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

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Goal 8 - Recreational Needs: To satisfy the recreational needs of the citizens of the state and visitors and, where appropriate, to provide for the siting of necessary recreational facilities including destination resorts. Goal 8 ensures the provision of recreational facilities to Oregon citizens and is primarily concerned with the provision of those facilities in non-urban areas of the state. There are no public or private recreational facilities on or adjacent"to the State Motor Pool site. Therefore, the proposed amendment will not impact the provision of recreational facilities, nor will it affect access to existing or future recreational facilities. Therefore, the amendment is consistent with Statewide Planning Goal 8. Goal 9 - Economic Development: To provide adequate opportunities throughout the state for a variety of economic. activities vital to the health, welfare, and prosperity of Oregon's citizens. The proposed Plan designation for the subject 1.7 -acre parcel is Commercial. The Administrative Rule for Statewide Planning Goal 9 (OAR 660, Division 9) requires cities to evaluate the supply and demand of commercial land relative to community economic objectives. The 1992 Eugene Commercial Lands Study is acknowledged for compliance with the requirements of Goal 9 and its Administrative Rule. As discussed below, the proposed amendment is consistent with the Eugene Commercial Lands Study. It will have little real effect on the supply of commercial land. The proposed amendment would change the property's plan designation from one that supports limited commercial use (High Density ResidentiallMixed Use) to another that supports a wider range o.f commercial uses (Commercial). Both designations would also allow high density residential construction. The additional designation of Nodal Development, which does not change the base ,zone or densities,_ wOl:lld not change. As a result, the potential change in the level of commercial use on this 1.7 acre parcel would have a relatively insignificant impact on the total supply of commercial land. The Metropolitan Industrial Lands Special Study (1991) addresses the industrial land supply. The subject site was not part of the industrial lands inventory; i.e., it was not counted as a potential site for future industrial development or as needed to satisfy the city's 20-year industrial land supply. Lands considered available for industrial uses are typically those which have an Industrial plan designation. The subject parcel does not currently have an Industrial designation (but has an 1-2 zoning). Therefore, the proposed plan amendment (residential to commercial) would have no effect on the supply of available industrial land as predicted by the Industrial Lands Special Study. The Eugene Commercial Lands Study contains several policies "applicable to the proposed amendment. The applicant concludes that that Policies 2.0, 8.0, 17.0 and implementation strategies 17.1 and 17.3 apply (applicant's letter to City July 24, 2006). While the proposal is not inconsistent with those policies, staff does not agree that those policies apply. However, a number of policies in the Study do support a Commercial designation of the subject parcel. Applicable policies are discussed below. Promote redevelopment of existing commercial areas and compact, dense growth by encouraging businesses to revitalize and reuse existing commercial sites. (Policy 6) The proposed amendment t~ Commercial would not actively further the reuse and intensification of existing commercial sites, as it opens up a new site to commercial development. However, to the extent that the amendment maintains compact urban development in the downtown core, as anticipated in the Downtown Plan, the proposal is not inconsistent with this policy. The amendment may encourage reuse ofa parking lot (a low intensity "industrial" use) into a more ()regon~1otor Pool - Prelhninary Findings~ Scptclnbcr12, 2006 Page 4 of "I 3