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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02/23/1987 Meeting M I NUT E S -- Joint City Council/Planning Commission Dinner/Work Session Valley River Inn February 23, 1987 5:30 p.m. COUNCILORS PRESENT: Debra Ehrman, Emily Schue, Cynthia Wooten, Ruth Bascom, Roger Rutan, Jeff Miller, Rob Bennett. COUNCILORS ABSENT: Freeman Holmer. PLANNING COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Gerry Gaydos, Jim Ellison, Eleanor Mulder, Dorothy Anderson, Hugh Prichard, Nancy Nathanson, John Van Landingham. The work session of the Eugene City Council and the Eugene Planning Commission was called to order by His Honor Mayor Brian B. Obie. I. ALTERNATIVE INDUSTRIAL GROWTH AREAS STUDY PROCESS e Ms. Brody said the Alternative Industrial Growth Areas Study was initiated because of amendments submitted during the Metro Plan Mid-Period Review that would have resulted in expanding the urban growth boundary. She said one of the amendments involved the Awbrey-Meadowview site north of the city. The council decided not to approve the amendments that would have expanded the urban growth boundary and directed the preparation of the Alternative Industrial Growth Areas Study. Several things related to the inventory of industrial lands in the metropolitan area were considered in the study. She said the team that prepared the study was composed of staff from Eugene, Spri ngfi e 1 d, and Lane County. The draft of the study was completed comparatively quickly because most of the public input was deferred until the draft was completed. Ms. Brody said the Eugene, Springfield, and Lane County planning commissions held two public hearings on the draft study. The testimony indicated that the study was not adequate to make final decisions about changes in the industrial lands inventory and that the industrial lands inventory should be considered with the commercial lands inventory during the update of the Metro Plan. Ms. Brody reviewed issues addressed in the Alternative Industrial Growth Areas Study. She said the study conclusions state that past trends indicate that the existing industrial lands inventory is adequate. However, the study conclusions also state that some land allocations have been based on policies that indicate the kind of development people wish to attract. For example, allocations for special light industries are policy based. She said the study conclusions indicate that the light- and medium-industrial allocations are e MINUTES--Joint Eugene City Council/ February 23, 1987 Planning Commission Dinner Session Page 1 e adequate. The conclusions indicate that the inventory of heavy industrial sites might not be sufficient. She said there are some sites for heavy and special heavy industrial use in the Metro Plan but there are not many large heavy industrial sites with good rail access. Ms. Brody said the study analyzed heavy industrial sites that could be considered for inclusion in the urban growth boundary. The conclusions indicate that the Awbrey-Meadowview site, which is outside the urban growth boundary, would be appropriate for a special heavy industrial use and that the Natron site, which is inside the urban growth boundary, would be appropriate for a special heavy industrial use if the designation of the site is changed. She said there are several 50-acre and smaller sites within the urban growth boundary that have urban services and that are designated for heavy industrial use. Consequently, it would be a mistake to expand the urban growth boundary for a special heavy industrial site and then permit the site to be divided into small parcels. Ms. Brody said the Planning Commission recommended that the Alternative Industrial Growth Areas Study be incorporated into the Metro Plan Update Economy Working Paper and that Eugene not initiate a Metro Plan amendment for the Awbrey-Meadowview site now. e Gerry Gaydos, President of the Planning Commission, said the rationale for the Planning Commission's recommendation was that the impact of expanding the ur~an growth boundary on industrial sites and commercial lands within the boundary should be evaluated and balanced within the context of the Metro Plan. He said the testimony at the public hearings urged the planning commissions to make decisions about expanding the urban growth boundary during the Metro Plan Update. He said some planning commissioners expressed doubt about the ability of existing Metro Plan policies to support an amendment to increase the urban growth boundary for special heavy industrial use. He said most planning commissioners think some changes to Metro Plan policies will be needed if an amendment to increase the urban growth boundary for special heavy industrial use is proposed. Mayor Obie suggested Stub Stewart, one of the owners of the Awbrey-Meadowview site, address the commission and council. Mr. Stewart said he and five other people purchased the Awbrey-Meadowview property in 1966 when it was zoned for heavy industrial use. He said Burlington Northern and Southern Pacific railroad officials encouraged the purchase because they were interested in developing an industrial park oriented to rail use. He said members of the group also purchased property along the Wi 1 lamette River to hold until the City had funds to purchase it for a park. That property is now part of Alton Baker Park. He said other members of the group purchased land in the Conger Street area for the Eugene Industrial Development Corporation. He said the group viewed the potential industrial development as providing the same sort of opportunity for the community as potential park development. He said they wanted to protect the environment and achieve economic diversification long before it became a popul ar crusade. e MINUTES--Joint Eugene City Council/ February 23, 1987 Planning Commission Dinner Session Page 2 -- Mr. Stewart said the City began developing the 1990 Plan shortly after the Awbrey-Meadowvi ew property was purchased and the 1990 Pl an changed the designation of the property from industrial to agricultural. He said railroad representatives backed away from working with the property owners and the property owners began the protracted process of changi ng the 1 and IS designation. Mr. Stewart said the property owners are very frustrated from trying to work with the City about the designation on the property. He said the Awbrey- Meadowview property has certain characteristics that the community needs and which are acknowledged in the Alternative Industrial Growth Areas Study. He said the property owners have spent years discussing process without being able to discuss the merits of the property. Now, the Planning Commission recommends that the discussion of the property's merits be put off for another two-and-a-half to three years. Mr. Stewart said the property owners find it frustrating to repeatedly state that they are willing to have the Awbrey-Meadowview site annexed to Eugene, that they are willing to do whatever City officials wish, and that they are willing to pay for extending services to the property. He said all they want is the opportunity to provide industrial development that will benefit the community. e Mr. Stewart said it is frustrating to be asked and expected to support community projects such as the Metropolitan Partnership, the 6th and 7th Avenues improvements, and the airport expansion, without being able to get beyond a discussion of the process for considering the Awbrey-Meadowview site. He said Lane County officials indicated support for the development of the site by formally asking that a Metro Plan amendment be initiated for it. He said he understood that the Springfield Planning Commission indicated there is a need to increase the inventory of heavy industrial lands. Mr. Stewart read a quotation from Governor Goldschmidt and said Eugene could join Governor Goldschmidt's action plan by directing that a Metro Plan amendment for the Awbrey-Meadowview site be initiated now. He said the site is needed for industries that use railroads and no other sites in the metropolitan area are like it. Mayor Obie said the proponents of the Awbrey-Meadowview site said they had not had an opportuni ty to address the council previ ously. Consequently, he invited them to speak this evening. He pointed out that the council will not make a decision on the issue tonight. Ms. Anderson said the Metro Plan policies were very important in her decision about when an amendment for the Awbrey-Meadowview site' should be considered. She said the question is whether the best time to consider changes to the existing Metro Plan policies is during the Metro Plan Update or when one amendment is considered. She said the existing Metro Plan policies indicate that a new type of heavy industrial use was not envisioned for the community. She said the existing heavy industries and the need for their expansion was recognized in the 1990 Plan but a conscious decision was made not to provide for new types of heavy industrial development. She said there may be good e MINUTES--Joint Eugene City Council/ February 23, 1987 Planning Commission Dinner Session Page 3 e e e reasons for changing the existing Metro Plan policies but the entire community should be involved in the change and it should be done before an expansion of the urban growth boundary is considered. Answering a question from Mayor Obie, Ms. Anderson said the existing Metro Plan policies indicate a need for diversity and a desire for light and light- medium industries. She said some kinds of heavy industrial uses require pollution controls. She urged people to read all the policies in the Economy Section of the Metro Plan. She said the trend is evident. Answering questions from Ms. Bascom, Ms. Brody said the entire Awbrey- Meadowview site is about 700 acres. She said the conclusions in the Alternative Industrial Growth Areas Study indicate that only about 200 acres of the site should be considered for inclusion in the urban growth boundary. She said the study indicates that a need for the Awbrey-Meadowview site cannot be based on past trends. It indicates that a need for including the site in the urban growth boundary would have to be based on policies in the Metro Plan. It indicates that the Awbrey-Meadowview site is the most appropriate of the sites analyzed for inclusion within the urban growth boundary for heavy industrial development. She said the Planning Commission did not debate which of the heavy industrial sites would be the best to include in the urban growth boundary. The commission1s recommendation indicates the process in which the Awbrey-Meadowview site should be considered. Ms\ Brody said the Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC) would look for consistency with the Metro Plan policies if it reviewed a Metro Plan amendment to expand the urban growth boundary. She said the existing Metro Plan policies are not negative about the Awbrey-Meadowview site but they focus on a need for light and light-medium industries. She said the Metro Plan policies might need to indicate in a stronger way that the community would like to make more land available for heavy industrial uses. She said a plan amendment and a poliCY amendment could be proposed at the same time. Mr. Gaydos said consideration of the Awbrey-Meadowview site got "derailed" at the public hearings of the planning commissions because the Springfield and Eugene chambers of commerce recommended that the A 1 ternat ive Industri a 1 Growth Areas Study be incorporated into the Metro Plan Update. He said there was no negative response to those recommendations. Ms. Mulder said the owners of the Awbrey-Meadowview site did not testify at the public hearings. Responding to a question from Mayor Obie and Mr. Prichard, Mr. Stewart said the Awbrey-Meadowview property owners thought they would be represented by the Chambers of Commerce. He said the opportunity to testify "fell through the cracks." Ms. Wooten wondered if the Alternative Industrial Growth Areas Study would have been considered for adoption before January 1 if the Chambers of Commerce had not requested it be incorporated into the Metro Pl an Update and, consequently, delayed. Mr. Gaydos responded that the Planning Commission did not discuss the merits of the study conclusions. MINUTES--Joint Eugene City Council/ February 23, 1987 Planning Commission Dinner Session Page 4 e Answering a question from Mayor Obie, Ms. Brody said the issues before the council are: 1) whether to incorporate the Alternative Industrial Growth Areas Study into the Metro Plan Update and 2) whether to initiate a Metro Plan amendment for the Awbrey-Meadowview site now. Mr. Miller reviewed the history of the Awbrey-Meadowview site. Responding to his comment, Ms. Brody said there are heavy industrial sites within the urban growth boundary but they are not in one ownership and they do not have as good rail access as the Awbrey-Meadowview site. Answering a question from Ms. Ehrman, Mr. Gaydos said he does not necessarily think the existing industrial land allocations are adequate. Mr. Van Landingham said he would have favored the proposed amendment if the issue had concerned the amount of industrial land that is needed. However, in his opinion, the issue was whether a comprehensive evaluation of industrial land is undertaken or whether only one property is evaluated. As a planner, he favors a comprehensive consideration of all the issues. He said he might make another decision if he were a politician. Mr. Rutan revi ewed the process of getting the Metro Pl an approved and acknowledged. He discussed the Industrial Lands Task Force and said compromises were made. He said the immediate issue before the council is, IIHow should the council proceed to consider the Awbrey-Meadowview site?" He said the Alternative Industrial Growth Areas Study indicated to him that the issue should be considered now. He said the Metro Plan amendment process will take into consideration parcel size and other issues. He urged the council to start the process of considering the Awbrey-Meadowview site. e Answering questions from Ms. Wooten, Mr. Rutan said it is important to start considering the Awbrey-Meadowview site because the process of amending the Metro Plan is so long and the site cannot be marketed until it is within the urban growth boundary. Answering questions from Ms. Schue, Ms. Brody said Statewide Planning Goals No.3 and No. 14 would have to be satisfied and adequate findings would have to be developed to justify expanding the urban growth boundary. A need for the expansion would have to be demonstrated. She said much of the necessary analysis is in the Alternative Industrial Growth Areas Study. Of course, the findings might be challenged in the courts. Replying to a question from Ms. Ehrman, Teresa Bishow of the Planning Department said the Awbrey-Meadowview site was zoned for industrial use in Lane County before the 1990 Plan. In the 1990 Plan, the land was designated for agricultural use. She said industrial uses are no longer considered appropriate for lands outside the urban growth boundary. Responding to questions from Ms. Wooten, Ms. Brody said about seven parcels of 40 to 50 acres south of the Awbrey-Meadowview site are designated for special heavy industrial use. Rail access is close but it might be difficult to get a rail spur to those properties. She said there is special heavy industrial land in the Natron site in Springfield and there are heavy industrial sites elsewhere in the metropolitan area. She said the Alternative Industrial e MINUTES--Joint Eugene City Council/ February 23, 1987 Planning Commission Dinner Session Page 5 e Growth Areas Study indicates the Awbrey-Meadowview site should be a site of approximately 200 acres because it would be hard to justify the addition of small parcels. She said the Awbrey-Meadowview site is unique because it is in one ownership and has direct rail access. Answering questions from Mr. Bennett, Mr. Gaydos and Mr. Prichard said they were in the minority when the Planning Commission made its recommendation. He said he thought the councills direction was for the commission to consider the merits of the Awbrey-Meadowview site but that action was "sidetracked" at the public hearing when the owners did not testify. Mr. Prichard said the Awbrey- Meadowview site is unique and a decision should be made about it. He said things change and the decision should not be made on policies developed in the 601s. Mr. Bennett said it is important to evaluate how sites compete regionally. He said the Awbrey-Meadowview site is unique for certain uses and there should be some way to indicate to the LCDC that the Awbrey-Meadowview site is very competitive for some uses. He said additional information will not change the issues. He said the council should consider the site. Ms. Bascom said the council initiated the Alternative Industrial Growth Areas Study which indicates to her that the Awbrey-Meadowview site should be considered if additional special heavy industrial land is needed. She said the completion of the study seems to finish the planning process. e Mayor Obie said several councilors asked the Planning Commission to ensure that the Awbrey-Meadowview site was considered during the Mid-Period Review because the issue has festered for a long time in the community and because an opportunity for economic development should be reviewed. He said he does not favor considering the site during the Metro Plan Update because the update will not be completed for at least three years and then the property would have to be marketed before the community could benefit from development on the site. He said the 200-acre site provides a unique marketing opportunity and he supports maintaining it as a 200-acre site. Mayor Obie urged the planning commissioners to remember they are a citizen advisory group. He said they are not professional planners. He said the commission is a buffer and the commissioners have a planning viewpoint. He said consideration of the Awbrey-Meadowview site is a timely, public issue now because of the community's deep economic problems. He said it is important to address the problems now. He said there may be another recession in three years and that would not be a good time to address economic problems. Mayor Obie said the Awbrey-Meadowv;ew site is marginal agricultural land and lack of an appropriate designation may result in the loss of an economic development opportunity. Mr. Rutan said members of the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce told him they requested a 60- to 90-day delay in considering the Alternative Industrial Growth Areas Study. They did not anticipate a two-year delay. He said the LCDC staff has told him Eugene could proceed with an amendment to include the Awbrey-Meadowview site in the urban growth boundary. They said the decision should be made by the City Council. e MINUTES--Joint Eugene City Council/ February 23, 1987 Planning Commission Dinner Session Page 6 e Mr. Miller said he has heard several good reasons for considering the Awbrey- Meadowview site. He said the councilors indicated some time ago that the redesignation process would be accelerated if a specific company wanted to locate on the site. Therefore, it seems inconsistent for the council not to consider the redesignation of the site now. Ms. Ehrman said she was told that the lack of adequate infrastructure in the community is more of a deterrent to economic development than the lack of adequately zoned land. Answering her question, Ms. Brody said Eugene- Springfield Metropolitan Partnership representatives testified at the planning commissionsl public hearing that there would be merit in having a large site for special heavy industrial development. Answering another question from Ms. Ehrman, Ms. Mulder said the Awbrey- Meadowview site is the most likely site to be considered for expansion of the urban growth boundary if a 200-acre site is desired. She said a criterion concerning single ownership of a parcel has not been used in the Metro Plan previously. Ms. Brody said consideration of a Metro Plan amendment concerning the Awbrey- Meadowview property would be in a quasi-judicial procedure and councilors would have to declare conflicts of interest and ex parte contacts. Therefore, she suggested the council focus on the process for considering an amendment. Ms. Anderson emphasized that the council must deal with the policies in the Metro Plan when it makes a decision about the Awbrey-Meadowview site. e Ms. Mulder said the policies in the Metro Plan should be addressed before a site specific amendment is addressed. II. PLANNING COMMISSION WORK PROGRAM Ms. Brody reviewed the process for developing the Planning Commission and Planning Department work program. She said the driVing forces behind the work program are the Cityls economic diversification objectives, the State land use planning program, metropolitan and city growth and development issues, implementation of adopted plans, and the administration of the City Code. Answering questions from Ms. Ehrman, Ms. Brody said the 19th and Agate Street Study will involve an area zoned for neighborhood commercial uses in which there is not enough parking for commercial uses. She said the issue of appropriate uses for the neighborhood commercial zoning district has also been raised. She said the business owners in the area want the issues resolved. She said the results of the study may be used in other commercial areas and in the Metro Plan Update. Ms. Bascom said she urged preparation of the 19th and Agate Street Study. She said the area seems to have potential. Replying to questions from Mayor Obie and Mr. Rutan, Ms. Brody discussed the priorities given the projects in the work program by the staff and Planning e MINUTES--Joint Eugene City Council/ February 23, 1987 Planning Commission Dinner Session Page 7 / e Commission. She said the West Eugene Parkway received a "high" priority because the staff must work on wetlands issues. The library Expansion Study will be the second report of the Future of Our library Committee. The Planning Commission receives reports of the committeels work but will not act on the report. The council will consider the report. Answering a question from Ms. Wooten, Ms. Brody said the responsibility for considering housing policy and planning issues was transferred to the Planning Commission when the Joint Housing Committee was disbanded several years ago. The commissioners want to define the Cityls role in housing issues and are beginning the work. Replying to other questions from Ms. Ehrman, Ms. Brody said owners in the Chase Gardens area want to develop property and the Metro Plan indicates a refinement plan should be prepared for the area. She said the owners probably will hire a consultant to do some of the work. The property is not within the city limits. She said the Entrance Beautification Financing Plan results from council direction to the staff to find ways to finance the improvements identified in the Entrance Beautification Study. Mayor Obie said the Chase Gardens property is unique. He also said he was distressed to learn that the C. S. Williams House at 228 East 12th Avenue was destroyed, probably because the owner felt threatened. Ms. Brody said the house was on the National Register of Historic Places but it did not have a City landmark designation. She said the City could not stop the demolition. e Ms. Wooten said she was upset by the lack of communication among all the people involved and the lack of discussions with the C. S. Williams House owner about pending historic designation. Mr. Gaydos said sometimes things in the Planning Commission work program take more time than anticipated. Therefore, he appreciates the process for developing the work program and the councills review of it. He suggested the councilors notify the planning commissioners if too much time is spent on issues. Responding to a request from Ms. Wooten, Ms. Anderson said consensus among planning commissioners and downtown commissioners and the relationships of the Planning Commission, Downtown Commission, and City Council may become issues. Mr. Gaydos said both the Planning Commission and Downtown Commission decided a tentative recommendation from the Downtown Commission about the Urban Renewal Plan Update would promote public comment. He said there was a need to focus pub 1 i c comment and the Downtown Commi ss ion recommendation accomplished that. Ms. Mulder said the Planning Commission and the Downtown Commission have different responsibilities and constituencies. She hopes the councilors will not be uncomfortable if the commissions make different recommendations. Mr. Prichard said the general public does not understand the roles of the Planning Commission and Downtown Commission in the Urban Renewal Update process. He suggested another process be used next time. Ms. Schue said the discussions this evening have been helpful. e MINUTES--Joint Eugene City Council/ February 23, 1987 Planning Commission Dinner Session Page 8 e e e Mr. Rutan said the council appreciates the Planning Commission's work and recommendations. Mayor Obie thanked the planning commissioners for their work and adjourned the meeting at 7:20 p.m. ~~ Micheal Gleas City Manager (Recorded by Betty Lou Rarick) mncc0223 -r- MINUTES--Joint Eugene City Council/ February 23, 1987 Planning Commission Dinner Session Page 9