04/08/1992 Meeting (2) - Laserfiche WebLink

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e e e Mr. Gordon said that an opportunity to sell property which has been identi- fied as potential wetlands mitigation exists in the western study area. He said that a fact sheet is available regarding that area. In that area, no wetland delineation was done--only the identification of hydric soils. Mr. Gordon said that there are no changes to the rural comprehensive plan or zone changes proposed for the area and no further restrictions on the land, other than those that currently exist under county zoning or under State and Feder- al wetland laws. Condemnation is not proposed, but staff is willing to nego- tiate with willing sellers through the Bureau of land Management to purchase land. He said that there is no urban growth expansion proposed, no prohibi- tion against a landowner selling their land to any other willing buyer, and no proposed changes to the routing of the bicycle path connecting the Amazon and Fern Ridge Reservoir. Mr. Gordon said that approximately one month ago at a work session with the lane County Board of Commissioners, staff agreed to write a letter to the property owners in the secondary study area who claimed they had not been given adequate notice. Staff also agreed to meet with those individuals as a group. He said that more time is needed to address misinformation ~nd confu- sion between the staff and landowners of property in the secondary study area. He expressed a desire to continue to build trust with the landowners. Mr. Gordon emphasized that the wetlands issue involves the entire lane County region, and that it is not an urban versus rural issue. The plan attempts to deal with flood control issues, the Clean Water Act, economic development, and protection of environmental resources. He said that the plan is vision- ary, has been recognized as a national model, and represents a partnership between local government, Federal government, nonprofit organizations, and the private sector. Mr. Gordon noted that the Eugene and lane County planning commissions recom- mend adoption of the plan. Both planning commissions initially expressed concern about buffers. Subsequently, Neil Bjorklund, of the Eugene Planning and Development Department, generated a satisfactory resolution to the buffer issue. He said that staff has worked with the County Commissioners to devel- op language for revising one policy and one recommended action which the lane County Planning Commission had concerns about. Those proposed amendments appear in the memorandum from Mike Copely, of the lane County Planning staff. Mr. Gordon said that if tentative approval of the draft plan is received from the Eugene City Council and the lane County Board of Commissioners, obtaining a regional permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and State approval for the Conservation Wetland Plan from the Oregon Division of State lands will follow. If the permit is granted, one local permit will be needed to develop in wetland areas designated for development instead of permits from the State and Federal agencies. In addition, a regional mitigation bank will be developed which will serve the entire region. Mr. Gordon recommended leaving the record open for at least two weeks to allow additional written testimony and for an additional workshop with the landowners of property in the secondary study area. He said that adoption of MINUTES--Joint Elected Officials April 8, 1992 Page 8