02/12/1990 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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e e e III. PUBLIC HEARING: ANNEXATION/REZONING REQUEST FOR PROPERTY GENERALLY LOCATED IN THE RIVER ROAD AREA, IN THE VICINITY OF MAXWELL ROAD AND THE NORTHWEST EXPRESSWAY (RIVER ROAD CHURCH OF CHRIST, AZ 89-6) City Manager Mike Gleason introduced the topic. Cathy Czerniak, Planning and Development Department, summarized the code criteria for annexation and rezoning requests. Ms. Czerniak reported that the Planning Commission recommended approval of the request for annexation 4-1. After the Planning Commission Public Hearing, the record was held open for an additional seven days for written comments at the request of a citizen. Seventeen people spoke in opposition to the request at the Planning Commission public hearing. Concerns raised during the testimony included the impact of traffic on the adjacent neighborhoods, preservation of the natural areas on this lot, potential hazards from the adjacent Southern Pacific railroad tracks and tank farms, loss of the rural atmosphere of the neighborhood, and concerns about the method used to process the annexation. Ms. Czerniak pointed out that many of the concerns expressed in the testimony had to do with development of the parcel, but said that detailed development plans are not required as part of the annexation process. In response to the many concerns raised during the public testimony, the Planning Commission recommended the attachment of site review criteria to Parcel 4306. In summary, the site review includes: buffering of existent low-density residential development, evaluation of ingress and egress to address evacuation needs in the event of an emergency, and preservation of natural features along the drainage channel. The Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval of rezoning the portion of Tax Lot 4306 within 100 feet of Labona Drive to R-1, the remainder of the lot to R-2/SR, and rezoning of Tax Lot 4900 to RA. Mayor Miller opened the public hearing. Larry Gaskin, 1580 River Road, spoke on behalf of the petitioner. He urged the council to approve the request for annexation and to amend the Planning Commission's recommendation for zoning so that the entire lot be zoned R-2/SR with the site review criteria addreSSing the buffering of adjacent development along Labona Drive. Mr. Gaskin expressed disappointment that the petitioner was not able to respond to staff's modified zone change recommendation at the January 9 Planning Commission meeting, and said that he felt that the church had been victimized by a flawed process in allowing subjective emotional appeals rather than objective criteria alter the Planning Commission's zone change recommendation. Dick Hinz, 1833 Labona Drive, testified against the request for zone change and annexation. He expressed concern about the safety risks posed by the proximity of the Southern Pacific tank farms to existing residential development and felt additional development would hinder evacuation in the event of an emergency. MINUTES--Eugene City Council February 12, 1990 Page 2