Planning Commission

AGENDA Meeting Location: Sloat Room, Atrium Building Phone: 541-682-5481 99 West 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, NOVEMBER 18, 2019 – REGULAR MEETING (11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.) A. Work Session: River Road/Santa Clara Neighborhood Plan Update Lead City Staff: Terri Harding, 541-682-5635, terri.l.harding@ci.eugene.or.us Commissioners: Steven Baker; John Barofsky; Ken Beeson; Tiffany Edwards (Chair); Lisa Fragala (Vice Chair); Chris Ramey; Kristen Taylor  AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY November 18, 2019 To: Eugene Planning Commission From: Terri Harding, City of Eugene Planning Division Subject: River Road-Santa Clara Neighborhood Plan: Action Planning Update 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, which includes a community event, Pumpkin Pie and Planning, held on November 13, 2019. 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. In spring 2019, CAC members refined the draft policies based on feedback provided by the community, Eugene and Lane County Planning Commissions, and Eugene City Council and Lane County Board of Commissioners. Project Phases Neighborhood Neighborhood Reaching Out Visioning Priorities Policy Action Adoption Development Planning 1 Action Planning Phase In May 2019, the project transitioned into the Action Planning phase, which focused on drafting, evaluating and prioritizing actions to implement the draft policies. Refining the action items has been a collaborative process among the CAC, Working Group members, and City, County, and partner agency staff. Throughout the summer, volunteers and staff 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. The Neighborhood Plan survey lets community members say what is most important to them and suggest edits for a selection of key actions. This survey will close on Sunday, November 24. Staff will provide a summary of outreach and an overview of some initial survey results during the work session. Since the September 18, 2019 Eugene Planning Commission work session, the CAC and staff have been preparing for the large community event on November 13th, Pumpkin Pie and Planning. This event is an opportunity to share the draft actions, listen to feedback, and discuss next steps and how the community can stay involved. The Action Plan Highlights provided in Attachment A are key priorities for implementing the plan. Each highlight relates to one or more draft actions in Attachment B. Additional community event materials can be found on the project website (Attachment C). Land Use materials include a draft Proposed Zoning and Code Concepts map (Attachment D) and draft Corridor Study Transition Standards graphics (Attachment E) that illustrate potential design standards that support the neighborhood plan’s draft goals and policies. The project team has also developed maps to illustrate the key priorities in the areas of Transportation (Attachment F) and Parks and Natural Resources (Attachment G). 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, a series of outreach events invited community members 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. In June 2019, community members, staff and consultant team members brainstormed draft land use concepts, zoning options and design standards. The project team collaborated with the CAC to create draft land use code concepts for a mixed use corridor and options for supporting a variety of housing types that support the neighborhood plan draft goals and policies. 2 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. The Corridor Study survey will close on Sunday, November 24. Staff will provide an overview of some initial survey results during the work session. ACTION REQUESTED The project team is seeking community and Commission feedback on all of the Action Planning phase materials, with a focus on Attachments A, D, E, F, and G. Feedback will be used to help the CAC and project management team refine their recommendations to the elected officials early in the New Year. NEXT STEPS The CAC and staff will work to integrate feedback from the Neighborhood Plan survey and outreach events to continue refining the draft actions and work towards a recommended list of actions to implement the neighborhood plan goals and policies. The River Road Corridor Study project team will work to integrate feedback from the Corridor Study survey and outreach events to refine draft land use and code concepts. Staff and volunteers will provide updates to the Lane County Planning Commission in December 2019. In January 2020, staff and community volunteers will present their recommendations to Eugene City Council and Lane County Board of Commissioners and seek direction to prepare a plan adoption package to vet through the broad community, residents, businesses and property owners, River Road and Santa Clara Community Organizations, and a triple bottom line sounding board. See the Adoption Phase overview provided in Attachment H for an overview of next steps and future Planning Commission and City Council meetings. ATTACHMENTS A. Action Plan Highlights B. November 2019 Draft of Goals, Policies and Actions C. Project Website: www.riverroad-santaclaraplan.org D. Draft Proposed Zoning and Code Concept Map E. Draft Corridor Study Transition Standards F. Draft Transportation Maps – Existing and Future G. Draft Parks and Natural Resources Map H. Adoption Phase Overview 3 FOR MORE INFORMATION Staff Contact: Terri Harding, Principal Planner Telephone: 541-682-5635 Staff E-Mail: THarding@eugene-or.gov 4  Attachment A Action Plan Highlights Economic Parks & Natural Transportation Land Use Community Development Resources Promote a Welcoming and Support Local Businesses Increase Walking and Biking Enhance Waterways Develop Design Transitions Inclusive Community Grow Employment Organize Resilience Action Adopt New Street Standards Preserve and Grow our Farms Support Housing Options Opportunities Teams Create a Thriving Mixed Use Establish a Business Network Expand Transit Service Build a Parks System Coordinate Public Services Corridor Create a Thriving Mixed Use Adopt Willamette Greenway Improve Beltline Highway Prioritize Recreation Promote Art and Creativity Corridor Standards Collaborate to Implement and Monitor Plan Outcomes Neighborhood Plan Themes that cut across topic areas: Equity and Inclusion Connectivity Healthy People and Climate Safety Prosperity Neighborhood Identity ACTION PLAN HIGHLIGHTS 11/7/19 The following actions are the key priorities for implementing the plan vision. These are the things that we’ve heard time and again are important to people in the neighborhoods. Neighborhood leaders, the City of Eugene, Lane County, and community partners are working hard to identify specific policies, codes, and programs to make the plan come to life. A: Code Amendment B: Program/Project C: Community Partnership NP: Neighborhood Plan document, numbers refer to action plan items All Topics: Collaborate to Implement and Monitor Plan Outcomes: Foster collaboration among City and County staff, community organizations, and partners to achieve plan outcomes over time. Monitor results and propose adjustments to the plan as necessary. (B and C, NP: 14.2.6) Economic Development Support Local Businesses: Inventory local businesses, including home-based businesses and services. Develop tools that favor small independent businesses over large national chains. (B and C, NP 1.3.2) Grow Employment Opportunities: Review land use codes and zoning to determine if code or zone changes can assist in creating more employment opportunities within the neighborhoods (B, NP 3.1.1, 3.1.2) Establish a Business Network: Create a neighborhood business network or association that includes the diverse spectrum of enterprises. (C, NP 1.4.1) Create a Thriving Mixed Use Corridor: Analyze current zoning patterns along the transit corridor and adopt new mixed-use zoning (A, B, and C, NP 3.1.6) Transportation Increase Walking and Biking: Areas near schools, parks, and connecting to the river paths are of highest priority (B, NP 4.1.2-4.1.7) Adopt New Street Standards: Allow for more flexible sidewalk and bike lane design and natural swales that clean stormwater, provide wildlife habitat, and ensure longevity. (B, NP: 4.1.4) Improve Beltline Highway: Upgrade facilities to reduce traffic congestion and increase safety. (B, NP: 4.1.8) Expand Transit Service: Support enhanced service and infrastructure within the neighborhoods and between River Road and Santa Clara and other areas in Lane County. (B, NP: 4.2.1-4.2.4) Natural Resources and Parks Enhance Waterways: Create a voluntary education and work party program to improve the seasonal creeks that wind through the neighborhoods, filter stormwater, and provide wildlife habitat. For commercial and industrial areas, work with property owners on a voluntary basis to upgrade their stormwater management practices. Finally, collaborate with Friends of Trees to plant more trees! (B and C, NP: 7.2.1-7.2.3) Preserve our Farm Land: Advocate for ways to maintain food production in the neighborhoods, sell produce on-site, and preserve agricultural lands outside the urban area. (A, B, C NP: 10.1.5, 10.2.2, 10.3.3) Build a Parks System: Collaborate with the community to identify priorities to improve existing facilities and purchase new land. (B, NP:8.1.1-8.1.2, 10.1.6) Prioritize Recreation: Create a Santa Clara Community Center: Build the planned community park and community center in Santa Clara, work to preserve the historic school house, and maintain River Road Recreation Facilities (B and C, NP: 8.3.2, 17.3.2) Land Use Develop Design Transitions – Develop infill and design transition standards that support neighborhood character. (A, NP: 11.2.1, 14.1.3, and 14.2.5) Support Housing Options – Support a variety of housing options with development standards through land use regulations and financial incentives. (A and B, NP: 12.1.1, 14.1.1 and 14.1.2) Create a Thriving Mixed Use Corridor – Adopt new zones with development standards that support the creation of mixed use neighborhood centers and development that contributes to a thriving, active River Road Corridor. (A and C, NP: 13.1.1, 13.1.2, 13.1.3, 13.1.4, 13.2.8) Adopt Willamette Greenway Standards – Maintain the low-density character along the Willamette Greenway through land use regulations with development standards. (A, NP: 14.3.1) Community Promote a Welcoming and Inclusive Community: Connect with all residents. Increase the opportunities for under-represented residents to participate in community activities, including people with disabilities, non- English speakers, communities of color, youth, families, and unhoused residents. (C, NP 15.1.3) Organize Resilience Action Teams: Develop resilience action teams to design and implement projects that achieve goals of the action plan (B and C, NP 16.1.2) Coordinate Public Services: Review current service provision and adopt a plan of action that addresses coordination, improvement and/or potential transition of essential services as River Road and Santa Clara neighborhoods evolve. (B and C, NP 17.2.1) Promote Art and Creativity: Create a clearinghouse for networking artistic resources, support public art such as neighborhood murals, and encourage collaboration between artists, neighborhood organizations, and businesses. (C, NP: 15.4)