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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 4: Metro Plan Amendment for River Ridge LTD/Jeffries ECC UGENE ITY OUNCIL AIS GENDA TEM UMMARY Action: Initiation of Metro Plan Amendment for River Ridge LTD/Jeffries Meeting Date: August 11, 2008 Agenda Item Number: 4 Department: Planning and Development Staff Contact: Alissa Hansen www.eugene-or.gov Contact Telephone Number: 541/682-5508 ISSUE STATEMENT This item is a request for the City Council to initiate an amendment to the Eugene-Springfield Metropolitan General Area Plan (Metro Plan) to re-designate property owned by River Ridge LTD/Deborah and Eric Jeffries from Parks and Open Space to Low Density Residential on the Metro Plan land use diagram. Initiation of such an amendment does not infer City Council support for the amendment, but rather begins the public process through which the council will consider the merits of the amendment. BACKGROUND The property subject to this request is located at the northwest corner of Ayres Road and North Delta Highway and consists of approximately 63 acres. A portion of the subject property is within the city limits, while the remainder is located between the city limits and the urban growth boundary (UGB). A portion of the property also lies outside of the UGB; however, that portion is not subject to this initiation request. A map of the subject property is provided as Attachment A. The subject property has been developed with the privately owned RiverRidge Golf Course since 1988 and also contains two residences. The current base zoning of the subject property is R-1 Low Density Residential and the current land use designation is Parks and Open Space in both the Metro Plan and the Willakenzie Area Plan. In 2004, City Council approved a Metro Plan amendment that was a comprehensive update of the land use diagram, often referred to as the “housekeeping amendments.” One of the purposes of this update was to bring the land use designations in the Metro Plan into alignment with the land use designations found in area-specific refinement plans, such as the Willakenzie Area Plan. As part of the housekeeping amendments, the Metro Plan designation for the River Ridge LTD/Jeffries property subject to this request was changed from Low Density Residential to Parks and Open Space to bring the property’s Metro Plan designation into alignment with its designation in the Willakenzie Area Plan, the applicable adopted refinement plan. The base zoning of the subject property remained R-1 Low Density Residential. Although this action resulted in consistency and alignment between the land use diagrams of the Metro Plan and the Willakenzie Area Plan, this action also resulted in unintended consequences for the subject property. When the Willakenzie Area Plan was adopted in 1992, the subject property was designated Parks/Open Space in that plan. This designation was applied in recognition of the existing golf course use of the Z:\CMO\2008 Council Agendas\M080811\S0808114.doc property, not to preclude other available uses. The property retained a base zoning of RA Suburban Residential (converted to R-1 Low Density Residential during the 2001 land use code update). At that time, there was no zone that specifically implemented a Parks/Open Space land use designation. Although the Metro Plan was amended concurrently when the Willakenzie Area Plan was adopted, the Metro Plan land use designation for this property remained Low Density Residential, which had been in place since 1982. At the time when the Willakenzie Area was adopted, the City viewed refinement plan land use diagrams as providing more specific direction, thereby overriding the more general information provided in the Metro Plan diagram. As such, the City did not rely on the Metro Plan diagram for those affected neighborhoods and, therefore, there was no need to make changes to the Metro Plan diagram (the changes were already made on the refinement plan diagram). Since then, court decisions regarding the relationship between the Metro Plan and the City’s refinement plans have clarified a more rigid hierarchy, with the Metro Plan controlling in most circumstances. The actions taken in the Metro Plan housekeeping amendments were in response to and in alignment with this clarification in the hierarchy and the intent of the refinement plan policy direction. In this case, the change in designation sets up a more prescribed path for how the R-1 Low Density Residential zoning can by fully utilized. Under the current conditions, a plan amendment would be required. Under the previous designation, it is not as clear that a formal plan amendment process would have been necessary. The owner of the subject property has met with City and County elected officials and staff to discuss options to address this situation, which is similar to a situation that arose in the Jefferson-Westside neighborhood where, through the Metro Plan housekeeping amendments, a change in designation resulted in unintended consequences. Although the circumstances were somewhat different, to rectify that situation, the City Council initiated a Metro Plan amendment on behalf of the Jefferson-Westside neighborhood to change the designation back to the designation in place prior to the Metro Plan housekeeping amendments. Based on the actions taken in the Jefferson-Westside situation, it was determined that this current situation would be brought back to the City Council for formal consideration of initiation of an amendment. In similar fashion to the Jefferson-Westside situation, this work item will need to be added to the Planning Division work program as a high priority task in order for the Planning Division to prioritize staff resources to process the amendment. Lane County will be considering an initiation of a Metro Plan amendment for the portion of the River Ridge LTD property that is located outside of the UGB and within the Metro Plan boundaries to re- designate that portion from Sand and Gravel to Agricultural. For the portion of the subject property between the city limits and the UGB, Lane County will be required to participate in the decision making. For continuity and efficiency, these requests will be considered concurrently by both jurisdictions during the formal review process. A Metro Plan amendment of this nature requires a joint public hearing with the City of Eugene and the Lane County Planning Commissions, followed by a joint public hearing before the City Council and the Lane County Board of Commissioners before a decision is rendered. Initiation of such an amendment does not infer City Council support for the amendment, but rather allows for the amendment to proceed through the public process and for the City Council to consider the merits of the request, before making a decision on the matter. Additional background information regarding this request will be provided in the agenda packet for a public hearing on this item. Findings providing a detailed analysis of the proposal relative to the applicable approval criteria from the Eugene Code will also be provided in conjunction with the hearing packet. The applicable approval criteria Z:\CMO\2008 Council Agendas\M080811\S0808114.doc from section 9.7730(3) of the Eugene Code require that a Metro Plan amendment be consistent with the Statewide Planning Goals and not make the Metro Plan internally inconsistent. RELATED CITY POLICIES The applicable adopted plans for the subject property are the Metro Plan and the Willakenzie Area Plan. However, as this item is a request to initiate a Metro Plan amendment only and not to consider the merits of the proposal, any relevant policy analysis will be provided in conjunction the public review process, which will include a public hearing before the City Council. COUNCIL OPTIONS The City Council may consider the following options: 1.Initiate the Metro Plan amendment 2.Decline to initiate the Metro Plan amendment 3.Decline to initiate the Metro Plan amendment and advise the property owner to submit a Metro Plan amendment application and application fee, as provided for by the Eugene Code CITY MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION Option 1: The City Manager recommends the City Council initiate a Metro Plan amendment to re- designate the subject property from Parks and Open Space to Low Density Residential, and direct the City Manager to make this task one of the high priority tasks on the Planning Division work plan and to process this amendment as quickly as practicable within the parameters of the amendment process. SUGGESTED MOTION Move to initiate an amendment of the Metro Plan to re-designate the subject property from Parks and Open Space to Low Density Residential. In addition, direct the City Manager to make this task one of the high priority tasks on the Planning Division work plan and to process this amendment as quickly as practicable within the parameters of the amendment process. ATTACHMENTS A.Map of property subject to this request FOR MORE INFORMATION Staff Contact: Alissa Hansen Telephone: 541/682-5508 Staff E-Mail: alissa.h.hansen@ci.eugene.or.us Z:\CMO\2008 Council Agendas\M080811\S0808114.doc Attachment A River Ridge LTD/Jeffries Property Eugene City Limits Urban Growth Boundary Legend Property Subject to Request Eugene City Limits Urban Growth Boundary Water Bodies Feet 05001,000250