hearings on the study in early June, and that the City Council would consider and act on the study in mid-July or August. MINUTES--Eugene City Council April 12, 1982 Page 5