Item 3: PH on Ordinance Regarding State Motor Pool Metro Plan Amendment and Zone Change

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/-~~"" Eugene Planning COI:1{)_...~ion July 17, 2003 Page 2 The motor pool site and the EWER property immediately 'east of the site are zoned Light Medium Industrial (1-2) district. With the exception of the EWER property to the east, the motor pool site is surrounded by properties in the S-FFifth Avenue Special . Area Zone, a special zone which, generally, allows uses of the General Commercial (C- 2) zoning district. The zoning for the larger areas is shown on the enclosed color map, an enlargement of a portion of the City zoning map. With the exception of the area to the south, w~ch is occupied by the railroad tracks, the Granary Building and the Fifth Street Market, the subject site is surrounded by office uses. The EWEB building to the east contains the Energy Outlet and engineers' offices, land on the north side of 4th Street is developed in accountants' offi~es, and to the west, acros~ Pearl Street, ~s the Oregon Social Learning Center. . C. The motor pool site is not appropriate for high-density residential use. . The location and configuration of the motor pool site would make extremely unlikely the site' ~ utilization for high-density housing. Noise and vibration from the rail use would conflict with residential use. Assuming the most likely use for such high density residence would be affqrdable housing, it would not qualify.for such under HUD rules $ince .the noise levels would be deem unacceptable for residences. The site would be difficult to develop in high density housing also because it has only 130 feet of depth on the Pearl Street side while sharing its largest boundary with the railroad right-of-way. Assuming the R-4 zoning designation was applied to the property to carry out the plan designation, a minimum of 30+ units. would be reqUired to be developed on the site as well as on-site parking. Given the location of the site, such development is highly mM~e~. . Unless a special zoning district was developed to carry out the mixed use portion of the Plan designation fo~, the site, the otily commercial development allowable in.an R-4 district would be Neighborhood Commercial (C-l) development. This commercial . development would be subject to PUD procedures and would be required to be shown to serVe the residents of the residential portion of the development. Such commercial development would not be financially feasible. The area in which the motor pool site is locat~ being in the midst of the existing Fifth Avenue district is appropriate for commercial designation for many of the same pollcy reasons as is the Courthouse property. It is also similar to the train depot area, which is presently zoned for industrial uses. The draft Plan states with regard to the train depot area: "... This area will be redesignated and rezoned to. allow commercial development compatible with the adjacent downtown area.". . The motor pool site should be given the same treatment as the train depot area.