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. TUESDAY, AUGUST 14, 2018 – REGULAR MEETING (5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.) A. 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. B. ACTION: PLANNING COMMISSION ELECTIONS Staff: Robin Hostick, 541-682-5507 C. ACTION: COMMITTEES, LIAISONS & PROJECT RESOURCES Staff: Robin Hostick, 541-682-5507 D. WORK SESSION: CLEAR LAKE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY Staff: Chad Cramer, 541-682-5561 E. ITEMS FROM COMMISSION AND STAFF 1. Other Items from Staff 2. Other Items from Commission 3. Learning: How are we doing? Commissioners: Steven Baker; John Barofsky (Chair); Tiffany Edwards; Lisa Fragala; Chris Ramey; William Randall; Kristen Taylor Page 1  AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY August 14, 2018 To: Eugene Planning Commission From: Chad Cramer, Urban Designer, Planning Division Subject: Clear Lake Development Strategy Update ACTION REQUESTED Information only; no formal action is requested at this time. OVERVIEW The Clear Lake area is a recently adopted expansion of Eugene’s urban growth boundary (UGB) needed for additional jobs, parks, and schools. Eugene is a regional economic hub with forecasts calling for the city to add about 37,000 jobs by 2032. Estimates show the Clear Lake area should accommodate approximately 3,000 of these jobs. The community envisions the Clear Lake area primarily as an employment center offering large development sites greater than 10 acres for select manufacturing, light industrial uses, offices, health & technology uses, and supporting commercial services. The area also contains land for a future Bethel School District school and Golden Gardens Park, a large community park adjacent to the existing Bethel neighborhood. Expansion of city infrastructure will incrementally provide services to these developments as they annex into the city. The UGB expansion for jobs in the Clear Lake area was the first step to providing enough land for future industrial job growth. Historically, Eugene has not had large, developable industrial sites in our inventory, and local businesses had to look outside the community if they needed to expand (Grain Millers, Rexius, etc.). Expanding the UGB to include large employment sites was a significant undertaking, and required creation of the /CL Clear Lake overlay zone to provide needed protections for site size and environmental health. However, work remains before these lands can be developed. A coordinated development strategy demonstrates commitment to business development by providing places for Oregon companies to grow and thrive per our state economic strategy. We aim to foster local business growth while still allowing opportunities to expand our national and international portfolio. We will identify and seek solutions for barriers to development, including wetland constraints and storm water and other infrastructure demands. We need to fully understand the economic impacts of these barriers and find creative solutions to address them in order to prepare land for business and job development. This work includes establishing a wetland mitigation bank and strategy, storm water management planning and design, identifying infrastructure needs, and a funding strategy to accomplish these efforts. The growth and development of the Clear Lake area will follow the city of Eugene’s commitment to utilizing the triple bottom line approach to decision-making. We consider the economic, social, and environmental impacts of our decisions to realize best outcomes. Key components of development for the area that follow that approach are outlined below. Page 2 JOBS & ECONOMIC GROWTH (ECONOMIC) Eugene is a regional economic hub with forecasts calling for the city to add about 37,000 jobs for residents by 2032. Estimates show the Clear Lake area accommodating up to 3,000 of these jobs. The area is relatively free of certain development constraints (e.g., floodplain, steep slopes) and embodies the necessary site characteristics for many of Eugene’s targeted industries: 1. Food Processing & Manufacturing 2. Software/Information Technology Services 3. Biosciences 4. Clean Technology/Renewable Energy 5. Environmental Services 6. Waste Remediation 7. Health & Wellness 8. Specialized Manufacturing The Clear Lake area has numerous parcels greater than 10 acres and access to major transportation routes. It contains enough of these large, undeveloped lots to meet the needs of our target industries – industries that pay higher than average wages and have a strong likelihood of locating or expanding here. Ensuring a 20-year supply of employment land can help contribute to Eugene’s role as a regional economic hub, help local and new businesses grow in Eugene rather than looking elsewhere, contribute to reducing unemployment, and increase the average wage of our residents. PUBLIC HEALTH, SCHOOLS, & PARKS (SOCIAL) Nearby heavy industry produces approximately 99% of Eugene’s toxic air emissions and the children of the Bethel School District experience asthma at nearly double the rate of children in other Eugene neighborhoods. In combination with appropriate riparian vegetation, greenspace plantings, and landscape requirements, the low-impact uses proposed create a built buffer between future industrial emissions and existing residential uses, limit the total amount of industrial emissions that will come out of the expansion area, and utilize natural systems to help purify toxins from the environment. Industrial toxins and their adverse health effects do not have boundaries, and safer and healthier industrial uses in the area comes as a benefit to us all. Vegetation, especially trees, improves air quality and removes pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, ozone, and airborne particulates. They purify the air and remove pollutants, which can save money in long-term healthcare and associated costs. While improving air quality and reducing related respiratory illnesses, riparian vegetation can also reduce stress for people who live or work close to these areas. The Bethel School District owns approximately 54 acres in the expansion area and has identified approximately 25 acres for school use. The remaining wetland areas on their property may be able to be conserved for educational and mitigation purposes, which would have positive social and environmental effects for the area. Nearby residents have less access to parks and greenspace amenities than residents of other areas in Eugene. The Clear Lake area will provide 222 acres of needed greenspace for these underserved residential neighborhoods. The Golden Gardens Community Park will provide recreational opportunities and accommodate large group activities. These parks typically include a children’s play area, basketball Page 3 courts, open play areas, picnic areas, restrooms, ball fields, pathways, trails, natural areas, on-site vehicle and bicycle parking, and transit access. The city of Eugene’s Parks, Recreation, & Open Space Comprehensive Plan contains policy commitments to protect natural resources in park design that support a balance between planned park development and environmental conservation. Recreational facilities constructed in suitable areas of the site alongside restored natural features will enhance park users’ experience of and access to nature and amenities. ECOLOGY & ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY (ENVIRONMENTAL) The entire Clear Lake expansion area contains 924 acres of land amidst active streams, canals, and wetlands of the Willamette Valley, which are an invaluable asset to our local and regional ecosystems. The City of Eugene’s Stormwater Basin Master Plan provides area-wide guidance to manage stormwater, protect wetland and floodplain resources, and mitigate impacts to natural resources. While wetlands are present throughout the entire Clear Lake expansion area, many are of lower habitat quality than those in other areas studied and have potential for alternative stormwater functions or open space uses. An environmental analysis of significant wetlands and riparian corridors was completed for the UGB expansion project. Due to the relatively low quality of existing wetlands in the area – and conflicts with airport operations and safety – the analysis found it inappropriate to encourage restoration of additional wildlife habitat near the Eugene Airport. Therefore, the focus going forward is on protecting water quality and storage functions of wetlands and drainage channels, through the City’s /WQ Overlay Zone, rather than protecting the area within existing boundaries of wetlands that have been significantly degraded as a result of farming practices. Project Goals 1. Facilitate private development of employment lands in the Clear Lake expansion area by addressing barriers to development readiness. 2. Determine a logical sequence to provide key urban services including roads, water, electric service, and wastewater services to allow for economic development, educational facilities, and recreational amenities. 3. Define the City’s approach to addressing stormwater management and wetland mitigation in the area. 4. Encourage and support environmentally sustainable industrial enterprises. 5. Recommend potential public and private environmental enhancements, ecological restoration, and integration of built and natural systems to improve air quality, water quality, and habitat. 6. Identify opportunities to implement long-standing community plans and priorities, such as the Rivers to Ridges Master Plan. 7. Provide recommendations for encouraging vibrant and accessible destinations, amenities, and businesses in the Clear Lake area. 8. Provide recommendations for creating a welcoming gateway to and from the airport. PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT & KEY STAKEHOLDERS The Clear Lake area and the /CL Overlay Zone have had extensive public involvement to date identifying preferred development outcomes and public amenities for the area. Previous activities include committee work to establish a recommended overlay zone to meet the dual goals of large employment Page 4 site preservation and environmental health. The committee included representatives of the Planning Commission, Sustainability Commission, Human Rights Commission, Active Bethel Neighbors, and Beyond Toxics, as well as collaboration with multiple City departments, Lane County Public Health and the Lane Regional Air Protection Agency. For purposes of the development readiness project, staff will be conducting property owner and stakeholder interviews and meetings as a main component of public outreach. In addition, staff will use the Planning Division website, newsletter, and Planning Commission meetings to share information and updates with the general public as the project moves forward. Public stakeholders such as Parks and Open Space and Bethel School District will conduct separate, independent public outreach processes for future development of the park and school sites, and for major infrastructure projects. NEXT STEPS Planning Staff are developing a project charter to outline partner roles and responsibilities, timeline, budget and deliverables. We will continue to determine project needs through stakeholder meetings and interviews through summer and fall 2018. We will return to present the draft charter to the Planning Commission later in the fall. FOR MORE INFORMATION Chad Cramer, Urban Designer: 541-682-5561, chad.r.cramer@ci.eugene.or.us ATTACHMENTS A. Clear Lake Area map B. Clear Lake Precedent Analyses Page 5 Attachment A: Clear Lake Area Map Page 6 ATTACHMENT: B Precedent Analyses ECO-INDUSTRIAL SITES Menomonee Valley Industrial Center and Community Park – Milwaukee, WI This remediation project converts a polluted and previously abandoned industrial zone into a public park and stormwater management facility that reconnects economically distressed neighborhoods to the broader city. It facilitates economic revitalization while helping to improve ecological conditions. Located on the site of an abandoned rail yard, the new park features trails and pedestrian bridges that link the site to adjoining neighborhoods and offer residents improved access to economic and recreational opportunities. Known as Three Bridges Park, the 24-acre site also includes landscape features designed to resemble natural landforms and a system for collecting and storing storm-water runoff underground before dispensing it to wetland habitats. 1|Page Page 7 Precedent Analyses WETLAND PARKS South Los Angeles Wetland Park – Los Angeles, CA The South L.A. Wetland Park infrastructure project is located in a historically underserved area of the city. The project protects public health by removing pollution from the City's watercourses, in order to meet Federal Clean Water Act requirements. Features include remediation of a former brownfield site to create new urban green space and a public park. The Clear Lake Area could benefit from consideration of enhanced park features around wetlands to further reinforce their prominence as a necessary wetland feature and amenity. 2|Page Page 8 Precedent Analyses WETLAND PARKS CONTINUED Magnuson Park – Seattle, WA Local regulatory agencies call Magnuson Park a standard for urban ecology. The park creates high performance wetlands on what had been 12 acres of impervious concrete, bridged the disparate recreational or ecological park uses, and intelligently re-used materials and resources to enhance the user experience. Through the creation of sports fields, ecologically rich wetlands, and paths for exploration and education, the former Naval Base site creates an integrative public amenity that successfully meshes the ecological and human needs of the site. 3|Page Page 9 Precedent Analyses WETLAND PARKS CONTINUED Elko Park – Elko, NV This Sports Complex includes numerous baseball fields, soccer fields and softball fields along with other areas for recreation alongside the low wetland areas of the Humboldt River. The park utilizes stormwater drainage from the sports complex area to augment flow through the adjacent wetland area, increasing the ecological and environmental functions of the site. 4|Page Page 10 Precedent Analyses ECOLOGICAL SCHOOL SITES The Willow School – Gladstone, NJ This 34-acre middle school encourages students to succeed academically while teaching them the importance in building ethical relationships with people and nature. Willow School students learn about the importance of living in harmony with ecological systems through the protection and conservation of natural resources. Sustainable environmental management practices are restoring the surrounding native habitat and depleted soils. The stormwater and wastewater treatment systems not only improve the local environment but also serve as learning laboratories for students who actively study the positive impacts of these sustainable landscape features. When a sample of students were asked to list environmentally-friendly features of green buildings, 82% listed landscape features such as rainwater harvesting, composting, vegetable gardens, or wetlands. When asked about stormwater, 86% of students knew that asphalt and concrete were not ideal ground surfaces for managing stormwater around a building. The site also treats and infiltrates 380,000 gallons of wastewater annually with a system that includes constructed wetlands and a sand filter. 5|Page Page 11 Precedent Analyses ECOLOGICAL SCHOOL SITES CONTINUED Sidwell Friends Middle School – Washington, DC As the world’s first LEED-NC Platinum K-12 school building, the Sidwell Friends Middle School embodies its philosophy to educate and guide students in developing social and environmental awareness. The school extends the learning environment into the landscape with a green roof, outdoor classroom, biology pond, butterfly meadow and Washington DC’s first constructed wetland. Water conservation played a central role in the project design with a closed-loop wastewater system and underground cistern that collects roof runoff, stores it, and supplies water to the biology pond during dry summer months. The campus achieved recognition from the National Wildlife Federation as a wildlife habitat for its use of native plantings, which attract birds and insects to the middle school courtyard. 6|Page Page 12 Precedent Analyses AIRPORT GATEWAY LAX Airport Gateway – Los Angeles, CA Gateways enhance the boundaries and edges that create psychological transitions between spaces. They delineate a sense of arrival into an area. Being an integral part of a boundary, gateways are interfaces between two types of activity. In order to heighten the sense of transition, they often involve changes of topology, crossing water, light and surface changes, and can take on many forms. A gateway, when effectively implemented, can offer much more than simply a threshold moment of arrival; it can create a sense of what is to come. By utilizing lush natural landscape elements, lighting, and signage, for example, a gateway can offer clues that visitors are entering an environmentally significant area containing contemporary technological enhancements. 7|Page Page 13