Ordinance No. 20258 - Laserfiche WebLink

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WEST EtAGENE PARKWAy ~FIED PR~ECT-4X)NSISTENCY Wll~ THE STATEWIDE PLANNING GOALS AND TP&NS~TAT~ON PLANNING RULE exception locations or through one or a combination of measures not requiring an exception, including alternatives modes of transportation, traffic management measures and improvements to existing transportation facilities. In taking an exception it is important to recognize the unique role roads and highways pla3, in Oregon's land use framework. Roads and highway are linear facilities that are linked to form an overall transportation system. Lane County, the Eugene-Springfield metropolitan region, and the State of Oregon are traversed by roads and highways that cross urban and rural lands to form a comprehensive transportation system. This network is necessary to move people and goods and to secure the welf~tre and well-being of Oregon residents. In this way, roads and highways are very different from site-specific land uses such as residential, commercial and industrial. They are also die, rent from urban facilities and infrastructure such as public sewer and water lines. It is feasible and appropriate to restrict the extension of urban sewer and water systems outside of urban grovcth boundaries because such systems typically are designed to serve urban uses which are accommodated within a UGB~ However, it is not always feasible, logical, appropriate or realistic to preclude the extension or improvement of roads or highways outside of urban growth boundaries, even if the roads will predominantly serve the traffic needs of urban residents. This is certainly so for roadways like Highway 126 that serve statewide transportation needs and are on the National Highway System. These roads necessarily must pass through rural lands to connect larger urban areas, por~, major recreation areas and regions of the state. In short, Goal 12 must be balanced with the policy objectives of Goal 3, Goal 4, Goal 11~ and Goal 14, which together seek to protect agricultural and forest lands for farm and forest uses and restrict urban level uses and public facilities to lands within urban growth boundaries. While by definition the Modified Project is a "new road~" it might be more accurately described as a realignment of a portion of a previously approved but as yet unconstrncted four-lane limited access facility. It is important to stress that goal exceptions have already been taken to demonstrate the need for the West Eugene Parkway and to authorize its construction across agricultural and forest lands. The need for the West Eugene Parkway ~ is unchanged and unaffected by this amendment. Only the alignment is modified, primarily to reduce adverse natural resource impacts The ro ect and remains part of the Lane Counw s and ~ ~'- ............ ' ~ is ~,, .,,~ ,,~u~ ~vea s acKnowleoged comprehensive plans. For that reason, rejustif35ng the need for the project should not be necessary, l[nstead, analysis should properly focus on just the modified portion extending outside of the urban growth boundary, with particular attention given to whether alternative modes or alternative locations not requiring goal exceptions can reasonably accommodate the identified transportation need. omphance w th OAR 660-012.0060 Under ORS 660-012-0060(1), amendments to acknowledged comprehensive plans, and land use regulations which "significantly affect" a transportation facility must "assure that allowed land uses are consistent with the identified function, capacity, and performance standards (e.g., level of service~ volume to capacity ratiO, etc.) of the facility." This can be achieved by (1) limiting allowed land uses to be consistent with tlte planned function, capacity and performance standards of the proposed facility; (2) amending the adopted transportation system plan (TSP) to provide transportation facilities adequate to support the proposed land uses; (3) altering land use designations, densities or design requirements to reduce demand for automobile travel and meet travel needs through other modes; or (4) amending the TSP to modify planned function, capacity and performance standards to accept greater motor vehicle congestion to promote mixed use, pedestrian friendly development where multi- modal travel choices are provided. The initial question raised by this rule is whether the proposed shift in the WEP alignment from the Approved Design to the Modified Project would "significantly affect a transportation facility." If FINDINGS 19