CC Minutes - 08/16/06 Work Session

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Ms. Solomon, seconded by Ms. Ortiz, moved to initiate amendment of the Metro Plan, the Jefferson-Far West Refinement Plan and the Land Use Code to limit the subject area to low-density Residential development. In addition, to direct the City Manager to make this task priority #1 on the Planning Commission work plan and pull resources from the other high priority work program items to accomplish this as quickly as possible within the parameters of the amendment process. Mr. Kelly, seconded by Mr. Papé, moved to amend the motion by deleting the sec- ond sentence of the motion entirely and rewording the end of the first sentence as follows: “Move to initiate amendment of the Metro Plan, the Jefferson-Far West Refinement Plan and the Land Use Code to limit the subject area to low-density residential development low- to medium-density residential as described in the re- finement plan. In addition, to direct the City Manager to make this task priority #1 on the Planning Commission work plan and pull resources from the other high pri- ority work program items to accomplish this as quickly as possible within the pa- rameters of the amendment process. Mr. Kelly explained that he was not interested in allowing upzonings to 28 units per acre in the area but was interested in allowing selective increased density under site review and as described in the refinement plan to a middle ground above 10 units per acre. He deleted the second sentence because the work plan has been developed in great detail and opportunity siting was identified as a high priority. He said there were numerous tasks in the work plan on which the council would expect to see progress. Referring to statements that the neighborhood was very dense, he noted that the refinement plan stated that in Area 15 the average lot size was 8,200 square feet, which was a density of five units per acre. Ms. Bettman reminded the council that the refinement plan was developed in 1983. She said she would not support the amendment because it increased density without the infill standards and cited a section of the refinement plan relating to encouraging and increasing residential density while maintaining the character of the neighborhood. She said a commitment by the City to rehabilitate existing housing stock through public and private investment had not occurred. She said the motion would accomplish half of the opportunity siting strategy to increase density as high as possible in certain appropriate sites and at the same time downzoning and preserving existing residential neighborhoods. Mr. Kelly revised the language of his motion to amend as follows: Move to initiate amendment of the Metro Plan, the Jefferson-Far West Refinement Plan and the Land Use Code to limit the subject area to low-density residential development low- to medium-density residential as described in the refinement plan to be consistent with the policies of the refinement plan for Area 15. Mr. Papé, as the second, ac- cepted the revised language. Ms. Jerome clarified that the motion would require a text amendment to the Metro Plan, not just a diagram amendment, and did not address the neighborhood’s concern about interpretation of the meaning of low to medium density as the refinement plan policy itself was the issue. Mr. Kelly further clarified his amendment as follows: Move to initiate amendment of the Metro Plan, the Jefferson-Far West Refinement Plan and the Land Use Code to limit the subject area to low-density residential development low- to medium- density residential as described in the refinement plan to be consistent with the policies of the refinement plan for Area 15 and with maximum densities higher MINUTES—City Council August 16, 2006 Page 6 Work Session