CC Minutes - 04/20/11 Work Session

Home Browse Search

Ms. Ortiz determined from Mr. Bruce that the commission had discussed the role of schools when it discussed the transportation corridor strategy. Mr. Bruce suggested that the community was seeing the results of what he termed a "single demographic" in the development pattern that resulted in school -age children leaving when they grew up. He said diversity in housing types as well as population types and income levels was necessary. Speaking to the strategy related to 20- minute neighborhoods, Ms. Ortiz observed that there were few commercial retail businesses within walking distance of the Four Corners area. She asked how the City could realize that strategy in such neighborhoods in light of the pillar related to protection of neighborhood livability. Mr. Bruce responded that compatibility did not mean there would be no change. However, he believed the neighborhood could accommodate a range of uses that would be compatible both with what was in place today and tomorrow. Mr. Zelenka commended the way the presentation encouraged the council to think about the long -term and make more connections. He asked how the commission proposed that the City integrate the pillar related to climate change and energy uncertainty into the other pillars. Mr. Skov said the commission did not propose that the document be revised at this late date. The commission was more concerned about the need for more integrated thinking than about changes to the document. Mr. Boles concurred. He said the commission did not propose to eliminate the pillar, but wanted the council to recognize, when considering its decisions about other pillars, that they must be anchored in the realities of climate and energy uncertainty. Responding to a question from Mr. Zelenka, Mr. Bruce clarified that the commission's recommendations about housing affordability spoke to its concerns about what appeared to a focus on rental housing as affordable housing. Mr. Zelenka said the comment he heard most frequently from constituents was about the pillars related to the status of the Opportunity Siting and Infill Compatibility Standards projects. People wanted to know what the council was going to do, and he believed that was something the council needed to address soon. Mr. Farr recalled a discussion about the housing mix he had participated in as a member of the Community Resource Group that touched on the lack of diversity of the housing mix and the housing types used in other communities that were not widely available here, such as row housing developments. Those few row housing developments that had happened were very expensive. He believed the community needed to provide residents with lower cost home ownership opportunities that were not single- house, single -lot developments. Mr. Farr called for further discussion of the issue. He also suggested the council needed to consider the needs of those who could not afford any housing. Mr. Bruce believed Mr. Farr's remarks reinforced the importance of the implementation strategies. Mr. Skov emphasized the importance of considering other factors such as energy costs when discussing housing affordability. He suggested that 20- minute neighborhoods were a housing affordability strategy. He also suggested that the lack of transportation choices was an affordability issue as well as a health issue. He questioned whether those issues would be fully addressed through the transportation system plan update and urged the council to ask those responsible for that plan to discuss how they were dealing with integrated land use and transportation issues as well as health issues. Ms. Taylor advocated for inclusionary zoning to create income diversity in neighborhoods. She believed the City should attempt to repeal the State law prohibiting inclusionary zoning. She thought a mixture of housing types lent itself to a mixture of income levels. MINUTES — Eugene City Council April 20, 2011 Page 4 Work Session