HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 13 16th Street Vacation AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY Meeting Date: 5/4/2015
Meeting Type: Regular Meeting
Staff Contact/Dept.: Andy Limbird, DPW Staff Phone No: x3784
Estimated Time: 15 minutes
S P R I N G F I E L D C I T Y C O U N C I L Council Goals: Maintain and Improve Infrastructure and Facilities ITEM TITLE: 16TH STREET VACATION
ACTION
REQUESTED:
Conduct a public hearing and first reading of the following ordinance:
AN ORDINANCE VACATING A PORTION OF 16TH STREET BETWEEN G AND I STREETS.
ISSUE
STATEMENT:
McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center is requesting vacation of a two-block segment of 16th
Street between G and I Street to facilitate a planned expansion of the hospital campus, including the principal hospital building, ancillary facilities, parking lots and walkways.
ATTACHMENTS: 1. Staff Report
2. Site Maps
3. SDC Section 3.3-1100: Hospital Support Overlay District (HS) 4. Vacation Application
5. Traffic Circulation Study
6. Vacation Ordinance and Special Benefit Waiver Resolution
DISCUSSION/ FINANCIAL
IMPACT:
McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center has initiated the vacation action in accordance with
Section 3.200 of the Springfield Municipal Code and Section 5.2-120 of the City’s
Development Code (Attachment 4). The two-block section of right-of-way proposed for vacation is a 36-foot wide paved street within a 60-foot wide right-of-way. Sixteenth Street is classified as a local street and currently provides a continuous connection between Main
Street and Centennial Boulevard.
According to the applicant’s project narrative, the subject street vacation is requested to
facilitate expansion of the existing hospital building and ancillary facilities, and to improve the function, safety and security of the hospital campus at 1460 G Street. The right-of-way
requested for vacation is inside and central to the Hospital Support Overlay District (HS), a
delineated zone to the east and south of the McKenzie-Willamette Hospital that is identified for future hospital expansion and related hospital support services. The HS District
boundary encompasses public streets and private properties generally between 14th Street/Mohawk Boulevard to the west and 18th Street to the east, and between F and J Streets (Attachment 3).
Staff advises that vacation of the right-of-way also would require provision of a public utility easement across the vacation area to allow for maintenance, repair, and replacement
of existing utility infrastructure. A public access easement also would be required to accommodate a planned multi-use bicycle/pedestrian connection to replace the existing
sidewalk that runs along the east edge of the subject right-of-way.
In accordance with Section 3.204(1) of the Springfield Municipal Code, disposition of
public right-of-way requires that the applicant pay an assessment of special benefit for the
value of the vacation area that inures to the benefiting property. Section 3.204(3) states that the City Council may waive the requirement for an assessment of special benefit if the
vacation is deemed to be in the public interest. If the City Council determines that waiver
of the assessment of special benefit is warranted for this vacation request, staff recommends commemorating that action through adoption of a Resolution.
TYPE IV – VACATION OF PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY
STAFF REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS
_____________________________________________________________________________________
File Name: 16th Street Vacation
Applicant: McKenzie-Willamette
Medical Center
Case Number: TYP415-00001
Proposal Location:
Segment of 16th Street between G and
I Streets
Adjacent Zoning:
Low Density Residential (LDR),
Mixed Use Commercial (MUC) and
General Office (GO)
Plan Designation:
Nodal Development (ND) and LDR
Applicable Comprehensive Plan: Metro Plan
Application Submittal Date: March 26, 2015
Associated Applications: PRE14- 00037 (Development Issues Meeting); PRE15-00018 (Pre-Submittal for Site Plan Modification)
CITY OF SPRINGFIELD’S DEVELOPMENT REVIEW COMMITTEE
POSITION REVIEW OF NAME PHONE
Project Manager Planning Andy Limbird 541-726-3784
Transportation Planning Engineer Transportation Michael Liebler 541-736-1034
Public Works Civil Engineer Streets and Utilities Clayton McEachern 541-736-1036
Deputy Fire Marshal Fire and Life Safety Gilbert Gordon 541-726-2293
Building Official Building David Bowlsby 541-736-1029
APPLICANT’S DEVELOPMENT REVIEW TEAM
POSITION NAME PHONE MAILING ADDRESS
Applicant Chad Campbell,
McKenzie-Willamette
Medical Center
541-726-4402 1460 G Street
Springfield, OR 97477
Applicant’s
Representative
Colin McArthur,
Cameron McCarthy
Landscape Architecture
541-485-7385 160 East Broadway
Eugene, OR 97401
Main Street
G Street
Right-of-Way Proposed
for Vacation
I Street
G Street
I Street
McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center
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Attachment 1-1
Review Process (SDC 5.20-115): The subject vacation action is being reviewed under Type IV procedures, without Planning Commission consideration.
Vacation Initiation and Application Submittal (SDC 5.20-120): In accordance with SDC 5.20-120.A and ORS 271.080, vacation of public rights-of-way may be initiated by the petition of a property owner. A valid petition must have the signatures of all abutting property owners representing at least two-thirds (66%) of the abutting and
affected property.
Finding: The adjacent property owner, McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center, submitted a petition for vacation
along with the signatures of abutting and affected property owners who own 71% of the affected property area (Attachment 4 to the City Council AIS).
Conclusion: The application requirements in SDC 5.20-120.A have been met.
Site Information: The public right-of-way proposed for vacation is a segment of 16th Street between G and I Streets. The subject right-of-way passes along the east side of the McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center campus at 1460 G Street and provides access to the adjacent patient and employee parking lots, satellite medical clinics, and
ancillary facilities. Currently, 16th Street is developed as a 36-foot wide paved local street within a 60-foot right-of-way. The affected segment of 16th Street is part of a continuous connection between Main Street to the south and
Centennial Boulevard to the north.
The applicant is requesting vacation of the two-block segment of 16th Street to facilitate hospital expansion and to incorporate the subject right-of-way into the hospital campus. According to the applicant’s project narrative, the
right-of-way proposed for vacation is to be reconfigured as part of the hospital entrance driveway, parking lots, and walkways in order to improve the safety, security and functionality of this area.
In accordance with SDC 3.3-1110 the subject right-of-way is within the Hospital Support Overlay District (HS), which designates an area generally to the east and south of the existing building for future hospital expansion and
related hospital support services. The portion of 16th Street requested for vacation is in the center of the delineated
HS District. Staff advises that the HS District was part of the City’s contemporary Development Code originally adopted in May, 1986 and subsequently amended.
There are existing public utilities that run through the subject vacation area, including but not limited to City stormwater and sanitary sewer, SUB water and electricity, telecommunications, and natural gas lines. To
accommodate the existing utilities within the right-of-way, staff recommends concurrent recording of a public utility easement over the entire area subject to the vacation action. Additionally, staff recommends concurrent recording of a 10-foot wide public access easement along the east boundary of the vacation area to accommodate a
planned multi-use pathway that will replace the existing sidewalk.
Notice Requirements (SDC 5.20-125): Consistent with SDC 5.20-125, notice was provided as follows:
Mailed Notice. Notice of the annexation application was mailed April 13, 2015, which is more than 20 days
prior to the public hearing date, to the affected property owner(s); owners and occupants of properties located
within 425 feet of the perimeter of the affected territory; affected neighborhood groups or community organizations officially recognized by the city that includes the affected territory; and affected special districts
and all other public utility providers.
Newspaper Notice. Notice of the May 4, 2015 public hearing was published in The Register-Guard on April
20 and 27, 2015. Posted Notice. Notice of the May 4, 2015 public hearing was posted in five public places in the City: at the
northern and southern ends of the right-of-way proposed for vacation; at Springfield City Hall and in the Development & Public Works office; and on the City of Springfield website.
Attachment 1-2
Conclusion: Notice of the public hearing was provided consistent with SDC 5.7-130.
Recommendation to City Council (SDC 5.7-135): The Development & Public Works Director shall forward a
written recommendation on the vacation request to the City Council based on the approval criteria specified in Section 5.20-130, which are provided as follows with the SDC requirements, findings, and conclusions. The
Director’s recommendation follows SDC 5.20-130, Criteria.
Criteria (SDC 5.20-130): The application may be approved only if the City Council finds that the proposal
conforms to the following criteria:
A. For the Vacation of public utility easements, the Director shall approve, approve with conditions, or deny
the application. The application will be approved if the Vacation is found to be consistent with the
following criteria:
1. There are no present or future services, facilities, or utilities deemed to be necessary by a utility
provider and the easement is not necessary; or
Staff Finding: The proposed vacation is not for a public utility easement. Therefore, this sub-element of
the criterion is not applicable.
2. If the utility provider deems the easement to be necessary, public services, facilities, or utilities can be
extended in an orderly and efficient manner in an alternate location.
Staff Finding: Access to the vacated right-of-way will be maintained for current utilities. This access can
be afforded through appropriate public easements and licenses for the affected right-of-way (see Criterion
B3 and Condition 2 below). Because the proposed vacation is for public right-of-way and not for a public
utility easement, this sub-element of the criterion is not applicable.
Conclusion: This proposal meets Criterion A.
B. Where the proposed Vacation of public rights-of-way, other City property, or Partition or Subdivision
Plats is reviewed under Type IV procedure, the City Council shall approve, approve with conditions, or
deny the Vacation application. The application will be approved if the Vacation is found to be consistent
with the following approval criteria.
1. The Vacation shall be in conformance with the Metro Plan, TransPlan, the Conceptual Local Street
Map and adopted Functional Plans, and applicable Refinement Plan diagram, Plan District map, or
Conceptual Development Plan;
Staff Finding: The subject right-of-way is depicted on the City’s Conceptual Local Street Map as an
existing local street. The two-block segment of 16th Street proposed for vacation is developed as a 36-foot
wide paved street within a 60-foot wide right-of-way. The segment of 16th Street requested for vacation is
part of a modified grid system just east of the downtown core, and there are redundant east-west and north-
south streets in the vicinity of the vacation area.
Staff Finding: The adopted Metro Plan does not specifically identify 16th Street, although it appears to
serve as the east boundary for the Nodal Development Area surrounding the McKenzie Willamette
Hospital. The requested vacation does not change the underlying comprehensive plan designation, Nodal
Development Area designation, or zoning district boundary.
Attachment 1-3
Staff Finding: There is no adopted Refinement Plan or Conceptual Development Plan for the subject
vacation area. Therefore, the proposal meets this sub-element of the criterion.
2. The Vacation shall not conflict with the provisions of Springfield Municipal Code, 1997; and this
Code, including but not limited to, street connectivity standards and block lengths; and
Staff Finding: The proposed vacation will remove a north-south connection between G and I Streets,
requiring vehicles to use 14th Street/Mohawk Boulevard or 18th Street as alternate north-south connectors.
The proposed vacation area increases the east-west block length between north-south street connections,
but does not have a significant adverse impact on overall east-west or north-south connectivity. Effects on
street connectivity and traffic circulation patterns are also discussed in Criterion B3 below.
Staff Finding: The street configuration in the immediate vicinity of the hospital site consists of a number of
elongated east-west blocks. With the elongated blocks, traffic heading north or south is directed out to the
arterial street in the area (14th Street/Mohawk Boulevard). East-west travel in the vicinity of the hospital is
accommodated within the existing street grid, including E Street, G Street, J Street and Centennial
Boulevard.
Staff Finding: The right-of-way proposed for vacation is within the Hospital Support Overlay District (HS), which is described in Section 3.3-1110 of the City’s Development Code. The HS District designates
an area generally to the east and south of the existing building for future hospital expansion and related
hospital support services. The portion of 16th Street requested for vacation is inside and central to the delineated HS District.
Staff Finding: The HS District was part of the City’s contemporary Development Code initially adopted in May, 1986 and subsequently amended. Staff observes that the possibility of hospital expansion within the
boundary of the Hospital Support Overlay District has been contemplated – if not facilitated – by Code
provisions for nearly 30 years. The Hospital Support Overlay District encompasses public rights-of-way and private properties within about a one- to two-block distance from the current hospital building.
Therefore, the proposal meets this sub-element of the criterion.
3. There shall be no negative effects on access, traffic circulation, emergency service protection or any
other benefit derived from the public right-of-way, publicly owned land or Partition or Subdivision
Plat.
Staff Finding: The conceptual design for the hospital expansion area proposes to close the two-block
segment of 16th Street to vehicle through-traffic, but retain provision for employee, patient, and emergency
access to the east side of the hospital via internal driveways and parking lots. The applicant also proposes
to accommodate public bicycle and pedestrian traffic via a multi-use pathway on the east side of the
vacation area (formerly the sidewalk along the east edge of 16th Street). Upon vacation of 16th Street, a
public access easement will be necessary to accommodate the planned bicycle and pedestrian connection.
Staff Finding: The applicant has prepared a traffic circulation study for the planned hospital expansion,
including the segment of 16th Street proposed for vacation. The conclusion of the applicant’s
Transportation Engineer is that vehicle circulation patterns at the hospital and in the adjacent neighborhood
will not be significantly impacted by vacation of 16th Street. Additionally, the vacation should have a
positive impact on improving pedestrian and bicycle movements through the area, and reduce the amount
of truck traffic passing through the adjacent residential areas. Staff concurs with the findings of the
applicant’s traffic circulation study, which is included herein as an attachment to the City Council AIS for
the subject vacation request.
Attachment 1-4
Staff Finding: Because there are multiple known utilities within the right-of-way proposed for vacation,
provision will need to be made for maintenance, repair and replacement access to existing equipment and
utility lines. To accommodate utility infrastructure, a public utility easement will need to be recorded
across the entire vacation area.
Recommended Conditions of Approval: 1. Prior to or concurrent with recording of the Vacation Ordinance, a 10-foot wide public access
easement running inside and parallel with the east boundary of the vacation area shall be recorded and evidence thereof provided to the City.
2. Prior to or concurrent with recording of the Vacation Ordinance, a 60-foot wide public utility easement allowing for continued access, use, repair, replacement, and maintenance of utilities within the vacation area shall be recorded against the vacation area and evidence thereof
provided to the City.
Conclusion: As conditioned herein, this proposal meets Criterion B.
C. Notwithstanding the provisions of Subsection B., above where the land affected by the proposed Vacation
of public right-of-way, other public land as specified in ORS 271.080, or public easement will remain in
public ownership and will continue to be used for a public purpose, the request shall be reviewed under
the Type IV procedure. The City Council may approve the Vacation application if it is found to be
consistent with the following criteria:
1. The Vacation was initiated by the City Council pursuant to ORS 271.130(1);
Staff Finding: The vacation action was initiated by an abutting property owner in accordance with
provisions of ORS 271.080 and SDC 5.20-120. Therefore, this sub-element of the criterion is not
applicable.
2. Notice has been given pursuant to ORS 271.110(1);
Staff Finding: Notice of the public hearing for vacation of the subject right-of-way has been provided in
accordance with ORS 271.110(1) and Section 5.20-125 of the City’s Development Code. Therefore, the
proposal meets this sub-element of the criterion.
3. Approval of the vacation would be consistent with provision of safe, convenient and reasonably direct
routes for cyclists, pedestrians and vehicles as provided in OAR 660-012-00045(3);
Staff Finding: The segment of right-of-way proposed for vacation will be closed to vehicle through-traffic,
but not to pedestrians and bicyclists. An enhanced multi-use pathway will be provided along the east edge
of the vacation area to accommodate north-south bicycle and pedestrian traffic. Vehicles accessing the
hospital facility could use the proposed driveway and parking lots within the vacation area, while vehicles
travelling north or south through the neighborhood could use alternate routes in the immediate vicinity of
the vacation area. Therefore, the proposal meets this sub-element of the criterion.
Attachment 1-5
4. Whether a greater public benefit would be obtained from the vacation than from retaining the right
of way in its present status; and
Staff Finding: The subject right-of-way is City-owned and maintained, but is within an area long-identified
for potential hospital expansion. The City undertook a public process to adopt the Hospital Support
Overlay District as part of the updated, “contemporary” Development Code in 1986. By doing so, the City
effectively acknowledged that hospital expansion could involve private properties and public rights-of-way
in a one- to two-block sector generally east and south of the existing hospital building. Expansion of the
existing hospital facility – a long-time fixture in this neighborhood – was seen as a preferred option to
relocating to a new site in Springfield or a neighboring community. The subject right-of-way abuts the
existing hospital site and is central to the delineated expansion area found in Section 3.3-1100 of the
Development Code. Therefore, incorporation of the subject right-of-way into the hospital campus is
consistent with the City’s adopted Code provisions.
Staff Finding: The conceptual development plans for the hospital expansion propose to incorporate the
vacation area as parking spaces, driving aisles, internal walkways and landscaping areas. There are no
permanent structures proposed for the vacation area and vehicular access will be maintained, albeit in a
more circuitous route through the modified hospital parking lot. Therefore, vacation of the subject right-of-
way does not represent an irreversible step should property ownership and/or use change in the future.
Staff Finding: In accordance with Section 3.204(1) of the City’s Municipal Code, the City Council may
require a payment to the city by the applicant of an amount equal to the assessment of special benefit
realized by the applicant as a result of the vacation. Section 3.204(3) provides that the City Council may
also choose to waive the special assessment of benefit associated with vacation of the subject public right-
of-way if it is determined to be in the public interest. Staff recommends the City Council consider a
resolution to waive the special assessment of benefit for the subject right-of-way area if the City Council
determines that the use of the vacated right-of-way by the applicant for incorporation in a major hospital
campus expansion that maintains public utility and multi-modal access will serve a greater public purpose
than in its current status as a local street.
5. Whether provisions have been made to ensure that the vacated property will remain in public
ownership. Staff Finding: Disposition of the right-of-way is predicated on provision of suitable easements and licenses for existing utilities within the vacation area (Condition 2). There is no specific provision to retain the
subject vacation area in public ownership. However, staff observes that the City Council could choose to add a provision in the adopting Ordinance to have the right-of-way revert to public ownership in the event the hospital expansion does not proceed and/or the applicant abandons the site.
Conclusion: This proposal meets Criterion C.
City Council Decision (SDC 5.20-135): City Council approval of the vacation application is done by adoption of
a Vacation Ordinance. In accordance with SDC 5.20-135, the City Council may attach conditions as may be reasonably necessary to allow the Vacation to be granted, including but not limited to provision of easements for
existing utilities.
City Council waiver of the special assessment of benefit for the vacation area, pursuant to Section 3.204(3) of the
Municipal Code, can be done by adoption of a Resolution. Finding: On May 4, 2015, the City Council will conduct a Public Hearing and give first reading of the Vacation
Ordinance. Based on the staff analysis and recommendations, and on testimony provided at the Public Hearing, the
Attachment 1-6
City Council may choose to adopt the Ordinance at a future meeting. The Council may order modifications to this Ordinance in consideration of evidence in the record. The Director recommends approval of the vacation
application subject to the conditions described in the staff report and as summarized below. Further, staff
recommends adoption of a Resolution if the City Council chooses to waive the special assessment of benefit for the subject vacation area.
SUMMARY OF STAFF RECOMMENDED CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL: 1. Prior to or concurrent with recording of the Vacation Ordinance, a 10-foot wide public access easement
running inside and parallel with the east boundary of the vacation area shall be recorded and evidence thereof provided to the City.
2. Prior to or concurrent with recording of the Vacation Ordinance, a 60-foot wide public utility easement allowing for continued access, use, repair, replacement, and maintenance of utilities within the vacation
area shall be recorded against the vacation area and evidence thereof provided to the City. ADDITIONAL STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
If the City Council chooses to waive the special assessment of benefit for the vacation area, in accordance with the provisions of Section 3.204(3) of the Springfield Municipal Code, the action should be
commemorated through adoption of the attached Resolution.
Attachment 1-7
LOCATION OF PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY PROPOSED FOR VACATION
SITE
Attachment 2-1
PROPOSED VACATION OF PUBLIC STREET RIGHT-OF-WAY
VICINITY STREET MAP
Right-Of-Way Proposed
For Vacation
McKenzie-Willamette
Medical Center
Attachment 2-2
PROPOSED VACATION OF PUBLIC STREET RIGHT-OF-WAY
PORTION OF 16TH STREET BETWEEN G STREET AND I STREET
16TH STREET
RIGHT-OF-WAY
PROPOSED FOR
VACATION
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G Street
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McKenzie Willamette
Medical Center Willamalane Park
I Street
G Street
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Ordinance ________ - 3 -
LEGAL DESCRIPTION OF VACATION AREA
A 60.00 foot wide strip of land situated in the Northwest Quarter of Section 36, Township 17 South, Range 3
West of the Willamette Meridian, in Springfield, Lane County, Oregon, said strip being more particularly
described as follows:
Beginning at the Northeast corner of Lot 7 of the RE-PLAT OF BLOCK 8 OF THE MOHAWK
ADDITION, as platted and recorded in Book 17, Page 4, Lane County Oregon Plat Records, said point also
being on the West right-of-way line of 16th Street, 30.00 feet from the centerline thereof; thence leaving
said West right-of-way line run South 89°48’44” East, 30.14 feet; thence North 89°46’07” East, 29.86 feet
to the Northwest corner of Lot 1, Block 1, MARYLHURST ADDITION, as platted and recorded in Book
12, Page 27, Lane County Oregon Plat Records, said point also being on the East right-of-way line of said
16th Street, 30.00 feet from the centerline thereof; thence along said East right-of-way line South 00°14’21”
West, 639.32 feet to the Southwest corner of Lot C, Block 3 of said MARYLHURST ADDITION; thence
leaving said East right-of-way line run South 89°45’36” West, 60.00 feet to a point on said West right-of-
way line of 16th Street; thence along said West right-of-way line North 00°14’21” East, 639.55 feet to the
Point of Beginning, in Springfield, Lane County, Oregon.
Containing 38,363 square feet, more or less.
I Street
G Street
16
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J Street
I Street
Modoc Street
Parker Street
14
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PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-
WAY TO BE VACATED
McKenzie-
Willamette
Medical Center
1 8 th
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Willamalane
Park
G Street
Exhibit A-1
Attachment 6-3
M E M O R A N D U M City of Springfield
Date: 5/4/2015
COUNCIL
BRIEFING
MEMORANDUM
To: Gino Grimaldi
From: Andy Limbird, Senior Planner
Subject: Vacation of 16th Street Right of Way
ISSUE: The McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center is requesting vacation of a segment of 16th Street
between G and I Streets. The street vacation is requested to facilitate a planned expansion of the
hospital building, parking lots, driveways and ancillary facilities. It is staff’s understanding that the
vacated right-of-way would be incorporated into the hospital campus as part of the driveway entrance,
parking lots, and pedestrian walkways along the east side of the medical center. The City’s adopted Municipal Code (Section 3.204.1) provides that: “a vacation of improved or unimproved public right-
of-way, any public way acquired with public funds, or any undeveloped subdivision or partition plat, or
portions thereof, shall require the payment to the City by the applicant of an amount equal to the
assessment of special benefit resulting or inuring to the abutting property that results from the vacation
and disposition of property to the benefited property owners.” The Municipal Code (Section 3.204.3) goes on to state that “the City Council may waive the assessment of a special benefit if the Council
determines it is in the public interest.” Staff is requesting direction from the City Council regarding
waiver of the assessment of special benefit fee.
COUNCIL GOALS/
MANDATE:
Maintain and Improve Infrastructure and Facilities
BACKGROUND: The McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center has been a fixture in inner-Springfield
since the mid-1950s, and it recently announced plans for a major expansion of the hospital building and reconfiguration of adjacent parking lots, walkways and supporting facilities. Among the changes proposed for the east side of the hospital building is the incorporation of a two-block segment of 16th
Street into the reconfigured driveways, parking lots and walkways serving the hospital campus. The
street would be effectively closed to vehicle through-travel, but provisions would be made for an
enhanced bicycle and pedestrian connection between G and I Streets. The McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center cites issues of safety, security and operational efficiency as principal reasons for
requesting the street vacation.
Staff examined the limited historical information and public records available for the right-of-way
proposed for vacation, and found that 16th Street had been platted by 1946 when residential subdivisions were recorded on the adjoining properties. The 16th Street right-of-way may have
originated when a grid of acreage lots and public roads were platted for this area in the 1900s.
Dedication statements on the series of subdivision plats that were initially recorded for this area of
Springfield state that “the owners hereby layout and establish the lots and roads as shown on the plat
and dedicate such streets to the public to be used as such forever”. Based on this limited information, staff concludes that the streets constituted an exaction – even in subdivisions recorded more than 100
years ago, since there is no indication that public funds were expended for purchase of street rights-of-
way to serve the subdivision areas.
In addition to examining the early subdivision plats for the area surrounding the hospital to determine
Attachment 6A-4
(to the extent possible) how the road right-of-way may have been initially created and whether public funds were potentially expended to do so, staff also considered other provisions of the Municipal Code
pertaining to street vacations. Section 3.204.2 of the Municipal Code states that: “in vacating a public
right-of-way, whether initiated by Council, or by petition [of an adjacent property owner] as provided
by section 3.200, the assessed value of special benefit that results from the vacation and disposition of
property to the benefited abutting property owners shall include: (a) the value of the real property; (b) the costs incurred by the City in the construction of public improvements, if any such improvements
have been made; and (c) the value of any public easements or reservations retained by the City.”
The two-block segment of right-of-way subject to the vacation request is a paved local street improved
with curb, gutter, sidewalk and street trees. Although the subject right-of-way has been in existence for 70 years or more, staff is not certain exactly when (and by whom) the street was initially paved and
constructed to modern urban standards. Current City investment in the subject right-of-way includes
periodic maintenance and repair of the pavement surface and constructed utilities (such as stormwater
catch basins and piping, etc.).
Of additional interest and applicability to this request for vacation is the purpose and intent of the
Hospital Overlay District: “The Hospital Support (HS) Overlay District is established to provide an
area in the immediate vicinity of the McKenzie-Willamette Hospital for future hospital expansion and
for hospital related support services.” (Section 3.3-1105 of the Springfield Development Code) This
Overlay District was created in the mid-1980’s to allow the one hospital in the city to expand and redevelop as necessary to meet community needs. There was no reason to believe a second hospital
would be constructed in Springfield; there was no perceived benefit to designate another site elsewhere
in the city for relocation of McKenzie-Willamette hospital; and there was no intent to have other uses
(non-medical related) compete with the hospital for this expansion area. In acknowledgement of these
suppositions underlying the designation of this site as Hospital Support, staff from McKenzie Willamette and the city jointly developed a defined area of influence and potential expansion that
would accommodate the future full build out of the hospital and nearby proximity of typical ancillary
facilities. While there were no specific building or site plans showing a single, integrated use of all of
this area, the ability to do exactly that was implicit in the rezoning of all of this area to HS and not a
more opportunistic zoning designation for general commercial or office use. The entire premise of this undertaking was the public benefit arising from an efficient expansion or redevelopment of the
community’s hospital hence there is a reasonable interpretation that there is no special benefit inuring
to the hospital through this vacation.
In addition to the foregoing information, the applicant is proposing to retain some of the existing pavement surface for driving and parking areas, and to reconfigure the curblines to create internal
parking lot driving aisles and walkways. The underlying public utilities will remain in place and the
vacation area would be subject to a 60-foot wide public utility easement to ensure access is maintained
for the use, repair, and replacement of utility infrastructure. Because the area would be entirely
encumbered by a public utility easement, its inherent value as a development area is limited to surface improvements and the ability to potentially build structures closer to what was formerly a perimeter
property line. However, in the case of the planned hospital expansion, there are no structures proposed
on or near the vacation area that otherwise wouldn’t be compliant with provisions of the Development
Code if the vacation action does not occur. Therefore, the added value to the site is primarily a matter
of improving operational safety and security: employees, patients and visitors using the parking lots east of the hospital do not have to park on or cross an intervening public street to reach the east
building entrances.
Attachment 6A-5
There is no evidence that public funds were expended to obtain the public right-of-way, and it is more
likely that the 16th Street right-of-way was dedicated to the City upon platting of various subdivision
plans for this area of Springfield in the early Twentieth Century. For all of these reasons, staff
recommends that the City Council consider waiving the special assessment of benefit fee for the
requested vacation of 16th Street. City Council action on the waiver of special benefit fee can be accomplished by adoption of a Resolution at a future Council meeting.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Staff recommends that Council consider adopting a Resolution to
waive the special assessment of benefit fee for the 16th Street vacation requested by McKenzie-
Willamette Medical Center, as described above and in Attachment 6 to the City Council AIS.
Attachment 6A-6
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Resolution ________ - 3 -
EXHIBIT A
LEGAL DESCRIPTION OF VACATION AREA
A 60.00 foot wide strip of land situated in the Northwest Quarter of Section 36, Township 17 South, Range
3 West of the Willamette Meridian, in Springfield, Lane County, Oregon, said strip being more particularly
described as follows:
Beginning at the Northeast corner of Lot 7 of the RE-PLAT OF BLOCK 8 OF THE MOHAWK ADDITION, as
platted and recorded in Book 17, Page 4, Lane County Oregon Plat Records, said point also being on the
West right-of-way line of 16th Street, 30.00 feet from the centerline thereof; thence leaving said West
right-of-way line run South 89°48’44” East, 30.14 feet; thence North 89°46’07” East, 29.86 feet to the
Northwest corner of Lot 1, Block 1, MARYLHURST ADDITION, as platted and recorded in Book 12, Page 27,
Lane County Oregon Plat Records, said point also being on the East right-of-way line of said 16th Street,
30.00 feet from the centerline thereof; thence along said East right-of-way line South 00°14’21” West,
639.32 feet to the Southwest corner of Lot C, Block 3 of said MARYLHURST ADDITION; thence leaving said
East right-of-way line run South 89°45’36” West, 60.00 feet to a point on said West right-of-way line of
16th Street; thence along said West right-of-way line North 00°14’21” East, 639.55 feet to the Point of
Beginning, in Springfield, Lane County, Oregon.
Containing 38,363 square feet, more or less.
I Street
G Street
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PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY
TO BE VACATED
McKenzie-
Willamette
Medical Center
Willamalane
Park
G Street
Attachment 6B-9