Ordinance No. 20377 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Promote neighborhood-oriented commercial facilities and community commercial areas rather than additional major retail centers. (Policy 11) The proposed amendment would encourage centralized commercial development in the downtown area rather than in outlYing major retail centers, and could promote the development of other commercial areas downtown, such as the adjacent 5th Street Market. On its own, the subject site, at 1.7 acres, is not large enough to support an "additional major retail center." Concentrate development in existing commercial areas to minimize traffic impacts on the rest of the city. (Policy 12) The subj ect parcel is located in the downtown core, an area that both the Metro Plan and Downtown Plan refinement plan envision as an area of compact, high density commercial and residential development. The proposed amendment furthers this policy. Eugene Downtown Plan policies also support a CommerciallNodal Development Designation for the subject parcel (see findings under criterion (3)(b) below for further discussion of applicable Downtown Plan policies. Specifically, Policy 2 in "Building a Downtown" states: Facilitate downtown redevelopment by re-designating and rezoning underutilized properties, such as surface parking lots, to a commercial land use designation and a commercial zone such as C-2 or C-3. (Policy 2) The existing parking lot is arguably an underutilized area. In addition, the Eugene Downtown Plan identifies the subject property as a "Downtown Development Opportunity Area" (Map 1). Approval of a plan amendment to CommerciallNodal Development is supported by the policies in the Eugene Commercial Lands Study and the Downtown Plan. Based on the above discussion, the amendment is consistent with Statewide Planning Goal 9. Goal 10 - Housing: To provide for the housing needs of the citizens of the state. Goal 10 requires that communities plan for and maintain an inventory of buildable residential land for needed housing units. The property affected by the proposed amendments was not included in the supply of land available for residential development, as documented in the adopted 1999 Residential Lands and Housing Study (Ordinance No. 20159, 1999). That study excluded from consideration as "buildable land" vacant land that was owned by a public agency and not intended for residential development. The subject property has been in the ownership of the State of Oregon since 1980, according to the applicant. Therefore, changing the land use designation from residential uses will not affect the adopted residential lands inventory. Based on fact that the amendment would have no effect on the adopted residential land supply, the proposed amendment is consistent with Statewide Planning Goal 10. Goal 11 - Public Facilities and Services: To plan and develop a timely, orderly and efficient arrangement of public facilities and services to serve as a framework for urban and rural development. The area affected by the amendments has long been located inside the city limits (annexed between 1864 and 1900). Adequate access to the City's stormwater system, public wastewater lines, water and power are available to the site. The existing level of public facilities and service is adequate to serve