Item A: Envision Eugene - Flexible Implementation and Urban Growth Boundary Study Area Update

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ECC UGENE ITY OUNCIL AIS GENDA TEM UMMARY Work Session: Envision Eugene - Flexible Implementation and Urban Growth Boundary Study Area Update Meeting Date: February 22, 2012 Agenda Item Number: A Department: Planning and Development Staff Contact: Lisa Gardner www.eugene-or.gov Contact Telephone Number: 541-682-5208 ISSUE STATEMENT th The purpose of this work session is twofold. First, it provides an opportunity to consider the how the 7 pillar of Envision Eugene, “Provide for Adaptable, Flexible and Collaborative Implementation” may be achieved in the future. While this pillar addresses a broad range of concepts, this work session will focus on the monitoring, evaluation, and adjustment of factors that affect the future supply and demand of land. A copy of this pillar and its associated strategies and tactics is included as Attachment A. Second, this work session provides an opportunity to update the City Council on analysis of potential urban growth boundary expansion areas for single-family residential homes. BACKGROUND Flexible Implementation The City is legally required to establish a Eugene-only urban growth boundary (UGB) that includes enough residential, commercial and industrial land to accommodate 20 years of Eugene’s projected population growth. Envision Eugene is describing how the community wants to grow, creating a community vision of what Eugene will look like in the future, and identifying strategies and actions necessary to implement this vision. There are many “unknowns” when creating a 20-year plan. For some variables, such as the population projection, state law specifies the way cities must address the uncertainty. For other variables, assumptions and projections must be utilized to forecast the future. With the involvement of the Technical Resource Group (TRG), a sub-committee of the Community Resource Group, many of these assumptions and projections have been vetted to ensure that they are well-informed. However, there is no way to eliminate all uncertainty and some of the assumptions and projections are still only best guesses at what the future will hold. Only with the passage of time will it be known whether past assumptions and projections were correct. It is possible that, after ten years, it is found that some of the assumptions and projections differ significantly from what has actually occurred. To ensure that the city continues to have a reliable plan that is based on relevant information, a robust system of monitoring, evaluation and adjustment must accompany the plan.  Monitoring: The City will conduct on-going data monitoring and data collection of the factors that influence the supply and demand for land. Attachment B is a detailed list of the types of issues that can be tracked and the specific data that will be monitored. While data related to many of these factors can be collected fairly easily, some factors may require new data collection S:\CMO\2012 Council Agendas\M120222\S120222A.doc