Item 3: Ordinance on Walnut Station Mixed-Use Center (2)

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Attachment A measures for the Study update shall commence within two years of the date on which the City Council’s adoption of the S-WS Walnut Station Special Area Zone becomes effective. The final Study update shall be forwarded to the City Council within three years of that effective date. Mitigation measures included in the updated Study shall be implemented, along with any other measures deemed necessary by the city, as development and associated impacts occur, through the city’s development and building permit approval process and/or the city’s annual Capital Improvement Program. In preparing the report, city staff shall consult with representatives of the Fairmount Neighbors Association and the University of Oregon. th Access on 15 Avenue th 15 Avenue is the street that separates the Walnut Station Special Area Zone from the Fairmount th neighborhood. Some testimony raises concerns regarding vehicular access on 15 Avenue, especially in consideration of impacts to the neighborhood. This testimony requests that additional language be added to the Walnut Station Specific Area Plan to evaluate street classifications in the th Walnut Station area. 15 Avenue is classified as a local street and as such, the new access management provisions, applicable only to streets classified as arterials and major collectors, do not apply. The Technical Advisory Committee agreed that some access limitations on this street would be appropriate and as such, the Walnut Station Special Area Zone includes a provision (EC 9.3970(4)(c)) that allows no more than one access connection per tax lot per street frontage. This is the same access management provision that was adopted for arterials and major collectors. Additionally, based on the recommended policy above which requires an update to the Agate Street and Fairmount Neighborhood Traffic Calming Study, the classification of existing streets can be evaluated at that time. Neighborhood Parking Impacts The potential for spillover parking impacts on the Fairmount neighborhood has been raised as a concern, especially given that the current proposal for the Walnut Station Special Area Zone requirement includes an allowance to reduce parking requirements. There is not a to reduce parking in the plan area, but it is provided as an option for developers who choose to offer their products to market segments demanding less parking. Participants in development of the Walnut Station form based code recognized that parking requirements can significantly impact the way an area builds out and that addressing parking requirements can be one of the most significant elements in creating walkable communities. For this reason, providing for an optional reduction in parking in this area is seen as a significant contributor to achieving the vision for the area. There are characteristics of Walnut Station that are conducive to a reduction of required parking. The EmX bus rapid transit line is now established there, and the availability of transit means fewer people will need to arrive to the area in a vehicle. The University of Oregon is directly adjacent, so students and faculty have easy walking access to the area. The form based code has focused on facilitating mixed use development, and this also reduces parking demand since motorists only need to park once to visit of a number of destinations. However, there is the potential for the parking spillover impacts in the neighborhood, and these impacts need to be addressed. Residential Parking Programs (RRPs) are one of the most effective means of addressing spillover parking. The Arena Parking District established as part of an agreement for the Matthew Knight Arena provides a Residential Parking Program for the Fairmount neighborhood which restricts