Agenda Packet 3-13-19 Work Session

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Housing Tools and Strategies Action Inventory 23 Not Recommended Actions 4. Not Recommended Actions This section documents actions that have emerged in the HTS process, but staff do not recommend that the City implement them. Some had very little support from the HTS working group, and others are not technically feasible. These actions are in this document as way to record that the options have been brought forward, but they are not feasible. A. Remove Barriers in the Land Use Code Action Explanation Level of Support Review, evaluate, and adjust neighborhood-specific zoning. Several areas of the city include zoning that was developed to apply to only a small portion of the city. Over time, the land use code has grown in size and complexity as more neighborhood-specific or special-area zones were completed. In some cases, these zones include barriers to housing production, such as more specific design and density requirements, that don’t exist citywide. A review of these zones, through a code audit, could uncover barriers that would be worthwhile to consider removing. The HTS WG had 2 options pertaining to neighborhood-specific zoning. Preliminary voting showed support ranging from 13% to 41%. Re-write the land use code. It would be a monumental undertaking to re-write the entire land use code. In 2018, the City began an audit of the land use code will identify barriers to housing affordability, availability, and diversity, which can lead to strategic changes in the code. The HTS WG had 2 options pertaining to over-hauling the land use code. Preliminary voting showed support ranging from 11% to 32%. Replace current code with a form-based (or design-based) code. Traditional land use codes separate specific uses (commercial, residential, etc.). Form-based codes focus on building form and how the building interacts with the public space (streets and sidewalks) around it. Form-based codes don’t regulate what happens inside buildings, only how they look from the outside. For a more complete explanation of form-based code see https://formbasedcodes.org/definition/. Rewriting the entire land use code as a form-based code would be a very large undertaking, involving extensive public involvement, legal review, and a formal adoption process. Impact on housing availability and diversity would be long term and limited because the form-based code would only apply as redevelopment or new development occurs. Eugene has two form-based codes that apply to specific neighborhoods. Codes that include form-based standards already exist in the Franklin Boulevard/Walnut Street area, and at the Downtown Riverfront. These codes are typically developed to implement a visioning and master planning process for special areas of the city. The HTS WG had 3 options pertaining to a form-based code. Preliminary voting showed support ranging from 19% to 31%. March 13, 2019, Work Session - Item 2