Ord. 20601 - Laserfiche WebLink

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The city council shall approve, or approve with conditions and reservations of easements, the vacation of improved public right-of-way, public ways acquired with public funds, or undeveloped subdivision and partitionplats, or portions thereof, including public right-of-way and improved public easements located therein, only if the council finds that approval of the vacation is in the public interest. The required public notice and hearing have occurred on the vacation request in accordance with applicable statutory and local code requirements. Consent for the vacation request from abutting and affected owners, and payment of a special assessment for the area of vacated right-of-way, has been provided by the applicant, as required by statutes and local code. Vacation Findings The following findings demonstrate that vacation of the portion of E. 5th Alley, located between Pearl Street and Oak Street, and a portion of Pearl Alley, located between E. 5th Alley and E. 6th Avenue, is in the public interest. This determination is based on the conclusion that vacation of these alleys will provide efficient use of land and will not negatively impact the transportation system, surrounding neighborhoods or emergency access. Additionally, future development opportunities of the adjacent lands can be enhance through the consolidation of the site. As a result, vacation of the requested alleys will be in the public interest. Detailed findings to support these conclusions are provided below. The applicant has provided conceptual redevelopment information regarding their intention to revitalize the area, which demonstrates the need for the vacation. The concept calls for the redevelopment of the surface parking lots with a consolidated development plan for the southern half of the block that includes three new buildings with retail/office, hotel, and mixed use building with residential apartments. While this plan is conceptual in nature, it attempts to demonstrate how this site is likely to be redeveloped. As the plan shows, vacation of the current alleys is necessary to accommodate redevelopment options similar to the applicant’s proposal. The proposed redevelopment is part of an agreement between the developer and Lane County, who owns the southern half of the block. This project, in conjunction with an affordable housing project by Homes for Good, was selected by Lane County Board of Commissioners for redevelopment of their existing surface parking lots—a site identified in the City’s 2004 Downtown Plan as the first on a list of “Development Opportunity Areas.” Obie Companies’ proposal to expand the 5th Street Market District on the Lane County property has the potential to achieve the following Downtown Plan objectives: Redevelop one of the identified Development Opportunity Areas; Expand the 5th Avenue Area (a Special Place and a Great Street in the Downtown Plan); Exhibit C: Findings