Item 2A: Approval of City Council Minutes

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Ms. Harding indicated that there were four recommendations in the first round, although the two related to parking had been grouped together. The recommendations were: 1. R-3/R-4 Parking Strategies and parking for Subsidized Housing a. Near the University of Oregon: i. Require more off-street parking for apartments with three or more bedrooms ii. Allow tandem parking to count toward the minimum off-street parking requirements iii. Amend the West University Refinement Plan (Policy 3A) regarding parking for consistency with the new code b. City-wide: i. Require less parking for low-income, senior and disabled housing developments ii. Clarify the City’s requirements for off-site parking leases iii. Adjust dimensional standards for parking spaces along alleys to allow for more backup space Ms. Harding said the Planning Commission was generally supportive of the package of parking amendments and encouraged the City to blaze a path for creative solutions like car-sharing and tandem parking. She said the commission asked staff to develop code language for car-sharing as that was not currently in the ordinance. The language would allow, for each 15 spaces required, a credit of three spaces for each shared car, up to three credits per development. Ms. Harding reviewed the recommendations related to building height limitations. She said the proposal was to reduce allowable building height in the R-3 zone from 50 to 35 feet, and in the R-4 zone from 120 feet to 35, 50, 75, or 90 feet, depending on location and size of the development site. She used drawings to illustrate implementation of the proposed building heights and compare them to the MiCAP (Minor Code Amendments) regulations they would replace. She said while the building heights represented compromise, there was still some opposition to the 90-foot height without additional design standards. Ms. Harding used an aerial photograph to illustrate the R-2 zoned areas within the Jefferson-Westside neighborhood that would be subject to proposed standards related to dwellings per lot, sloped setbacks, building height, roof form, parking and open space. She said the proposal would allow dwellings per lot within the medium density range of the Metro Plan, from 10.3 to 15 per acre, and the sloped setback concept would establish a compatible building envelope for all new construction. Next steps included a public hearing before the council on November 16, with action scheduled for December 14. Ms. Piercy asked if there had been any discussion of providing rent discounts to students who did not use a vehicle. She noted that some individuals had expressed an interest in developing a ride-share program in the community. Ms. Harding said that question had not been raised. She said there was a shared car th arrangement among three developments on 19 Avenue and membership by residents was voluntary. Mr. Clark thanked members of the task team for their work. He asked if the number of housing units lost by reducing the maximum building height from 120 to 90 feet within the designated zones had been calculated. Ms. Harding said that had not been calculated, but information gathered by volunteers in the neighborhood showed that maximum density could be achieved within the lower height. She said the discussion had focused on reducing excess capacity. MINUTES—Eugene City Council November 9, 2009 Page 3 Work Session