HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 03 Development Code Update Project statusAGENDA ITEM SUMMARY Meeting Date: 9/10/2018
Meeting Type: Work Session
Staff Contact/Dept.: Mark Rust
Staff Phone No: 541-726-3654
Estimated Time: 30 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: Encourage Economic
Development and
Revitalization through
Community Partnerships
ITEM TITLE: DEVELOPMENT CODE UPDATE
ACTION
REQUESTED:
Review the status of the Development Code Update project. Staff is requesting
Council’s feedback on draft project plan elements at this early stage, including the
objectives and purpose.
ISSUE
STATEMENT:
The City Council recognizes that the Development Code is difficult to use,
understand, and implement. Resolving the complexities and outdated nature of the
code will help achieve the economic and housing goals for our community. The
Council has directed staff to complete a full Development Code Update.
ATTACHMENTS: Attachment 1 – Council Briefing Memo
DISCUSSION/
FINANCIAL
IMPACT:
The Development Code is the principle document that implements local, state, and
federal land use, transportation, and environmental laws applicable in the City of
Springfield. This ongoing mandate is the platform on which the Council creates
and fosters the successful development, redevelopment, and economic prosperity of
the city. At the same time, the Council relies almost entirely on the code to ensure
that specific initiatives and policies are implemented and have the best chance of
success, such as the redevelopment of Glenwood, affordable housing, economic
prosperity, and downtown revitalization.
The evolution of the code over the last 30 years has resulted in a complex code that
is not easy to understand for either the community or staff. The Council has
recognized the need to update the code and has directed staff to proceed with a
complete Development Code update.
In February of 2017 the City Council started discussing with staff ideas around
updating the Springfield Development Code. In June of 2017 the Council adopted
the Fiscal Year 2018 budget that included funding for a project manager for the
development code update project. The City was unable to staff the project in FY
2018, so the Council again committed to funding a project manager for three years
starting in FY 2019. The new project manager for the Development Code Update
has begun work on the project and will begin to discuss some of the components for
moving the project forward.
The attached Council Briefing Memorandum outlines the beginning steps for the
initial phase of the project.
M E M O R A N D U M City of Springfield
Date: 8/30/2018
To: Gino Grimaldi COUNCIL
From: Tom Boyatt, Interim DPW Director
Mark Rust, Senior Planner
BRIEFING
MEMORANDUM
Subject: Development Code Update project status
ISSUE
The City Council recognizes that the Development Code is difficult to use, understand, and
implement. Resolving the complexities and outdated nature of the code will help achieve the
economic and housing goals for our community. The Council has directed staff to complete a
full Development Code Update.
COUNCIL GOALS/
MANDATE
Encourage Economic Development and Revitalization through Community Partnerships
BACKGROUND
In February of 2017 the City Council started discussing with staff ideas around updating the
Springfield Development Code. At the time the Council began to articulate the city’s goals for
updating the code and endorsed a complete rewrite of the code. In June of 2017 the Council
adopted the Fiscal Year 2018 budget that included funding for a project manager for the
development code update project. The City was unable to recruit a project manager at that time.
In November of 2017 the City Council last heard from staff in regard to identifying the project
priorities for the project and looking at guiding principles. The Council discussed and supported
a set of guiding principles and provided input on expectations for the project.
In the Summer of 2018 a project manager was selected from in-house staff (Mark Rust), and his
work as a current planner will be back-filled with the hiring of a limited duration planner to
allow Mark to devote his time to the Development Code Update project. At this meeting the
project manager will be introduced to the Council and he will ask for Council feedback on the
beginning steps of the project including the objectives and draft purpose.
WHAT IS A DEVELOPMENT CODE?
A development code is the principle document that implements local, state, and federal land use,
transportation, and environmental laws. The State’s ongoing mandate is the platform on which
the Council creates and fosters the successful development, redevelopment, and economic
prosperity of the city. At the same time, the Council relies almost entirely on the Development
Code to ensure that specific initiatives and policies are implemented and have the best chance of
success, such as the redevelopment of Glenwood, affordable housing, economic prosperity, and
downtown revitalization.
The following language was included in the Council Briefing Memorandum from November 6,
2017 and is included here for context. Every aspect of land use or development or
redevelopment that the Council wants to regulate or wants to limit or wants to allow, or that the
state requires the Council to regulate or limit or allow, is found exclusively in the Springfield
Development Code. It truly represents a one-stop, one size, and one source, for every citizen,
Attachment 1, Page 1 of 5
developer, and investor; our partners and elected officials, for everything we do with our land
and buildings, public or private, everywhere. The alternating source of all power, all authority
and all grace that may be conferred by the Council to all of their constituents is a prodigious
responsibility unlike any other single duty that resides with the Council. We all should be so
lucky to have the honor of this experience.
As discussed below under the section “What the Development Code Update Is Not Expected To
Do”, there are certain aspects of the development process that can’t necessarily be addressed
through the Development Code Update project.
OBJECTIVES for the DEVELOPMENT CODE
The following objectives for the Development Code were formed based on the guiding
principles discussed with the Council in February of 2017.
1. Enable quick review of development applications.
2. Be easy to understand with clear code language presented in a user-friendly
format.
3. Provide a straight-forward processing path to development decisions.
4. Support/further economic development in all sectors.
5. Protect and enhance the beauty of our city to boost or stabilize property values,
encourage investment, and improve the image of the community.
6. Comply with mandatory regulatory requirements.
7. Implement the City’s adopted policies.
Through the Development Code Update project, sections of the Development Code that do not
meet these objectives will be removed or revised to meet these objectives.
Embodied within these objectives is an effort to allow the code to be responsive and flexible to
future uses and development. The Council has previously expressed a desire to allow a wider
range of uses. This project will evaluate the options for allowing more uses in certain zones
where applicable, either through defining specific uses that are not allowed or listing more
general categories of uses that would encompass a broader range of uses.
There has been discussion about the code being short in length. An easy to use and simple code
does not necessarily mean a short code. Including more white space on pages, tables, diagrams,
etc. can be used to help make a code user friendly and less complex, although it may add to the
overall page count of the code. It is anticipated that these types of formatting tools will be
utilized to simplify the code and make it easy to understand.
DRAFT PROJECT PURPOSE
Based on the above objectives, the following draft purpose statement has been developed for the
code update project.
The City of Springfield Development Code has become more complex through multiple
revisions and additions since its initial adoption in 1987. This has resulted in a development
code that can contribute to unclear standards and longer review times. The City Council
recognizes the need to update the Development Code so that it is easy to understand,
facilitates efficient application reviews, and supports economic development throughout
Springfield. The purpose of the Development Code Update project is to change the
Attachment 1, Page 2 of 5
Springfield Development Code to support efficient, timely, and clear development review.
The updated Development Code will support Springfield’s economic development
priorities and will honor Springfield’s home town feel now and in the future. With the
new updated Development Code the City of Springfield and the community can continue to
implement Springfield’s community vision together.
POLICY CONTEXT
Perhaps the most overarching constituent of policy in regard to the Development Code Update is
the following state law:
ORS 197.175 - each city and county in this state shall:
(a) Prepare, adopt, amend and revise comprehensive plans in compliance with goals
approved by the commission;
(b) Enact land use regulations to implement their comprehensive plans;
This mandate provides a clear and enduring relationship between the Statewide Planning Goals,
the local comprehensive plan, and land use regulations which in Springfield are codified into the
Springfield Development Code. Cities must adopt policies that comply with the goals; cities
must adopt regulations that implement those policies; cities must achieve goal-plan-code
consistency for the use and reuse of all land within its urban growth boundary.
The state land use goals referred to in ORS 197.175 and which apply to Springfield are:
Goal 1 Citizen Involvement
Goal 2 Land Use Planning
Goal 5 Natural Resources, Scenic and Historic Areas, and Open Spaces
Goal 6 Air, Water and Land Resources Quality
Goal 7 Areas Subject to Natural Hazards
Goal 8 Recreational Needs
Goal 9 Economic Development
Goal 10 Housing
Goal 11 Public Facilities and Services
Goal 12 Transportation
Goal 13 Energy Conservation
Goal 14 Urbanization
Goal 15 Willamette River Greenway
Each of these goals is addressed either in the Eugene-Springfield Metropolitan Area General
Plan (Metro Plan) or the new Springfield 2030 Comprehensive Plan; the current version of the
Development Code is significantly consistent with policies in these local comprehensive plans.
However, the effect that the passage of time has on practical code implementation of policy can
be striking, particularly with the emergence of new technologies, new market trends and
changing demographics. For example, the recent project to update the city’s accessory dwelling
unit (ADU) standards relied on the same Metro Plan policies in effect in 2002 when the ADU
standard was first adopted. The difference now is the Council expanded, adapted, and modified
its 2002 ADU decision package to respond to the changing circumstances of housing access,
supply and cost present today and of key interest to the Council’s position on affordable
housing.
Attachment 1, Page 3 of 5
One mandate of significance that may influence prospective revisions is the requirement that
land use inventories for the planning period must be preserved and protected through zoning.
This means that zoning districts consistent with the planned use and development of the property
shown on the plan map and described in the plan text will need to remain in the code. There are
opportunities to amend the list of permitted or prohibited uses, or in fact to create new zoning
districts, but zoning as we all know it will likely remain a fixture of municipal development
codes until the state law is revised to say otherwise.
The City has developed and adopted an Urbanization Element, Economic Element, and
Residential Land Use and Housing Element as part of the Springfield 2030 Comprehensive Plan,
which include policies that will help guide the Development Code Update project. There are
many visionary policies contained in these new elements of the Springfield 2030
Comprehensive Plan. Given the extended time horizon of some of these policies and the desire
to complete an update within three years, fully implementing the newly adopted policies is
outside the scope of this project. However, any new code language that is created must be
consistent with adopted policy.
Other policy guidance documents have been developed as well including The Springfield Look
– an economic development strategic plan, and Springfield’s Affordable Housing Strategy.
Two strategies within The Springfield Look relate to updating the Development Code Update
include:
World Class Customer Service, with tactics for code amendments and improving process;
and
Minimum Development Standards, which includes tactics to update the MDS provisions and
shorten timelines for processing.
The Affordable Housing Strategy includes the strategy to “Promote Housing of Diverse Types”.
One way to accomplish this diversification of the housing stock is through development code
amendments. New State law (SB 1051 passed in 2016) requires updating the code to allow for a
variety of housing types to be reviewed with clear and objective standards. The City is pursing
technical assistance through the Oregon State Department of Land Conservation and
Development (DLCD) to obtain consultant help to identify residential standards that are not
clear and objective.
Springfield has a Transportation System Plan (TSP) which is part of the Springfield
Comprehensive Plan. There is currently a TSP code update project underway to implement the
adopted TSP polices. The Development Code Update project will not modify or duplicate these
efforts.
WHAT THE DEVELOPMENT CODE UPDATE IS NOT EXPECTED TO DO
While important from a customer service perspective, there are many aspects of the
development process that are outside of the scope of the Development Code Update project.
Below is a list of topic areas that are not anticipated to be addressed with this project.
1. Sign code regulations
2. Building code requirements
3. Fire code requirements
Attachment 1, Page 4 of 5
4. Infrastructure construction standards (Engineering Design Standards & Procedures
Manual-EDSPM)
5. Annexations
6. The supply and inventory of buildable lands (Urban Growth Boundary-UGB)
7. Internal processing and coordination with departments and outside agencies
8. Fee’s/costs
9. Funding for infrastructure
10. Application forms-format and structure
11. Business licenses
12. Nuisance code (municipal code)
NEXT STEPS
Staff is scheduled to return to Council on October 1, 2018 for another work session for the code
update project. More detail will be available at the next work session in regard to a work plan,
anticipated timelines, and advisory committee formation. Staff will be seeking Council’s
guidance on these additional items to move the project forward.
RECOMMENDED ACTION
Provide staff with any feedback on the project including the objectives for the Development
Code and draft project purpose statement presented in the memo.
Attachment 1, Page 5 of 5