Item C: Mixed-Use Centers - Laserfiche WebLink

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In 2001 the City attempted to apply the/ND Nodal Development Overlay Zone to the Chambers node; the Council and Planning Commission both held public hearings on the proposed application of the/ND Metro Plan designation and/ND Overlay Zone on the area. Public testimony was overwhelmingly in opposition to the designation and zoning with residents citing many of the problems that were left unresolved during the previous process. A major concern was that there were no safeguards included in the/ND overlay to ensure that the existing character of the neighborhood would not be negatively affected by the increased densities inherent in the nodal developments. The Council ultimately rejected the proposal to apply the designation and overlay zone to the area. The City has submitted an Oregon Transportation Growth Management grant application for the current fUnding cycle (2003-2005) to develop residential and commercial infill and redevelopment standards for the Chambers node. This project will attempt to address what was identified as a fundamental problem with the nodal development program; that is, residents of the affected areas have no assurance that new development within the nodes will be compatible with existing development. Residents and property owners want to insure that new residential and commercial development is sensitive to the qualities that make these attractive areas in the first place. The project would be done with the full participation of neighborhood residents and property owners Mixed Use Zoning Districts The City has no mixed use zoning district that can be applied to new development or redevelopment either as an overlay for the base zone or as a zoning district in its own right. Currently, the only mechanisms for approving a mixed-use development within most nodal development areas are through a specific area planning process or a planned unit development. Specific plans for the Royal and Chase Gardens nodes contained commercial and residential mixed use codes that were adopted for those two nodal development areas. This project would use those mixed use codes as a foundation for drafting a set of mixed use zoning district codes that would provide for residential, commercial and industrial mixed use development within specific areas of the city. A separate but related issue involves the difficulty of retrofitting existing low-density residential neighborhoods and industrial areas to allow small amounts of appropriate retail and service-related development in these auto-dependent areas. This project would evaluate the need for a new approach to limited mixing of uses in single-use residential zones and light-medium industrial areas. If need is demonstrated the project will develop a proposal for allowing limited retail and service-related development within residential and light-medium industrial zones. New Tools While many elements of a comprehensive nodal development and smart growth program have been put into place over the past 10 years, several components have not been addressed. There is a need to explore development of other tools that will increase the City's flexibility to respond to the variety of circumstances and site conditions found within the city. Among the questions that need to be answered and tools that need to be developed are the following: 4