Item A: Envision Eugene - Housing Mix and Industrial Lands

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Eugene needed housing density and mix ECONorthwest Page preferences; (2) the community’s preferences for both accommodating growth within the UGB and for protecting the quality and characteristics of existing neighborhoods; and (3) the requirements of Goal 10 for the City to show that it can achieve the needed density and mix. 6 Given these considerations, what is the reasonable upper bound on housing density and mix? We address this question in more detail below: Would it be reasonable for the City to plan for a 100% increase in density, from an average of 7.3 dwellings per net acre to an average of 14.6 dwellings per net acre? That would require a change in mix to about 40% single-family detached and 60% multifamily housing types, with densities for all types of units increasing by 50% or more. 7 Would it be reasonable for the City to plan for a 50% increase in density, from an average of 7.3 dwellings per net acre to an average of 10.9 dwellings per net acre? That would require a change in mix to about 45% single-family detached and 65% multifamily housing types, with densities for all types of units increasing by about 30% or more. 8 These assumptions do not seem reasonable because there is no precedence for these magnitudesof change in a suburban city of Eugene’s size in Oregon. In addition, these housing types are in the upward bounds of housing density developed in Eugene over the last decade and representative of housing demand for a portion of the market but not a broad range of the market. By comparison, Portland Metro sets density targets for cities within the Metro Urban Growth Boundary. For larger cities, the target is 10 dwelling units per net acre and a 50/50 housing mix split. Eugene would need to establish a robust policy framework like Metro’s to achieve an average density of 10 dwelling units per net acre. In our opinion, a reasonable upper bound of the increase in overall housing density over the next 20 years would be on the order of 25% to 30%. A 30% increase in overall Those limits result from the requirement that the city provide evidence that demonstrates that it can achieve the 6 needed density and mix. In short, as the density and mix deviates more from the actual observed results, the higher the burden of proof that policy initiatives will result in the needed density and mix. For example, single-family detached units would have a density of 8.6 du/net acre and structures with five more 7 units would have a density of 39.7 du/net acre. The average gross lot size for all units would be 2,980 square feet and 5,056 square feet for single-family units. For example, single-family detached units would have a density of 6.8 du/net acre and structures with five more 8 units would have a density of 31.3 du/net acre. The average gross lot size for all units would be 3,981 square feet and 6,406 square feet for single-family units. PC AIS, p14