HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem B: Joint Meeting with the Eugene Planning Commission
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Work Session: Joint Meeting with the Eugene Planning Commission
Meeting Date: November 16, 2005 Agenda Item Number: B
Department: Planning and Development Staff Contact: Kurt Yeiter
www.ci.eugene.or.us Contact Telephone Number: 682-8379
ISSUE STATEMENT
This work session continues the discussion about City Council expectations regarding Mixed Use
Centers and the use of “opportunity siting” as a tool for achieving desired densities in Mixed Use
Centers, greater neighborhood compatibility for new growth, and determining how future populations
will be allocated throughout the city.
BACKGROUND
During a City Council work session on July 20, 2005, regarding the Mixed Use Center program, the City
Council passed the following motions:
Direct the City Manager to incorporate opportunity siting as described in the July 19,
2005, email to the Mayor and City Council as a primary strategy for achieving density
targets in mixed-use centers. [Referenced e-mails are attached.]
Request that opportunity siting be combined with citywide estimates of future population
which will be approximately allocated to mixed use districts and other areas in the city.
Direct the City Manager to schedule a joint work session with the Planning Commission in
October 2005 for more policy discussion.
The Planning Commission has considered this new direction and appreciates the opportunity this work
session provides to present and receive council agreement with the commission’s definition and proposed
uses of opportunity siting. The commission’s presentation will include the following highlights:
1.Proposed definition of opportunity siting:
“Identifying locations characterized by features that lend themselves to concentrated
development or redevelopment that achieves the goals of Eugene’s Growth Management
Policies, including but not limited to increased residential density that preserves the
character of adjacent neighborhoods, and provides pedestrian access to commercial
and employment centers and transit corridors, and directing growth into these
locations.”
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2. Use of opportunity siting while creating specific plans for individual Mixed Use Centers.
3.Use of opportunity siting citywide in an exercise to coordinate future populations while balancing
other needs for space (e.g., parks, natural resources, other land uses) and better protecting
neighborhood character. The process will include the following steps:
a.Asset Mapping: Identification of existing resources, opportunities, and restrictions;
b.Requirements Assessment: Determination of projected population, natural resource and parks
needs, hazard areas, transit needs, and other factors that affect opportunities;
c.Review Options and Techniques: Investigation of tools available to accommodate projected
needs;
d.Decisions;
e.Implementation.
4.Improvements to the Mixed Use Center program to remove impediments for good, well located
infill development and Mixed Use Centers, including the following:
a.Streamlined PUD Process;
b.New “Opportunity PUD” that allows new opportunities for appropriate infill in appropriate
locations;
c.Requirement for master plans in identified potential Mixed Use Centers where appropriate
planning has not yet occurred;
d.Exploration of incentives;
e.Improvements to the /ND Nodal Development overlay zone.
RELATED CITY POLICIES
Mixed Use Centers are an integral part of the Eugene-Springfield metropolitan area’s growth
management strategy. Adopted policies support increased densities as well as maintaining
neighborhood character.
Metro Plan and TransPlan Policies:
?
Apply the nodal development strategy in areas selected by each jurisdiction that have identified
potential for this type of transportation-efficient land use pattern.
?
Provide for transit-supportive land use patterns and development, including higher intensity,
transit-oriented development along major transit corridors and near transit stations; medium- and
high-density residential development within ¼ mile of transit stations, major transit corridors,
employment centers, and downtown areas; and development and redevelopment in designated
areas that are or could be well served by existing or planned transit.
?
Within three years of TransPlan adoption, apply the ND, Nodal Development, designation to
areas selected by each jurisdiction, adopt and apply measures to protect designated nodes from
incompatible development and adopt a schedule for completion of nodal plans and implementing
ordinances.
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Metro Plan:
A.11. Generally locate higher density residential development near employment or commercial
services, in proximity to major transportation systems or within transportation-efficient
nodes.
A.13. Increase overall residential density in the metropolitan area by creating more opportunities
for effectively designed in-fill, redevelopment, and mixed use while considering impacts of
increased residential density on historic, existing and future neighborhoods.
A.14. Review local zoning and development regulations periodically to remove barriers to higher
density housing and to make provision for a full range of housing options.
Growth Management Study:
Policy 1 Support the existing Eugene Urban Growth Boundary by taking actions to increase
density and use existing vacant land and under-used land within the boundary more
efficiently.
Policy 2 Encourage in-fill, mixed-use, redevelopment, and higher density development.
Policy 6 Increase density of new housing development while maintaining the character and
livability of individual neighborhoods.
Policy 10 Encourage the creation of transportation-efficient land use patterns and implementation
of nodal development concepts.
COUNCIL OPTIONS
No formal action is requested. The Planning Commission seeks council concurrence and, where
possible, additional direction regarding the proposed strategies for using opportunity siting and the
Mixed Use Center program.
CITY MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION
The City Manager recommends that the council accept the Planning Commission’s recommendations
and provide clear direction where council direction may differ. New initiatives approved by the council
during this discussion will be integrated with the Planning Division’s Work Program through separate
action, if necessary.
SUGGESTED MOTION
Not applicable.
ATTACHMENTS
A. E-mail chain from July 19, 2005, that clarifies objectives of “opportunity siting.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Staff Contact: Kurt Yeiter
Telephone: 682-8379
Staff E-Mail: susan.l.muir@ci.eugene.or.us
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ATTACHMENT A
MOTION #1 (7/20/05)
Ms. Bettman moved to direct the City Manager to incorporate opportunity-siting as described in the
July 19, 2005 email to the Mayor and to City Council as a primary strategy for achieving density
targets in mixed use centers.
Mr. Kelly offered a friendly amendment: to request that opportunity-siting be combined with city-
wide estimates of future population which will be approximately allocated to mixed use districts and
other areas in the city.
The motion passed unanimously.
MOTION #2
Ms. Bettman moved to direct the City Manager to schedule a joint work session with the Planning
Commission in October 2005 for more policy discussion.
The motion passed unanimously.
E-mails from Councilor Bettman, referenced in motion from July 20, 2005.
-----Original Message-----
From: BETTMAN Bonny S
Sent: Tuesday, July 19, 2005 1:52 PM
To: *Eugene Mayor and City Council; TAYLOR Dennis M
Subject: general intent to move
I wanted to alert my colleagues that I intend to make amotiontomorrow;even though I
don’thave the actuallanguage to send you yet. I am still studying the information in the
Packet on Mixed Use/Nodal development. The direction or the motion will not be new to
any ofyou; it has to do withprotectinglivability whileincreasing density via Opportunity
Siting. Ihavereferred to this onmultiple occasions and it was an item that was postponed,
years ago, for our Post Land Use Code UpdateWorkProgram.It is a natural complement to
our Neighborhood Initiative Goal.
Thank you,
Bonny Bettman
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-----Original Message-----
From: BETTMAN Bonny S
Sent: Tuesday, July 19, 2005 11:37 PM
To: MUIR Susan L; TAYLOR Dennis M
Cc: *Eugene Mayor and City Council
Subject: intent to move
Dear All,
Below I have outlined some explanation and then some language for a motion. The
assumption is that the PC and staff willdraft the specificprovisions; I have only provided
the general intent and framework. Page 294 of the packet shows the Nodal Development
Two Year Work Program. Ibelievethis suggested strategy is responsive to thecouncil
motion quoted on Page 295.It is a strategy we agreed to develop after the Land Use Code
Update, but never managed to get around to. I thinkinitiating it nowmeshes sensibly with
the proposed timeline for“Major Tasks” on Page 298 whichis July 05 through June 06and
lists tasks to include“Meet with interested parties to identify community and City concerns
with the Mixed-use code development.”
Intent:
In order toestablish community supportfor Compact Urban Growthit is essentialthat
Mixed Use Development Strategiesprotect and enhance the health andstabilityof
established Neighborhoods.
We have spentover a decade and hundreds of thousands of dollars planning with
insufficientresults becauseone-size-fits-all strategiesthreatenlivability and arestrenuously
opposed by residents, developers, businessowners, and previous councils.We repeatedly
find ourselves at the same impasse.
In all of myCouncil and Neighborhood Association Chairexperience (almost two decades,)
rarelyhaveIencountered absoluteopposition to density. It is thenegativeimpact that
poorly regulateddensitywreaks on property values, safety andlivability that people
oppose.The questionshould not be posed as aSolomonic choice; do we densifyOR do we
protect; but how do we moveforward with densifying within the UGB while protecting and
respecting Neighborhoods?In the de-regulationenvironment post-M37 we have even less
ability to regulate the character and compatibility of infill and redevelopment in our
Neighborhoods. Opportunity Siting has the added advantage of leveraging up-zoningas an
incentivetoobtainreasonable design standards.
I move to direct the city manager to incorporate Opportunity Siting asaprimarystrategyfor
achieving density targets inMixed Use Zoning Districts.“Opportunity siting” is a
mechanism that protects the health andstability of existing neighborhoods by focusing
density on targeted parcels of vacant or redevelopable property.O.S.identifies specific sites
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with potential formedium, high, or very-high densityresidentialdevelopment andprovides
upzoningas an incentive for complying with design standards.It is combined with
strategies to protect existing residential areas such as; down zoning; exclusion from the
MUZD boundaries;and/orlimiting conversion to non-residential uses.Insteadofblanket
zoningthatpermitsmultiple units on allMUZDresidentialparcels; density is obtained by
selective projects developed compatiblyat very high densities. This maintains the character
and fabricoftheexisting neighborhoodwhile providing a variety of housing types to serve
different populations, and increasing the overall net density of the area.
Thank you for considering this motion. Bonny Bettman
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