CC Minutes - 07/20/11 Work Session

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Mayor Piercy expressed appreciation for the work the manager had done to incorporate the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) into council decisions. C. WORK SESSION: Multi -Unit Property Tax Exemption ( MUPTE) - Envision Eugene Implementation Planning Director Lisa Gardner and Senior Planner Nan Laurence joined the council for the item and provided a PowerPoint presentation entitled "Envision Eugene and MUPTE." Ms. Gardner placed MUPTE within the context of the Envision Eugene planning process and the two of the Seven Pillars of Envision Eugene, Promote compact urban development and efficient transportation options and Protect, repair, and enhance neighborhood livability. She envisioned that MUPTE could be used to support Opportunity Siting for denser multi - family development, and emphasized . the high level of public involvement associated with the Opportunity Siting process. Ms. Laurence provided more details on how MUPTE could be used as an implementation tool for Envision Eugene to encourage desired development and shape how the community grew. She reviewed the rules governing MUPTE and shared a brief history of its use in Eugene over the past 30 years. Ms. Laurence reminded the council that the ordinance that enabled the use of the MUPTE in Eugene expires in January 2012. The State of Oregon recently extended the sunset for all MUPTE programs to 2022. She said the council could modify the boundary of the area to which MUPTE applied if certain criteria were satisfied, including that the new district or area needs to be either a `core area' or `transit - oriented area' (within one - quarter mile of transit) and projects within a transit - oriented area need to facilitate access to public transportation. Ms. Laurence suggested the pending sunset date had implications for two downtown housing development proposals being contemplated as the developers had indicated the MUPTE was critical for the projects to succeed. Ms. Laurence noted recent changes in State law that allowed the City to exempt commercial uses to support the development of mixed -use buildings. She suggested that represented an additional tool to encourage mixed -use development downtown on a case -by -case basis, and could be used to support mixed -use as a desired form to development to implement the recommendations of Envision Eugene. Ms. Laurence anticipated that after the council recess staff would return with a proposed ordinance to extend the sunset date for the Downtown Plan area. She also suggested the possibility that the council would consider extending the use of the MUPTE as one of a range of incentives to help the community realize its goals around development form, character, and density along transit corridors as the City implemented Envision Eugene. Ms. Gardner reported that the Eugene Planning Commission discussed MUPTE at its most recent meeting and indicated its interest in providing the council with input on where MUPTE was applied in the community. Mr. Clark arrived during the presentation. MINUTES— Eugene City Council July 20, 2011 Page 4 Work Session