Item C: Mixed-Use Centers - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Gilbert The Gilbert node consists of approximately 66 acres developed for a mix of multi-family residential, commercial and institutional uses. Key landmarks include the Gilbert Shopping Center, Fairfield Elementary School, Lane Educational District offices, and the Jacob's Lane low-income housing development. Less than one acre within the node is vacant. Residential development within the node is relatively dense, with an estimated net density of almost 20 units per acre. The Eugene City Council selected the Gilbert area as a high-priority area for nodal development because of its proximity to Highway 99 North, which the Council had previously identified as a future Bus Rapid Transit corridor. The mix of residential and commercial land uses within a quarter mile radius of the future BRT corridor, as well as the shopping center's redevelopmnent potential, were also key factors in Council's selection of the Gilbert node. The majority of public testimony was submitted by business owners opposed to implementation of nodal development in the Gilbert area. The testimony describes the Gilbert Shopping Center as an area that once functioned as a commercial center but no longer possesses commercial viability. Business owners concluded that the proposed/ND Overlay zone provisions would contribute to the decline of the Gilbert Shopping Center rather than to its revitalization. Public heating testimony and discussions with staff indicated that: · The commercial center is no longer capable of competing for a grocery store or similar anchor and is increasingly dependent on auto-related and other community or regional commercial uses to retain tenants. · The future viability of the Gilbert Shopping Center depends on phased redevelopment. · The/ND Overlay requirements for dense, compact commercial redevelopment will discourage businesses from revitalizing and re-using commercial sites in the Gilbert center. · Specific/ND overlay zone requirements, such as the minimum FAR requirement, will make redevelopment cost prohibitive. · One property owner estimated that redevelopment of the shopping center, consistent with the/ND overlay provisions, would require tripling the existing square footage and construction of a parking structure, at a total estimated minimal investment of 33 to 38 million dollars. · The maximum size requirement for commercial facilities and the prohibition of motor vehicle related uses is contrary to the market demands for those uses in this particular area. · The minimum setback provisions of the/ND overlay zone are of questionable benefit in a highway location. · The Gilbert center is located on Highway 99, in the middle of what is essentially a 2 mile long commercial strip. Other nearby commercial property would not be constrained by the/ND Overlay provisions, putting the Gilbert Center at a competitive disadvantage. · In the near term, retention of existing businesses and revitalization is a more realistic nodal development goal than a complete redevelopment scenario. In the long term, redevelopment of Fairfield (a local access street abutting the rear of the commercial center) as a "Main Street", similar _ to Garden Way in the Chase Garden node, is a possibility. · The provisions of the/ND Overlay offer little in regard to the viability of existing development and, by requiring compact and dense redevelopment, may limit the ability of the property owners to respond to changing market trends through redevelopment. · The fact that the Gilbert center once functioned as a viable commercial node makes this area unique. In their post-heating work sessions on the Gilbert node, the Planning Commission raised a number of concerns regarding the provisions of the/ND Overlay zone and questioned whether they would foster nodal development within the Gilbert area as intended. They noted that the Fairfield "Main Street" idea raised at 25