Planning Commission

AGENDA Meeting Location: Sloat Room—Atrium Building Phone: 541-682-5481 99 W. 10th Avenue www.eugene-or.gov/pc Eugene, OR 97401 The Eugene Planning Commission welcomes your interest in these agenda items. Feel free to come and go as you please at any of the meetings. This meeting location is wheelchair-accessible. For the hearing impaired, FM assistive-listening devices are available or an interpreter can be provided with 48 hour notice prior to the meeting. Spanish-language interpretation will also be provided with 48 hour notice. To arrange for these services, contact the Planning Division at 541-682-5675. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2014 – REGULAR MEETING (11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.) 11:30 a.m. I. PUBLIC COMMENT The Planning Commission reserves 10 minutes at the beginning of this meeting for public comment. The public may comment on any matter, except for items scheduled for public hearing or public hearing items for which the record has already closed. Generally, the time limit for public comment is three minutes; however, the Planning Commission reserves the option to reduce the time allowed each speaker based on the number of people requesting to speak. 11:40 a.m. II. ENVISION EUGENE: COMMUNITY DESIGN GUIDE UPDATE Staff: Lou Christofferson and Robin Hostick 12:40 a.m. III. ENVISION EUGENE: DESIGN REVIEW BRAINSTORM Staff: Lou Christofferson and Robin Hostick 1:15 p.m. IV. ITEMS FROM COMMISSION AND STAFF A. Other Items from Staff B. Other Items from Commission C. Learning: How are we doing? Commissioners: Steven Baker; John Barofsky; Jonathan Belcher; Rick Duncan; John Jaworski (Vice- Chair); Jeffery Mills; William Randall (Chair)  AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY February 24, 2014 To: Eugene Planning Commission From: City of Eugene Planning Division Subject: Community Design Guide ISSUE STATEMENT This work session is an opportunity to update the Planning Commission on progress made on the development of a city-wide “Community Design Guide,” a broad set of non-regulatory design principles and guidelines that reflect Eugene’s values and vision for future development within the community. BACKGROUND Two primary goals of Envision Eugene are to: 1) determine how Eugene will accommodate the next 20 years of growth in our community, and 2) create a future city that is livable, sustainable, beautiful and prosperous. The City Manager’s March 2012 Envision Eugene recommendation includes several strategies and actions to implement the community’s vision. The Community Design Guide (CDG) helps implement several pillars of the Envision Eugene recommendation, including: • Promote Compact Urban Development and Efficient Transportation Options • Protect, Repair, and Enhance Neighborhood Livability • Protect, Restore and Enhance Natural Resources • Provide for Adaptable, Flexible, and Collaborative Implementation The CDG will be a non-regulatory but integral component of Envision Eugene: A Community Plan for 2032. While many planning documents generally highlight the importance of good design, a key goal of the CDG is to express the community’s future vision in a concise, practical way that can be applied at the project level. Categorized into several broad sections addressing Eugene’s unique identity at a variety of scales, the CDG supports community values of economic prosperity, social equity, and environmental stewardship. Within each section, more specific principles and guidelines help illustrate how these community-wide priorities can be achieved. In practical terms, this provides a bridge between policy-level planning and on-the-ground projects using the language of design and a clear, illustrative format that can be readily understood by a broad range of community members. Since introducing the CDG to the Planning Commission in August 2013, the Planning Division has moved forward with further internal review and refinement of the draft outline as well as engaging several external stakeholder groups and the broader public. PC Agenda - Page 1 Key areas of focus of the staff review have included back-checking the CDG principles and guidelines against applicable codes to reduce possible conflicts, coordination with design-related components of ongoing projects such as area planning and MUPTE, and ongoing exploration of other useful applications. Public outreach has focused largely on design professionals, developers, and neighborhood organizations. After an initial invitation to approximately 70 members of the community asking for their thoughts on the CDG, the scope was broadened through group email lists, newsletters, and a request for leaders and stakeholders to invite others to participate as appropriate. This communication has taken place primarily online through the use of a city webpage where visitors can find a copy of the draft outline, an introductory video, and a questionnaire asking for feedback on the CDG. Additional discussions with the community have also included lunch-and-learn presentations with professional organizations, in-person meetings with individuals and groups, and correspondence over the phone and email. Staff will share a brief summary of community feedback to date and seek ideas from the Planning Commission on how to address key concerns as we begin to draft the final document. In addition, staff will be seeking input on appropriate methods for raising awareness of and applying the values reflected in the CDG. NEXT STEPS Following analysis of internal review and public engagement, staff will shift efforts towards developing the final version of the CDG as well as methods for implementation. As the CDG is intended to function as a highly visual and dynamic document, this includes transforming the draft outline into a publication with high quality images and diagrams, and finding creative ways to share it with the community. ATTACHMENTS A. Community Design Guide: Draft Outline B. Questionnaire Results – Preliminary Summary FOR MORE INFORMATION Robin Hostick at 541-682-5507 or robin.a.hostick@ci.eugene.or.us Lou Christofferson at 541-682-5451 or Lou.M.Christofferson@ci.eugene.or.us The Community Design Guide webpage: http://www.eugene-or.gov/designguide PC Agenda - Page 2  Attachment A Community Design Guide Eugene’s Identity • The Willamette River and Green space • Thriving Urban Core and Complete, Walkable Neighborhoods • Complete Streets Designed at the Pedestrian Scale • Education, the Arts, and Culture • Healthy Lifestyles Section Principle Principles & Guidelines Guideline 1. Integrate Nature and Design for Eugene’s Climate A. Celebrate important natural features 1) Integrate and restore waterways, wetlands, and other natural features into site design o EXAMPLES: Daylighting stormwater features 2) Create site layouts, circulation and building designs that emphasize and respect the natural topography 3) Preserve and frame views within, to, and from special places and landscape features o EXAMPLES: historic photo of Willamette looking N to Skinner Butte 4) Orient buildings to embrace natural areas and views 5) Preserve special trees and groves 6) Blend the transition between ornamental landscaping and natural areas B. Conserve energy and natural resources 1) Establish a system of green infrastructure for stormwater management at the district level 2) Incorporate creative stormwater management strategies into site design o EXAMPLES: green streets; bioswales; green roofs; pervious parking lots; stormwater collection systems 3) Plant large-canopy deciduous trees well suited to summer drought o EXAMPLES: to shade streets and buildings, capture rain, provide habitat, clean air, reduce heat-island effect, boost revenue, etc.) o TIP: Promote healthy trees by preventing soil compaction during construction 4) Maximize energy efficiency within the design and performance of buildings o EXAMPLES: Orient buildings to minimize summer heat gain, provide passive cooling and ventilation, andmaximize natural lighting 5) Design buildings and landscapes to conserve, store and re-use water o EXAMPLES: graywater reuse for plumbing, rainwater cisterns for landscape irrigation 6) Use durable, local materials with low embodied energy 1 PC Agenda - Page 3  Attachment A 7) Include provisions for onsite renewable energy or connect with a shared district renewable energy network o EXAMPLES: Solar power sources, small scale windmill (ZGF bldg. in PDX). Geothermal system in LCC building o RESOURCES: Earth Advantage, LEED, LEED ND, Sustainable Sites Initiative, Low Impact Development, Context-sensitive design, 2030/ Living Building Challenge, Passive House Institute, Architecture 2030, Friends of Trees, etc. C. Promote outdoor lifestyles 1) Contribute to an abundance of large, inter-connected and flexible parks and public spaces to serve a wide variety of human activities and needs 2) Include publicly-accessible open space as a central, organizing elements to active districts and large development sites o EXAMPLES: parks, plazas o RESOURCES: http://www.pps.org/ 3) Provide a well-connected hierarchy of public spaces in activity centers o EXAMPLES: plazas, pocket parks, neighborhood parks 4) Create clear pedestrian connections to and between public spaces that are attractive and safe for all ages; maximize new connections to existing public spaces 5) Locate higher-density housing adjacent to or near parks and natural features 6) Include semi-public spaces as part of new development o EXAMPLES: forecourts, courtyards, terraces, merchandising and dining areas, open corners 7) Integrate parks and pedestrian paths with natural features D. Create successful public spaces 1) Configure parks and public spaces with edges facing streets and active building fronts 2) Establish the size and shape of public spaces for human comfort and proportions 3) Incorporate public art at many scales 4) Maximize natural observation of public spaces and maintain open visibility o EXAMPLES: building orientation, window placement, balconies, terraces, low vegetation and transparent barriers 5) Orient and configure public spaces to maximize light, sun, seasonal shade, and available views 6) Buffer public spaces and pedestrian activity areas from busy streets 7) Define semi-public spaces through clear edges o EXAMPLES: paving patterns, bollards, seat walls, decorative barriers, planting 8) Design public spaces to support a variety of activities for different user groups at different times of day to enhance the vitality of neighborhoods and activity centers E. Complete a habitat network 1) Conserve and introduce natural areas in private and public spaces 2) Provide links to nearby natural features through habitat corridors 3) Utilize abundant and continuous native plantings and natural features along streets, alleys, paths, buffer strips and other available land 4) Introduce structures and gardens in urban areas that provide for the needs of wildlife 5) Preserve dark skies and habitat areas through shaded, down-cast lights F. Bring farms and gardens into the city 1) Provide larger lots for small-scale and specialty farming and food production as a transition between suburban development and adjacent agricultural lands 2 PC Agenda - Page 4  Attachment A 2) Locate housing clusters near the center of small-scale and specialty farms to allow for shared farming and agrarian lifestyles 3) Connect areas of denser housing with public or private community garden space 4) Create opportunities for urban agriculture in new residential development o EXAMPLES:  Create flexible community garden space serving new multi-family developments  Provide yard garden opportunities on town house and single family lots; design for balcony gardens in apartments and condominiums  Create gardening opportunities on green roofs and green walls of residential and mixed use buildings 5) Plant edible landscapes, such as berries and fruit trees, in common areas G. Design for Climate and Natural Hazard Resiliency 2) Avoid developing property within designated flood plains, landslide- or fire-prone locations. 3) Where development in the flood plain is unavoidable, create flood-proof buildings o EXAMPLES: add height to the first floor elevation, avoid placing mechanical systems in basements. 4) In heavily forested settings, adhere to standards included in the Fire-Wise Communities Program 5) Reduce summer heat gain with light colored roofing and paving 6) Create buildings that continue to function after an earthquake 7) Design for flexibility o EXAMPLES: Where solar power doesn’t yet make economic sense, design buildings to be “PV ready” with a roof structure and wiring that can easily accommodate photovoltaic solar panels in the future o EXAMPLES: Plan secondary uses of parking lots or structures should demand for auto parking decrease during the building’s lifetime 8) Design buildings to remain inhabitable and comfortable during an extended interruption of utilities. o RESOURCES: http://www.finehomebuilding.com/how-to/departments/cross- section/mandate-passive-survivability-in-building-codes.aspx 2. Evoke a Sense of Place A. Celebrate special places 1) Preserve signature landmarks and unique neighborhood features 2) Create clear visual connections between important places and features o EXAMPLES: special buildings, public centers, green spaces 3) Distinguish significant places with special attention to design and architectural detail o EXAMPLES: vista terminated with landmark 4) Define districts through gateways and special features at key locations 5) Distinguish significant intersections with architectural elements, unique signage, or public gathering space B. Reveal Eugene’s history 1) Protect important historical buildings through preservation, restoration, or adaptive reuse o EXAMPLES: Reuse of facades as screens to parking lot or urban plaza 3 PC Agenda - Page 5  Attachment A 2) Interpret historical buildings or places for the public through markers, art, or other permanent, creative interventions o EXAMPLES: Albuquerque has B+W fotos plaques that reveal what once existed at specific sites 3) Honor historically-significant relationships between places or features C. Respect the value of great neighborhoods 1) Reflect important and valued characteristics and patterns of surrounding areas 2) Contribute to a neighborhood or district’s long-term vision and potential 3) Moderate building height and intensity of uses adjacent to low-density residential areas 4) Combine interior yard setbacks with parking and useful open space adjacent to low-density residential areas 5) Treat walls at the end of buildings as another front o EXAMPLES: use windows, porches, balconies and other human-scale elements; articulate the façade to reduce the scale and mass of the building 6) Protect the privacy of adjacent homes and yards using landscape elements and placement, size, and type of windows 7) Design buildings to allow light, views, and pleasing appearancesto and from adjacent property D. Contribute to a complete, walkable neighborhood 1) Locate denser housing near existing services and amenities o EXAMPLES: Perry’s n-hood unit or DPZ’s TOD n-hood diagram 2) Provide an abundance of compact housing in under-represented types o EXAMPLES: row-houses, town-houses, courtyard homes, cluster homes 3) Create opportunities for commerce and services throughout the community, including areas currently under-served. 4) Provide a mix of compatible and complementary uses at the district, site and building scale E. Use building form to define places 1) Establish a consistent relationship of buildings to the street within individual blocks and districts o EXAMPLES: Simple height to width ratio diagrams 2) Frame the street with pleasing and proportional height and scale of buildings 3) Work with height, setbacks and step-backs for buildings to achieve a desired character within a neighborhood or district over time 4) Maximize continuous building frontage along streets in mixed use districts 3. Embrace Eugene’s Most Successful Development Patterns A. Create a network of complete streets 1) Establish or restore traditional, pedestrian-scale block patterns with frequent intersections, through-streets and alleys 2) Utilize alleys for service and parking access as well as bike and pedestrian use 3) Construct generous sidewalks on both sides of streets 4 PC Agenda - Page 6  Attachment A 4) Buffer pedestrians from traffic o EXAMPLES: on-street parking, street tress, street furnishings, planter strips 5) Include robust bicycle facilities supporting daily bike travel that are safe for children o EXAMPLES: on-street lanes, grade separated lanes, cycle tracks, bike boulevards on parallel routes, shared-use paths 6) Design streets in neighborhoods and activity areas to encourage vehicular travel at speeds safe for pedestrian and bicycle traffic o EXAMPLES: narrow lanes, traffic circles, chokers/bump outs, street trees B. Emphasize walking, biking and riding transit 1) Prioritize pedestrians in activity areas through amenities such as raised crosswalks, signals, and curb extensions 2) Provide access/linkages from development sites to existing bicycle and pedestrian path networks 3) Maximize direct, convenient access for bikes and pedestrians between development sites and nearby amenities such as schools, parks, transit stops and businesses 4) Provide abundant, covered and well-lit bicycle parking and storage facilities near building entrances and public gathering places o EXAMPLES: Woolworth shelter, UO campus has employed good practices 5) Celebrate major transit stops as special places, and incorporate transit stops into site design 6) Protect physical space for current and future transit needs on key transit corridors C. Design smart parking and circulation 1) Locate off-street parking to the side or back of buildings and incorporate creative parking solutions into development sites and buildings o EXAMPLES: Podium, tuck-under, tandem 2) Integrate shared-parking strategies within development sites and at the district scale 3) Create multiple-use parking and access areas that contribute to the appearance and function of the site o EXAMPLES: Woonerfs, courtyard housing w/ shared parking lot 4) Screen surface parking from public streets through landscaping, low walls, and decorative screens o EXAMPLES: 2 sites in PDX use historic bldg. facades 5) Provide locations for car sharing services 6) Install electric vehicle car charging stations – or adequate conduit to facilitate installation at a later time. 7) Unbundle parking fees from rent and lease rates [policy] 8) Combine access for multiple properties or developments using shared driveways and frontage streets; minimize curb-cuts for vehicular access in sidewalks 9) Create connections between existing, separated parking areas 10) Wrap the ground floor of parking structures with active uses. o EXAMPLES: commercial space fronting important pedestrian streets, and attractively screened facing all other streets with quality materials, art and lighting 11) Maximize on-street parking in commercial districts and activity centers 12) Provide safe and attractive pedestrian paths between parking and adjacent buildings and streets 5 PC Agenda - Page 7  Attachment A 4. Bring the Streets to Life A. Use buildings to invigorate edges of the public realm 1) Design all parts of buildings to be interesting to view and to form a cohesive composition 2) Provide active uses on the ground level 3) Distinguish clearly recognizable, inviting, and accessible main entrances connected directly to streets and public spaces o EXAMPLES: generous glass windows facing doors; large canopy of metal and/or glass; major recess in the façade; projecting glass vestibule; forecourt with decorative paving, accent lighting; pedestrian-scaled details; planting that reinforces the sense of building entry; seating elements such as benches, ledges, low walls and movable chairs; artwork 4) Provide places for café seating and outdoor merchandising along pedestrian ways o EXAMPLES: Barn Light picnic tables, Soriah’s café seating, Meiji’s patio along the sidewalk 5) Provide continuous weather protection over sidewalks o EXAMPLES: awnings, canopies or arcades that is well integrated into building design; recess or cover entrances 6) Provide abundant windows, balconies, and terraces facing streets and public spaces 7) Create abundant physical and visual connections and transitions between interior and exterior space at the ground level o EXAMPLES: entrances, porches, stoops and patios o EXAMPLES: use grade separation to elevate ground floor residential units above the street 8) Design buildings to include high ceilings on the ground floor 9) Design flexible floor plans to accommodate diverse commercial tenants at the ground level B. Enrich the streetscape 1) Integrate art into the public realm, including objects, experiences, and functional art 2) Use interesting and durable materials in the streetscape reflecting local design traditions 3) Provide plentiful, attractive and durable street furnishings and amenities o EXAMPLES: benches, ped-scale lighting, water fountains, bike racks 4) Create opportunities for public and private seasonal décor along streets 5) Enhance street character through diverse and interesting street trees, shrub beds, and container plants 6) Create abundant seasonal shade with large-canopy deciduous trees C. Create variety and interest through connected places 2) Develop a network of diverse public spaces and pedestrian access ways o EXAMPLES: courtyards, fore-courts, plazas, parks, paseos, and arcades 3) Provide opportunities within and near public spaces for retail businesses, coffee shops, and street vendors o EXAMPLES: permanent kiosks in urban plazas, food trucks 4) Utilize visual cues to connect public spaces o EXAMPLES: street trees and art 5) Define a smooth and interesting transition between public, semi-public, and private space o EXAMPLES: use layers of detailed landscaping, decorative fencing, low walls, gates and architectural features D. Support pedestrian comfort and safety at all hours 1) Maximize natural observation of public streets 6 PC Agenda - Page 8  Attachment A o EXAMPLES: building orientation, window placement, balconies and terraces, and maintaining open visibility through low vegetation and transparent barriers 2) Foster a mix of activities during different times of day through diverse building uses and opportunities for programming 3) Use high quality materials and details to engender pride of place and positive uses 4) Provide abundant, attractive pedestrian-scale lighting using lamps, bollards, accent lighting as well as opportunities for event or seasonal lighting (e.g. tree lighting, suspended overhead lighting, and up-lighting) 5) Design to maximize visibility for pedestrians and eliminate hiding places o REFERENCE: crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) 5. Leave a Building Legacy A. Design for the human scale 1) Design buildings to interact with public streets, paths, and ways at a pedestrian scale with particular attention to materials, detail and craft in the first 20 feet of building height 2) Celebrate corners with interesting spaces at the street level 3) Maximize transparent windows in commercial buildings at the street level including low sill height and transom windows 4) Add interest to buildings with architectural details 5) Enhance entrances with rich architectural elements and art o EXAMPLES: Library’s arched glass awning 6) Use accent lighting to add interest to buildings and nearby spaces 7) Incorporate interesting, unique, and human-scale signage o EXAMPLES: how about a simple montage of cool downtown signs? 8) Locate trash, service, loading areas, utility equipment, or garage doors out of view of the public realm and/or screen areas with landscaping, low walls and decorative screens 9) Increase the visual appeal and interest of any significant windowless portions of walls facing streets and public spaces o EXAMPLES: Change materials and color; create offsets, recesses and projections; add trellises, vines and other planting; create variation in the mass and type of trees and shrubs planted along the building frontage B. Create pleasing forms 1) Design well-proportioned buildings with pleasant massing and composition 2) Break up large buildings by articulating and varying building masses into distinct elements that relate to structure, entrances, and the layout and volume of interior space and use o EXAMPLES:  Major offsets in building elevations facing streets and public spaces  Upper level step-backs  Major building projections and/or recesses that create shadow lines  Deep roof overhangs  Notched corners or street-facing facades  Prominent and interesting building forms at corners  Bold expression of the building’s structural system 3) Incorporate roof forms as distinctive design elements that add character and functionality o EXAMPLES: upturned eaves and projections; slopes and pitches; deep overhangs; bracing, rackets or kickers; prominent vertical features such as towers or vertical circulation 7 PC Agenda - Page 9  Attachment A 6) Use mechanical systems that minimize roof-mounted equipment or house equipment in integrated roof forms that contribute to a cohesive building design C. Articulate Facades 1) Compose facades with a recognizable base, middle and top 2) Design building facades to create layers of depth and a strong presence on the street o EXAMPLES: protrusions, recessions, columns, pilasters, colonnades, masonry plinths, scoring, sconces and other structural elements 3) Emphasize vertical and horizontal proportions by grouping architectural features in repeating modules or themes to create rhythm and pattern o EXAMPLES: use vertical and horizontal lines reflected in window spacing, banding with courses of masonry, changes in materials, offsets, overhangs, reveals, cornices and canopies 4) Reinforce successful patterns of massing and façade composition in surrounding buildings 5) Celebrate corners with special architectural treatment 6) Use window and entrance proportions that are taller than wide 7) Recess window frames from the face of the building wall to create depth and thickness D. Promote Transparency 1) Use transparent glazing 2) Use operable windows 3) Use traditional, operable screening devices o EXAMPLE: functional shutters that cover the entire window opening 4) Let interior shop and restaurant lighting spill onto the sidewalk and adjacent public spaces E. Invest in materials and color 1) Emphasize building modules and façade treatment with changes of materials and color 2) Use high-quality, harmonious, contextually-appropriate materials and colors with emphasis on creating a rich street-level experience 3) Use exterior materials that reflect a sense of permanence, continuity, and urban character with emphasis on the street level o EXAMPLES: include a photo of deteriorating EIFS in the “no” section; other “no” materials to include: residential-scale vinyl siding and windows; T-111 plywood; thin-set ceramic or fired clay tiles; “cultured” stone veneer; faux granite or marble; pre-engineered metal cladding 4) Employ construction techniques that express the inherent qualities of materials and structure o EXAMPLES: concrete base w/steel brackets and wood pillars; plaster above stone base; steel or glass in lighter structural elements o EXAMPLES (BAD): random stone “glued” to building exterior; wood framing and siding abutting the ground; stone veneer used in vertical proportions 5) Coordinate colors that are compatible with each other and surrounding context; use colors inherent in the natural state of materials 6) Use vibrant colors as building accents o EXAMPLES: Woolworth’s orange window casings, Friendly St townhouses’ cobalt blue doors + floor bands, River Road condos (Arbor South project) has colorful details 8 PC Agenda - Page 10  Attachment B City of Eugene Community Design Guide Summary of Community Feedback from Online Questionnaire February 24, 2014 Public engagement and discussion about the Community Design Guide (CDG) has taken place primarily online. Stakeholders were invited to visit a CDG webpage which contained a video overview, a draft outline document, and a questionnaire asking for input. Feedback was collected between December 04, 2013 and February 21, 2014. • Stakeholders were contacted via direct email, group emails, newsletters, and word of mouth • ~80 people have viewed the introductory video • 17 people have completed the questionnaire • ~70.6% responses came from design professionals • ~35% identified themselves as neighborhood advocates • Other responses came from developers, contractors, city staff or officials, and others • ~88% feel that the CDG reflects the community’s values at least somewhat • ~44% feel that values are very much or absolutely reflected community values • ~13% felt the CDG reflected the community’s values very little or not at all • ~73% feel it will be very useful or somewhat useful • ~27% feel it will be of very little use or not useful at all • No respondents felt the CDG will be a critical/necessary tool for discussing design excellence in Eugene The majority of the comments gathered from the questionnaire focused on the applicability of the CDG as a non-regulatory document. Some feel that the current draft outline is too prescriptive about design and is an imposition on property rights while others stated that unless required by code or part of a design review program it will not provide any real value to the community: “I think it is very important acknowledge that developers and homeowners are encouraged to create unique properties and should have the ability to create the best solutions to their properties and that these guidelines are not meant to hinder their property rights.” “I am extremely hesitant to say that any of these should move forward to code standards. These guidelines don't meet the city planning goals of clear and objective standards…I think we should keep the architecture with the architects and the site planning with landscaper architects and engineers.” “This document will have absolutely no beneficial effect without rapid implementation of critical development standards in code.” “They should all be a part of a Design Review process for every project.” PC Agenda - Page 11  Attachment B “Guidelines don't work in Eugene. What we need is a neighborhood design review with teeth….The code needs to be very restrictive so developers have to ask for adjustments and variances, thus giving neighbors a chance to appeal.” If the CDG is non-regulatory it is a waste of time and money. Developers only build to the code and their bottom line. As long as Eugene's code is "flexible" and developers have a build by right option neighbors are screwed. The city does not recognize neighbors as stakeholders. Other frequent recommendations included tying the CDG to public financial investment programs and highlighting the economic and community benefits of design principles in the document: “Figure out a way to give tax breaks only to those who can prove they've scored a certain number of points in the design guide.” “All i can suggest is that we as a city should support great development and incentive features not require.” “Awards for meeting certain criteria or a basic number of criteria could be an annual event, highly publicized, and therefore could become a low-level incentive.” “Make it worthwhile to follow. That could be by code, incentivized permit fees, or objective real estate and/or business cost-benefit analysis added to the document so homeowners and developers can see the tangible benefits beyond subjective aesthetic ones like ‘more beautiful’." “Economic viability [is] an important element. For each principle state a reason why that principle is important; does it produce a benefit that impacts everyone?” PC Agenda - Page 12