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, SEPTEMBER 23, 2019 – REGULAR MEETING (11:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.) A. PLANNING COMMISSION ELECTIONS B. COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS C. WORK SESSION: River Road/Santa Clara Neighborhood Plan – Action Plan Update Staff: Terri Harding, 541-682-5635, THarding@eugene-or.gov Commissioners: Steven Baker; John Barofsky; Tiffany Edwards (Vice Chair); Lisa Fragala; Chris Ramey; Ken Beeson; Kristen Taylor (Chair)  AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY September 23, 2019 To: Eugene Planning Commission From: Terri Harding, City of Eugene Planning Division Subject: River Road-Santa Clara Neighborhood Plan Update: Action Planning Phase INTRODUCTION The River Road and Santa Clara Community Organizations, City and County staff, consultants and neighborhood volunteers have been working together since the spring of 2017 to write a neighborhood plan for the River Road and Santa Clara Neighborhoods. The plan will focus on five topic areas— Economic Development, Transportation, Parks and Natural Resources, Land Use, and Community. This work session is an opportunity to hear an update on the Action Planning phase from neighborhood volunteers and project staff. BACKGROUND The neighborhood planning project is divided into key phases, with frequent opportunities for the Planning Commission to learn about the project along the way. The Reaching Out, Visioning and Neighborhood Priorities phases of the project were completed between October 2017 and August 2018. Since fall 2018, Policy Development focused on drafting policies that relate to the vision and neighborhood priorities. The draft policies are organized under eighteen high-level goals, which were written by the Community Advisory Committee (CAC) and vetted by the topic area Working Groups. Each draft goal has a CAC member who is the lead for convening Working Group members to edit the draft goal and the policies that support it. A current list of CAC members is included as Attachment A. On March 5, 2019, Planning Commission received an update and commented on the draft goals and policies. Project Phases Neighborhood Neighborhood Reaching Out Visioning Priorities Policy Action Adoption Development Planning 1 CAC members refined the draft policies based on feedback provided by the Eugene and Lane County Planning Commissions in March and April, at two April community events, as well as input received from City Council and the County Board of Commissioners in May. A Working Group meeting focused on all five topic areas was held on May 21 to transition the project into the Action Planning phase. During this phase a list of action items to implement the draft policies is being drafted, evaluated and prioritized. This involves fleshing out the specific actions or programs, who would be responsible for them, and a general estimate for cost, timeframe and feasibility. Reviewing the action items is a collaborative process among the CAC, Working Group members, and City, County, and partner agency staff. The August 2019 draft of all goals, policies and actions can be found on the project website. The CAC has led the sorting and editing of draft actions, and the Neighborhood Plan survey is designed to give them the input they need by letting community members say what is most important to them and suggest edits for a selection of key actions. Throughout the summer, staff and volunteers have been at a range of events, from concerts in the parks to events at the volunteer library, making sure that folks know about the neighborhood plan and are invited to add their voice. These outreach events are a chance to meet people where they are and reach a wider audience. Staff and volunteers have also visited affordable housing communities and walked the River Road corridor to speak with businesses. The CAC will continue to work towards a recommended list of actions to implement the neighborhood plan goals and policies as well as crafting an implementation strategy and prioritizing actions for short-term implementation. Another large community event will be held this fall to get input on the draft actions and short-term implementation strategy. River Road Corridor Study As part of the ongoing neighborhood planning process, an in-depth analysis of the River Road corridor is underway. The River Road Corridor Study includes stakeholder interviews, public workshops, economic and demographic research, and conceptual design work. The results of the Study will include proposed land use code amendments along the corridor as well as other recommendations to support implementation of the neighborhood vision along River Road, up to the location of the planned River Road Community Transit Center at Hunsaker Lane. In February 2019, the first workshop for the River Road Corridor Study included three open houses, dedicated business outreach, meetings with the CAC and Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), and an online survey for folks who were not able to attend the open houses. Community members were invited to create a range of concepts, exploring housing and commercial building types, transitions between zones, and safe walking routes to transit stops and neighborhood destinations. These concepts are being used by the team to explore different methods of implementing the policies that come out of the Neighborhood Plan. A report summarizing the results from this outreach is available on the project website. In June 2019, the second workshop was held where community members, staff and consultant team members brainstormed draft land use concepts, zoning options and design standards. The 2 group discussed everything from the types of development that may be appropriate for the corridor to ways to create neighborhood centers to capital projects, such as safe routes to schools that are important to prioritize. The project team has collaborated with the CAC to create draft land use code concepts for the corridor and potential neighborhood centers that support the neighborhood plan draft goals and policies. The Corridor Study Survey seeks community input on two draft land use concepts for the corridor and dives into future zoning and development types along River Road. The first draft concept focuses future residential development in a narrow, denser area called ‘Corridor Residential’ along River Road and major side streets. This includes rowhouses and 2-3 story apartments as well as middle housing types such as duplexes, triplexes, quadplexes, and courtyard and cottage cluster housing. The second draft concept focuses future residential development in a wider, less dense area called ‘Single Family Options’ focusing on middle housing types. Both draft concepts include active mixed-use centers at key areas along River Road and will include development standards that provide transitions between zones. Relationship to House Bill 2001 The River Road-Santa Clara Neighborhood Plan and River Road Corridor Study include draft goals, policies and actions that support adding more types of housing along the key transit corridor (River Road up to Hunsaker Lane, within a ¼ mile buffer) as well as along major roads. As such, elements of the neighborhood vision relating to the corridor are consistent with the intent of House Bill 2001. The Corridor Study team developed zoning concepts for different ways to add housing in the area. Outside the Corridor Study boundary, much of the River Road and Santa Clara neighborhoods are zoned R-1 Low Density Residential. The new law impacts how draft neighborhood plan policies and actions to add housing types and development standards will be implemented. These actions are being studied by staff to determine the best path forward as we continue to understand the many implications of compliance with the new law. For more information about House Bill 2001, see the bill language or City of Eugene’s FAQ. ACTION REQUESTED No Action Requested. This is an informational item only and a chance for community volunteers to present their in-progress work to the Planning Commission. NEXT STEPS The CAC and Working Group members will work to integrate feedback from the Neighborhood Plan survey and outreach events to refine a list of actions. The Action Planning phase will culminate with a large community event in the fall to solicit broad community input on the draft actions and short-term implementation strategy. The River Road Corridor Study project team will work to integrate feedback from the Corridor Study survey to refine draft code concepts. A refined draft neighborhood plan and refined Corridor Study code concept will be brought to the Eugene and Lane County Planning Commissions in the late fall, and City and County decision-makers in early winter, to obtain direction for moving into the formal Adoption phase. 3 ATTACHMENTS A. Community Advisory Committee Members – September 2019 B. Project Website: www.riverroad-santaclaraplan.org C. Neighborhood Plan Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/riverroadsantaclara D. Corridor Study Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RiverRoadCorridorStudy FOR MORE INFORMATION Staff Contact: Terri Harding, Principal Planner Telephone: 541-682-5635 Staff E-Mail: THarding@eugene-or.gov 4  ATTACHMENT A River Road-Santa Clara Neighborhood Plan Community Advisory Committee Members River Road Jon Belcher (co-chair) Michele O’Leary (backup co-chair) Louisa de Heer Cameron Ewing Hans Wittig 1 vacant position Santa Clara Kate Perle (co-chair) Rick Duncan Mary Leontovich Ed McMahon Ann Vaughn Louie Vidmar September 2019