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HomeMy WebLinkAbout07/31/1991 Meeting e M I NUT E S Eugene City Council McNutt Room--City Hall July 31, 1991 11 :30 a.m. COUNCILORS PRESENT: Roger Rutan (until 1:15 p.m.), Shawn Boles, Debra Ehrman, Ruth Bascom, Randy MacDonald, Kaye Robinette, Paul Nicholson, Bobby Green (until 1 p.m.) The adjourned meeting of July 24, 1991, of the Eugene City Council was called to order by His Honor Mayor Jeff Miller. I. ITEMS FROM THE CITY COUNCIL, MAYOR, AND CITY MANAGER A. Enlarging the Property Tax Exemption Boundary Referring to a memo the council received from staff regarding enlargement of the property tax exemption boundary, Ms. Ehrman said that she supports staff's suggestion for processing the issue through the Planning Commission e and the neighborhood groups. She asked that staff inform Mr. Von Klein, who initiated the request, that the issue is being processed. Mr. Boles cautioned that the City should not be losing its housing stock in the process of re-eva1uating the boundary. The council asked Richie Weinman, Planning and Development staff, to be sensitive to this concern. B. Performance Audit Mr. Rutan highlighted a memo outlining the process that would be followed for the performance audit. If councilors have any questions or concerns regard- ing the process, they should be raised soon. Mr. Boles asked whether the recommended process would be sufficient to re- spond to citizen concerns about administrative overhead costs. In response, Mr. Rutan said that he believes that the process would respond to those concerns. Mr. Nicholson questioned whether the community would find this a credible approach to performance auditing and whether the results would be sufficient to warrant the cost. Mr. Rutan said that he believes that this is a credible approach to performance auditing and would be worth the cost. - MINUTES--Eugene City Council July 31, 1991 Page 1 e c. CC Assign--Council Assignments list Mr. Boles asked that the provision of support to the Commercial lands Study Task Force by the City Attorney's Office for its work on radius clauses be included on the administrative council assignments list (CC Assign). Mr. Gleason explained that those council requests which are taken care of directly do not get placed on the CC Assign list. If items appear to be left off of CC Assign, they may already be processed. Bill Gary, City Attorney's Office, said that the City Attorney's office has already been asked to pro- vide support to that group. D. Informal Meeting with the Downtown Commission Mr. Boles inquired about the topic of discussion at the meeting that the council officers were invited to attend with the officers and staff of the Downtown Commission. He noted that some community anxiety has been expressed about Part 4 of the Retail Task Force report, and emphasized that that issue is part of the Eugene Decisions process and should not be the focus of dis- cussion at this meeting. Mr. Rutan responded that the meeting was initiated by members of the Downtown Commission to discuss issues related to the role of the Downtown Commission and its future relationship with the City Council. It is intended to be an informal meeting; however, it is unclear what the full nature of the discus- e sion will be. Mr. MacDonald said that the effectiveness of the Downtown Commission should be formally addressed at some point. E. Transportation Planning Agenda Mr. MacDonald directed attention to a letter from the council to the Metro- politan Policy Committee (MPC) expressing the council's strong interest in having greater interaction with the Lane Transit District (LTD) regarding regional transportation planning. He asked that two additional items be included in the letter: 1. Mention that the promotion of alternative modes of transportation is one of the council's top goals; and 2. Elaborate on the importance of updating the TransPlan and the Metro Plan and emphasize that interaction between land use and transportation issues is fundamental. Mr. Boles supported this suggestion and said that in addition the council should state in the letter that it would like MPC to come back to the council with a work plan for addressing these issues. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council July 31, 1991 Page 2 e F. Tour of Goodwill Industries Mr. Green said that he had an opportunity to tour Goodwill Industries. They have expressed concerns with the possible impact of Ballot Measure 5 on voca- tional rehabilitation and encouraged the council to consider very carefully the negative impacts that a reduction in funding would have on that program. G. Progress on the Beltline/Barger Project Mr. Green said that he recently attended a community meeting concerning the Beltline/Barger interchange project. The process is going well; the State appears very receptive to citizen input into the process. Responding to a question from Mr. Rutan, Mr. Green said that the project is on the State's list and construction should begin by 1993. H. Eugene Decisions Community Workshop Mr. Boles noted that the council held its first Eugene Decisions community workshop last night. The workshop was a success and the results are encour- aging. I. Informal Meeting of the Mayors of Eugene and Springfield and the Chair of the Lane County Board of Commissioners e Mayor Miller announced that he met recently with Springfield Mayor Morrisette and Jack Roberts, Chair of the Lane County Board of Commissioners, in an ongoing effort to facilitate communication between the three jurisdictions. II. HOUSING PROGRAM UPDATE/REPORT FROM SOCIAL GOALS COMMITTEE Ms. Bascom introduced Housing Policy Board members Jack Roberts, representing the County; Jim McCoy and Chris Todis, representing the Housing Authority and Community Services Agency of Lane County (HACSA); and John VanLandingham, citizen representative. She noted that Springfield representative Gayle Decker could not be present today. Richie Weinman, Planning and Development Department, provided a brief history of the housing issue. He noted that the City Council identified housing as a social goal three years ago when it appeared that the Federal Government was abdicating its responsibility to provide affordable housing. He noted that the original goal of the Housing Policy Board was to construct 100 new units of low-income housing. As a result of local efforts, this has been accom- plished. Furthermore, local rental vacancy rates have increased from one percent to the current three or four percent. Mr. Weinman said that the Lane County Task Force on Homelessness and Afford- able Housing was formed in 1989 out of a recognized need for local and re- sponsive funding of affordable housing. Their recommendations have been the - MINUTES--Eugene City Council July 31, 1991 Page 3 basis of many housing policies that are now in place. As a result of the - increased private sector involvement, public incentives, such as local gov- ernment-supported property tax exemption programs and increased State and Federal involvement, have made headway on this issue in the community. How- ever, there continues to be a need for affordable housing, particularly for those with very low-incomes. Mr. Weinman gave a slide presentation on some of the housing projects that have been constructed as a result of cooperative efforts, including: * St. Vincent de Paul Duplex: 2 three-bedroom units; renting for $300jmonth * Uhlhorn Apartments: 20 units for persons with head injuries * Laurel Grove Apartments: 16 units for persons with mental disabil- ities * Maple Wood Meadows: 38 units for families with children * Neighborhood Economic Development Corporation (NEDCO) homes: 1 unit of housing rehabilitation (moving and saving a house) for low-income tenant with the possibility of future home ownership * Family Shelter House: 6 units of emergency housing for families * Sponsors: 10 units of single-room occupancy (SRO) housing for ex-offenders * St. Vincent de Paul: 40 quint units of permanent housing for singles * Richardson Bridge: 31 units for families with children; rents to begin at $250 per month e Mr. Weinman commented that the most important factor in putting a housing project together is having available land. Ms. Bascom noted that one of the stipulated criteria for Maple Wood Meadows tenants was a willingness and interest to actively participate in the organ- ization. She asked if it would be possible to make this a stipulated crite- ria for other projects. Mr. Weinman said that the City might be able to stipulate this criteria in future housing projects over which it has control. Mr. Boles suggested that a youth position on the tenants council also be considered in future housing projects, as was the case of Maplewood. Ms. Bascom commented that there has been some interest expressed in conduct- ing SRO housing for women as well as men. Mr. Weinman noted that money has been appropriated for the renovation of the Family Shelter House units which are currently in poor condition. However, until the above-ground storage tanks on the property next door are removed or mitigated, the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funding for this project is being held up. Responding to a question from Mr. Boles, Mr. Weinman said that the property owner has agreed to move the tanks, but has not done so thus far. The City is hesitant to proceed with costly mitigation, if not necessary, because of the costs associated. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council July 31, 1991 Page 4 - Mr. Gleason commended the City Council for its leadership in putting together the Interfaith program and said that the community has been receptive to this effort. Mr. Weinman noted that funding for the Interfaith program and Home- less Family Service Center is now part of the Intergovernmental Human Servic- es Fund. Mr. Nicholson said that he supports offering an incentive to private develop- ers for housing construction. Mr. Weinman added that all developers receiv- ing the multi-unit property tax exemption must pay a fee which goes to sup- port affordable housing construction unless the housing being built is low rent. Ms. Bascom offered recognition to those who have worked on housing issues in the past and whose efforts made these housing projects possible: Councilor Boles, former councilors Emily Schue and Rob Bennett, and Mayor Miller. Jim McCoy, HACSA staff, shared with the City Council the architectural draw- ings for the Richardson Bridge project. He emphasized that interagency co- operation has been integral to the project. The project can serve as a tem- plate for similar projects in the future. He noted that project developers are considering panelized technology. Responding to a question from Mr. Boles, Mr. McCoy said that the use of panelized housing in this project is completely independent from the University of Oregon's Industrialized Housing Program. Ms. Bascom said that the University's progress on its Industrialized Housing e Program has been slow. In light of the lack of progress that has been made on this program over the past four years, Mr. Boles questioned whether the City should bring this project back to Washington, DC next fall. Ms. Bascom agreed to provide the council with an update on the status of the Industrial- ized Housing Program. Mr. Weinman displayed a picture of Walnut Grove, a future housing site of 40 acres. Public involvement has been an integral part of this project and it has earned support from the neighborhood. Mr. Boles noted that the City will have to reconcile tensions around public use of this property. Responding to a question from Mr. Boles, Mr. Weinman said that all of the trees on the Walnut Grove site have been inventoried by the City's Urban Forester, Jan Staszewski. He noted that many of the trees are in very poor condition. Mr. McCoy said that the City is working with the Evergreen Retirement Associ- ation (commonly referred to as Ya-Po-Ah Terrace) in putting together a pro- posal for HUD Section 202 moneys. It is a very competitive process; the City will be fortunate if it gets this money to construct elderly housing at Wal- nut Grove. Mr. Roberts said that Lane County is very appreciative of the initiative and leadership that the City of Eugene has showed on the housing issue. The City has established a good base for ongoing housing efforts. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council July 31, 1991 Page 5 -------- . In response to a request from Ms. Bascom, Mr. Van Landingham reported on the results of housing legislation this year. The two most important bills which came out this session were legislation which provided improvements to the low-income housing property tax exemption program and a bill implementing a State Housing Trust Fund. Mr. Vanlandingham noted that the City's ability to provide matching funds for the latter program will be very important. Ms. Bascom commented that matching funds will be important in receive housing moneys at the Federal level too. Mr. MacDonald added that the Federal HOME funds also require a local match, and that the Social Goals Committee recom- mends that this issue be folded into the Eugene Decisions process. Responding to inquiry from Mr. MacDonald, Mr. Weinman said that staff has not conducted an analysis of the possible impacts of the University's enrollment reduction on the availability of low-income housing. Ms. Bascom felt that the council has not made enough progress on the housing issue and asked whether the council might be willing to extend housing as a social goal for another year. She also said that she does not like the term "social goal" and felt that the council should abandon this terminology. The council agreed to raise the issue at the City Council Goals Session in the fa 11 . Mayor Miller commented that if the council decides to change the social goal this year, it does not mean that it will no longer be committed to housing issues. - Mayor Miller adjourned the meeting of the Eugene City Council and convened a meeting of the Urban Renewal Agency. (Councilor Green left at this time.) III. DOWNTOWN SITE DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES Jan Bohman, Planning and Development Department, gave the staff presentation. She said that the site development gUidelines were written for use with pro- spective developers of projects on sites owned by the Renewal Agency. They have been used by Development Division staff on an interim basis, pending approval by the Renewal Agency. The goal of imposing guidelines was: 1) to reinforce the creation of a true downtown environment; 2) to strengthen the retail and commercial components of downtown; and 3) to maintain and improve downtown as an active pedestrian place with a vibrant, varied street-level environment and promote a variety of uses. Ms. Bohman said that the goals can be accomplished through projects which incorporate a diversity of uses, especially uses which generate a high level of pedestrian activity, encourage density, and include architecture which does the following: e MINUTES--Eugene City Council July 31, 1991 Page 6 e -upgrades the physical character/built environment; -addresses the site location and surroundings; -establishes a continuous developed edge/street wall, sense of enclo- sure; -creates a sense of visual continuity and tradition; -reinforces a sense of human scale, creates a rich pedestrian experi- ence at the street level; and -is accessible to persons with disabilities. Ms. Bohman explained that the guidelines highlight specific design elements to be addressed in discussions between the developer and the City. All guidelines will be open to discussion, with flexibility varying according to the emphasis described. Ms. Bohman referred to projects which have been proposed in the past to provide examples of the guidelines. The guidelines deal with the following major areas: 1. Pedestrian Orientation 2. Building/Sidewalk/Street Relationship 3. Visual Relatedness 4. Open Spaces 5. Use of the Public Right-of-Way (ROW) 6. Vehicular Access, Service, and Parking Mayor Miller voiced concern that the uniformity that the design guidelines promotes could lead to sterile developments. The City should use caution in - enforcing the guidelines so as not to hinder a developer's creativity. Mr. Gleason responded that if a designer wants to do something contrary to recom- mended development patterns, he or she must demonstrate why it should be acceptable. Mr. Boles said that the pattern language currently used by the University of Oregon would provide a useful approach to this issue. He suggested that the City work with a University representative who is familiar with the pattern approach to urban design who would review the guidelines and tell how they relate to existing patterns. Mr. Boles emphasized that patterns should be flexible and allow creativity in the development. Mr. MacDonald supported this suggestion. (Councilor Rutan left at this time.) Ms. Ehrman said that the architectural group for the Schaeffer's Building developed a number of patterns which could be included in this effort. Ms. Bohman said that the guidelines did go through a public review process in which the City sought input from developers and architects. While turnout was poor, most of the input about the guidelines was positive. Ms. Ehrman said that encouraging the use of alternate modes of transportation should be included in Guideline 6, Vehicle Access, Service, and Parking. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council July 31, 1991 Page 7 Ms. Bascom asked whether the guidelines would have prevented the sterile e development that occurred on 13th Avenue and Willamette (Kinko's). In re- sponse, Ms. Bohman noted that these gUidelines apply only to Urban Renewal Agency-owned parcels. The Downtown Commission has discussed the possibility of extending their use districtwide, but has not pursued that action. If these guidelines had been a part of the development process, they might have encouraged a higher density project and given the City greater leverage for discussion with the developers, regarding uses of quality materials, etc. Mr. Gleason said that much of the discussion about downtown is done in a myopic fashion. The way the downtown issue has been treated in the past has hurt the vitality of Eugene's downtown core. Mr. Nicholson felt that the City's efforts to control development downtown have been counterproductive. The City should dissolve the Urban Renewal Agency and put those properties on the market with deed restrictions. Mr. MacDonald said that the City needs a completely different set of ideas for downtown development. The theme approach to development might be valu- able to the City. Mr. Gleason commented that there is no single solution to the problems that exist downtown. The City should realize this and seek an incremental solu- tion to downtown. Mr. Boles suggested that City staff work with University officials in an - effort to cross-match these gUidelines with patterns that are already in existence. Mr. Boles also asked for a council work session with the Univer- sity about the principles which underlie that kind of planning effort. Mr. Boles moved, seconded by Ms. Ehrman, to postpone council adoption of the site development gUidelines until it has had an opportunity to share the proposal with the University and consider more fully the scope of their application. In response to a question, Mr. Boles clarified that City staff can continue to refer to the guidelines with the development community, but make them aware that these are informal and have not been approved by the council. Roll call vote; the motion carried unanimously, 6:0. Mayor Miller adjourned the meeting of the Urban Renewal Agency and reconvened the meeting of the Eugene City Council. The meeting adjourned at 1:30 p.m. Respectfully submitted, e MINUTES--Eugene City Council July 31, 1991 Page 8 7~- e Micheal Gleason City Manager (Recorded by Traci Northman) mncc 073191-1130 e - MINUTES--Eugene City Council July 31, 1991 Page 9