Item C: Region 2050 Update - Laserfiche WebLink

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The draft Southern Willamette Valley Regional Growth Management Strategy can be viewed in its entirety online at: http://www.region2050 . org/pdf/meetings/022006/DRAFTStrategy. pdf At this juncture, the future of Region 2050 is unclear. On March 6, 2006, the City of Springfield declined to participate in more Region 2050 planning activities. This raises the question of whether any future products or actions that do not have Springfield's consent qualify as RPS. In its deliberations, the Springfield City Council expressed concerns that the draft strategy was too broad and did not adequately identify or focus on specific problems or supply specific solutions, and that this process may limit each city's autonomy to act in its best interest. Additionally, on March 27,2006, the City of Cottage Grove took similar action. Representatives from the Policy Board, LCOG, and Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) will meet on April 10, 2006, to discuss the project's future. At the very least, the Region 2050 process provided a forum for communities in this region to meet regularly and share concerns about local growth and other issues that affect, and are affected by the Eugene-Springfield metropolitan area. The process provided much data that enabled several small communities to further their local planning efforts. The strategy, as drafted, provides regionally coordinated voluntary actions in the categories listed above based on the desires of each community. For example, one of the most interesting and impactful strategies is a new regional distribution of projected growth. The draft strategy, if adopted by the participating jurisdictions, creates a regional compact growth scenario that would encourage more growth in the smaller communities (at least to a point), lower target populations in Eugene, and higher densities within the Eugene urban growth boundary. The draft strategy also identified logical future Urban Growth Boundary expansion areas that might become new Urban Reserves if approved by the state through RPS (excerpts from the strategy regarding growth projections are attached to this agenda item summary). The strategy suggests each city would voluntarily initiate plan amendments so that the local growth management strategy would be consistent with the regional strategy, and that a regional monitoring system be instituted in 2012 and every ten years thereafter. The strategy suggests that an intergovernmental agreement would be required of the local and state jurisdictions to endorse the regional strategy. Other issues raised through Region 2050 include (to name just a few): strategies for achieving jobs- housing balance in satellite communities; regional transportation and transit needs; regional services (e.g., water, wastewater); affordable housing; regional economic planning; natural resource protection; subsistence farming; and opportunities to pursue increased funding opportunities on behalf of the region. If all or part of this RPS program survives, and if there is interest by this City Council to continue the City of Eugene's participation, the draft strategy will be analyzed and refined over the next year, providing better information about how the strategy will be implemented, and its costs, impacts, and local obligations. RELATED CITY POLICIES In 1999, the City Council by resolution supported the concept of a coordinated growth management strategy for the southern Willamette Valley region. The draft strategy (2006) differs from adopted plans, such as the Metro Plan, partly because its scope addresses a larger planning area, longer planning period, and larger projected populations. LICMOl2006 Council Agendas1M0604101S060410C.doc