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ATTACHMENT A MIXED USE (NODAL) DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM Report on Conformance with Adopted City Policy July 20, 2005 Introduction The Council has requested the July 20th work session to discuss the conformance of the mixed use (nodal) development program with city policies. The memo outlines the policy basis for mixed use development; summarizes the history of the program, especially those events that relate to policy discussions and direction from the Council; and attempts to answer questions and address issues raised by Councilors about consistency of the program with city policy. The history section, below, is included primarily as means of discussing the broad influence of the nodal development concept on all of our planning work but also shows how these ideas have retained their continuity while evolving over time. Brief History of the Eugene's Nodal Development Program The term "nodal development" has been used for more than 25 years in local plans. The first "Metro Plan" adopted in 1980 uses the term "floating node" to describe "an integrated medium-density residential and community-commercial scale development having good transportation access." Areas designated on early maps as "floating nodes" represent our earliest attempts to identify areas where the integration of transportation and land use planning would be pursued. Many of the land use, transportation and growth management concepts established during that era continue to guide City work a quarter of a century later and have provided the essential framework for the mixed use (nodal) development program that is in place today. Those early concepts resulted in the adoption of Metro Area General Plan policies, in 1980, that support and encourage: · A compact growth form; · Higher residential densities throughout the metro area; · An increase in the use of alternative modes of transportation; · Implementation of mixed use zoning; · Higher density residential development near employment and retail centers; · Medium and high-density residential development within one mile of downtown and within one-half mile of transit stations; · Development and redevelopment along existing and planned transit routes; · Infill development and redevelopment; and · A mixture of dwelling types and prices. Transportation Planning Rule (1991). The late 1980's and early 90's brought fundamental change to the way we think about the transportation and land use relationship. Redefining that relationship is the central feature of the mixed use (nodal)