Planning Commission

SUMMARY MINUTES Regular Meeting Eugene Planning Commission Sloat Room—Atrium Building—99 West 10th Avenue April 26, 2010 11:30 a.m. PRESENT: Heidi Beierle, Chair; Jeffery Mills, Vice Chair; Lisa Warnes, Jonathan Belcher, Rick Duncan, Randy Hledik, William Randall, Members; Patricia Thomas, Planning and Development Department; Rob Inerfeld, Kurt Yeiter, Public Works Department; John Evans, Tom Schwetz, Lane Transit District. ABSENT: None. I. PUBLIC COMMENT II. LANE TRANSIT DISTRICT (LTD) WEST EUGENE EMX EXPANSION UPDATE Staff: Kurt Yeiter, 541-682-8379 III. R-1 FLAG LOT (R1FLIT) IMPLEMENTATION UPDATE Staff: Patricia Thomas, 541-682-5635 IV. ITEMS FROM COMMISSION AND STAFF A. Other Items from Staff B. Other MINUTES—Eugene Planning Commission April 26, 2010 Page 1  MINUTES Regular Meeting Eugene Planning Commission Sloat Room—Atrium Building—99 West 10th Avenue April 26, 2010 11:30 a.m. PRESENT: Heidi Beierle, Chair; Jeffery Mills, Vice Chair; Lisa Warnes, Jonathan Belcher, Rick Duncan, Randy Hledik, William Randall, Members; Patricia Thomas, Planning and Development Department; Rob Inerfeld, Kurt Yeiter, Public Works Department; John Evans, Tom Schwetz, Lane Transit District. ABSENT: None. Ms. Beierle convened the meeting and called for public comment. I. PUBLIC COMMENT There was no on who wished to offer public comment. II. LANE TRANSIT DISTRICT (LTD) WEST EUGENE EMX EXPANSION UPDATE Mr. Yeiter reminded commissioners that the transit system was important to the City’s master land use transportation planning efforts. The Eugene/Springfield Metropolitan Area Plan (Metro Plan) and its transportation element,TransPlan, were based on transportation demand management, infill and nodal development concepts, and a high end efficient transit system. Public Works was currently planning the western extension of the LTD EmX system. Mr. Schwetz distributed and reviewed two documents, West Eugene EmX Extension Project: Draft- Decision Making Process for Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) and Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) Range of Build Alternatives and Design Options. He noted the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process required a 45 to 60 day public comment period. With the current process allowed under the Federal Transit Administration, a two step process for selection of a Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) could be taken through an environmental process that would allow for more flexibility around the public outreach and feedback on the analysis. A joint locally preferred alternatives committee consisting of representatives from Eugene, the LTD Board, and the Metropolitan Planning Commission (MPC) would develop a joint recommendation to the bodies that needed to take action. The Planning Commission and Sustainability Commission could play a key role in the process. The West Eugene EmX Extension Design Options (“WEEEDO”) process was a Quick Response Grant funded effort intended to bring stakeholders from the area east of Garfield Street into a discussion about the options currently available in the West Sixth, Seventh, and Thirteenth Avenue areas from a design standpoint that could allow EmX to fit better into various contexts. A set of draft designs would be reviewed by a staff team. Another public event would be held in late May or early June to review the work, with the hope of incorporating the design ideas as mitigation measures for the alternatives. Staff was planning a tour of alternative alignments for interested groups. MINUTES—Eugene Planning Commission April 26, 2010 Page 2 Mr. Yeiter noted the LTD website contained useful information related to the West Eugene EmX Extension. Responding to a question from Mr. Belcher, Mr. Yeiter said the way the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was structured, the land use impacts were about whether the project took land out of its land use designation. He added the economic impacts considered what would happen to a family home or business that was displaced. The process would provide a high level look at properties that may be suitable for redevelopment, as well as which segments had the most economic disadvantages. Mr. Schwetz stated it was difficult to forecast the impact of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) on development on adjacent properties. Transit ridership in the Franklin corridor had doubled since the BRT was implemented in January 2007. Land use impacts had not yet been identified. He said LTD needed to better understand the triple bottom line. He opined the Planning Commission and Sustainability Commission subcommittee could help with an analysis of the triple bottom line. Mr. Belcher hoped the process would allow the Planning Commission to do some futuring related to the impact on land use and how LTD’s actions could encourage desired growth options. In response to a question from Ms. Warnes, Mr. Schwetz said the impact reports would be part of the draft environmental impact document available in three or four months. Mr. Schwetz said the next corridor selection needed to be a community based decision. Ridership potential as well as economic development priorities and commitments by the cities along the corridors and how those considerations fit with the LTD priorities would be studied. Responding to a question from Mr. Belcher, Mr. Schwetz said if West Sixth and West Seventh Avenues were chosen as a corridor to serve west Eugene, as well as River Road and Highway 99, there would be such a concentration of BRT that scheduling would become problematic. It may be too much of a higher quality service in an area. It was important to serve West Thirteenth Avenue as well. Mr. Yeiter opined both Sixth/Seventh and Thirteenth alignments were viable alternatives, and it was a matter of determining which to build first. Mr. Duncan said a consistent problem for EmX had been the taking of peoples’ property He noted River Road and Highway 99 in Eugene and Main Street in Springfield had wide right of ways and the impact on private property may be minimal, which was a good selling point for promoting the project. Mr. Schwetz remarked the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) was conducting a study of Beltline Road. He was unsure how this project would fit into an environmental process. Beltline Road was part of the EmX system envisioned by LTD. There were good examples in Seattle, San Diego and other large cities for freeway based rapid transit but Oregon highway design engineers had little experience with that type of highway design. Responding to a question from Ms. Beierle, Mr. Schwetz said LTD anticipated the EmX would be an effective way to increase the transit mode share in a corridor, which opened opportunities for adjacent land use in the areas around the stations. Thus station location became an important part of the decision making process and it may be worthwhile for the Planning Commission to comment on station locations. Mr. Inerfeld explained staff would likely recommend alternate mobility standards to ODOT for the West MINUTES—Eugene Planning Commission April 26, 2010 Page 3 Eleventh Avenue area which would allow the City to lower its vehicle to capacity ratio. This would be addressed in the upcoming transportation system update. He added it would be challenging to get Transit Oriented Design (TOD) development to work in Eugene but thought it could work in conjunction with BRT in some locations. Ms. Gardner stated there was a committee at the statewide level on which the City was participating that was looking at vehicle to capacity ratios, alternate mobility standards, and other highway capacity issues. Mr. Schwetz thought the nature of the West Eleventh corridor may be more auto oriented for the foreseeable future but that did not mean an effective BRT could not be leveraged in that area. Park and Rides were a very important part of transit planning in reducing vehicle use. Mr. Yeiter said congestion in the West Eleventh corridor would not improve without a good transit system. Most of the arterial roadways in the city were congested and transit appeared to be a good answer to continue to improve the system in a meaningful, cost effective way. III. R-1 FLAG LOT (R1FLIT) IMPLEMENTATION UPDATE Ms. Thomas distributed a handout entitled RIFLIT—R-1 INFILL/FLAG LOT IMPRELMENTATION TEAM, Update and Recommendations to the Planning Commission. She introduced Sue Prichard and Steve Gab, members of the RIFLIT team. Ms. Prichard reviewed the history of RIFLIT as described in the Agenda Item Summary (AIS). Ms. Thomas reviewed the RIFLIT meeting process and the RIFLIT Summary of Recommendations as described in the (AIS) and summarized the next steps. Commissioners discussed the various elements of the RIFLIT implementation team recommendations and offered suggestions for modifications. IV. ITEMS FROM COMMISSION AND STAFF A. Other Items from Staff Ms. Gardner reported the City Council unanimously approved the Eugene Comprehensive Land Assessment (ECLA) recommendations. Ms. Thomas reported South Willamette, the Friendly Area Neighbors and the Southtowne Business Association were discussing how to make the area a more vital business community as well as a neighborhood with more housing types. Staff had begun to work with the groups on a 20 minute neighborhood pilot study. B. Other Items from Commission There were no other items from the commission. The meeting adjourned at 1:30 p.m. (Recorded by Linda Henry) MINUTES—Eugene Planning Commission April 26, 2010 Page 4