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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020 12 15 AIS for Eugene OutreachAGENDA ITEM SUMMARY Meeting Date: 11/17/2020 Meeting Type: Regular Meeting Staff Contact/Dept.: Sandy Belson/DPW Staff Phone No: 541-736-7135 Estimated Time: 20 Minutes COMMITTEE FOR CITIZEN INVOLVEMENT (CCI) Council Goals: Foster an Environment that Values Diversity and Inclusion ITEM TITLE: Examples of Outreach in Eugene During COVID ACTION REQUESTED: None. Informational item. ISSUE STATEMENT: The cities of Springfield and Eugene border each other and each have an integral part of the regional housing and economic markets. The cities also share the natural environment at the southern end of the Willamette Valley. Although divided by Interstate 5, people freely cross over that border to work, shop, and recreate. Like other large cities in Oregon, Eugene also must comply with recent legislation focused on housing. As such, it may be of interest to the Springfield Committee for Citizen Involvement what types of outreach Eugene has undertaken during the pandemic. ATTACHMENTS: ATT1 – Middle Housing Public Involvement Plan DISCUSSION: Sophie McGinley is not only a Springfield Planning Commissioner; she is an Assistant Planner for the City of Eugene’s Office of Metropolitan and Community Planning. She is leading the public engagement efforts for the City’s Middle Housing Code Amendments and is also part of outreach efforts for other Eugene planning projects. She will be sharing some of the tools and techniques that the City of Eugene has been using to involve the Eugene community in a safe manner, considering the on-going spread of COVID-19. Middle Housing Code Amendments (Implementation of House Bill 2001) Public Involvement Plan 1 Public Involvement Plan – Approved August 11, 2020 I. Overview We all need a place to live that we can afford, but in Eugene, almost half of us pay more than we can afford for housing. That makes it hard for many of our residents to pay for other needs like food, clothing, health care, transportation, and education. This is why we need to take steps so that more Eugeneans are living in housing we can afford. Encouraging more housing types within residentially zoned areas can improve housing affordability in Eugene, in addition to improving housing availability and diversity.Provide Housing Affordable to All Income Levels is one of the Envision Eugene pillars, and our local plans and codes implement the Statewide Planning Goal 10, Housing, aimed at providing for the housing needs of people across the state. In 2019, the Oregon Legislature passed House Bill 2001, intended to help provide Oregonians with more housing choices, especially housing choices more people can afford. The Bill requires the City to amend our Land Use Code to allow duplexes to be allowed “on each lot or parcel zoned for residential use that allows for the development of detached single-family dwellings” and triplexes, quadplexes, cottage clusters, and townhouses “in areas zoned for residential use that allow for the development of single-family dwellings.” The Eugene Land Use Code is our agreement about what, where, and how we build in Eugene. One thing we can do together as a community is set regulations that are fair and protect our quality of life, but are also not overly expensive, risky, or time consuming for people who build housing. Updating our regulations to reduce barriers can allow our community to build new housing more quickly, in more places, with less cost and increase social equity and diversity. The City of Eugene “may regulate siting and design of middle housing.” The Department of Land Conservation and Development will develop minimum standards for compliance with the bill as well as a model code by December 31, 2020. The City of Eugene is required to adopt the model code or our own alternative by June 30, 2022. If the City does not meet the project deadline, the model code will automatically apply. Traditional public outreach methods have excluded many community members and perspectives. Additionally, we are now living in a pandemic and moving to mostly virtual engagement – an opportunity for the City to expand who we can hear from. The project will use a broad array of equitable outreach and engagement strategies such as meetings with subject matter experts, a Healthy Democracy Community Jury, a roundtable of representatives from boards, commissions, neighborhood associations and local partners, as well as on-line and in person opportunities with the general public. Revising our Land Use Code to comply with House Bill 2001 will shape how our community develops and expand opportunities for where people can choose to live and what type of home they can live in. We have the opportunity to use Land Use Code changes to make our neighborhoods more inclusive and more equitable for everyone to enjoy. Attachment 1, Page 1 of 10 Middle Housing Code Amendments (Implementation of House Bill 2001) Public Involvement Plan 2 I. Goals of the Public Involvement Plan This plan is meant to serve as a guide through the process of developing and adopting amendments to Eugene’s Land Use Code to comply with House Bill (HB) 2001 to allow for middle housing types throughout Eugene residential neighborhoods. This plan outlines the approach to public involvement for the life of the project and contains goals and a plan for project communications, which addresses when and how city staff will communicate with key stakeholders and the general public. The Public Involvement Plan: Describes opportunities and different ways people can engage in the planning process; Details how individuals and organizations with a stake in the outcome of the Land Use Code can effectively participate; and Is consistent with the City’s Public Participation Guidelines and Statewide Planning Goal 1. The Project Team is committed to a public engagement process that is: Meaningful: We will use the input received to help draft amendments to Eugene’s Land Use Code, within the requirements of HB 2001 and related state laws. Accountable:We will respond to ideas, critique, comments and praise. Inclusive:We will strive to communicate with all stakeholders, including under-represented groups, in ways that people understand and can relate to. Transparent:We will make decisions public and share information in a variety of ways. Realistic:We will inform people about the project’s constraints, scope and timeline, including the requirements of HB 2001 and related state laws. Outcome-oriented:We will create a community-supported and City adopted land use code amendments. The City of Eugene Values and Principles for Public Participation will guide the project from start to finish. The core values for public engagement include: Careful Planning and Preparation Inclusion and Demographic Diversity Collaboration and Shared Purpose Transparency and Trust Impact and Action Sustained Engagement and Participatory Culture Specifically, the activities of the public involvement plan will include: Building on previous engagement and visioning from the Envision Eugene process, Housing Tools and Strategies, the Climate Action Plan Equity Panel, and ongoing housing work Early input and involvement from agency subject matter experts Engagement with representatives from boards, commissions and local partners, including neighborhood associations Input and guidance from the Eugene Planning Commission project resource group Outreach materials and online opportunities for the general public to provide input through a variety of events and formats Balancing differing community input with the seven pillars of Envision Eugene and the requirements of Oregon’s Statewide Planning Goals and House Bill 2001 and related state requirements. A public hearing and adoption process with City of Eugene Planning Commission and City Council. Attachment 1, Page 2 of 10 Middle Housing Code Amendments (Implementation of House Bill 2001) Public Involvement Plan 3 II. Public Involvement Process Implementation of House Bill 2001 to allow for middle housing types will result in changes to Eugene’s Land Use Code (Chapter 9) and potentially to adopted land use plans. The land use code/plan amendment process will begin with the approval of a public involvement plan by the Planning Commission, who serves as the City’s Citizen Involvement Committee. From there, city staff will lead public engagement activities throughout summer and fall of 2020, as outlined below. In the fall of 2020, consultants and city staff will create land use code concepts that comply with HB 2001 minimum standards and will then be presented to the public and decision makers for feedback. Using this feedback, the concepts will be translated into draft land use code language, which will undergo review and revision to meet the community’s needs and state law. The adoption process will then consist of a public hearing before the Planning Commission, who will provide a recommendation to City Council, followed by a City Council public hearing and action. The following is a summary of Project Phases, Deliverables, and Timeline: Phase Deliverables Timeline Phase 1 – Public Involvement Plan/Approach Consultant Scope and Schedule Approved Public Involvement Plan Summer 2020 Summer 2020 Phase 2 – Design and Code Concepts Context study Design Concepts & outreach materials Code Concepts & outreach materials Fall 2020 Fall 2020 Winter 2021 Phase 3 – Code Writing Code Framework & presentation materials Draft code language Spring 2021 Summer –Fall 2021 Phase 4 – Adoption Process Adoption package and informational materials Winter-Spring 2022 Decision-Making After the project team assembles draft code from analysis and feedback as outlined above, the draft code language will go through an adoption process which will culminate with a decision from the Eugene City Council. The figure below is the International Association of Public Participation (IAP2)’s spectrum of public participation, which shows varying levels of engagement based on the level of public impact. The Project Participation Levels below show how this relates to the general public and key stakeholders for this process. Attachment 1, Page 3 of 10 Middle Housing Code Amendments (Implementation of House Bill 2001) Public Involvement Plan 4 IAP2 Spectrum of Public Participation (source: www.iap2.org ) Project Participation Levels Empower Eugene City Council (elected to decide) Collaborate Eugene Planning Commission (appointed by elected officials to review and recommend) Involve Other Boards and Commissions and Local Partners; Eugene Planning Commission project resource group, Agency Subject Matter Experts, Healthy Democracy Community Jury (selected to advise) Consult and Inform Stakeholders and General Public (welcomed and encourage to give opinion) Attachment 1, Page 4 of 10 Middle Housing Code Amendments (Implementation of House Bill 2001) Public Involvement Plan 5 Coordination with Other Projects The project team will coordinate with other local and regional projects and initiatives to increase efficiencies and collaboration. Envision Eugene Comprehensive Plan Housing Chapter Envision Eugene Comprehensive Plan Parcel-Specific Plan Diagram Growth Monitoring Program Urban Reserves Planning Clear and Objective Housing Approval Criteria Update Climate Action Plan 2.0 River Road-Santa Clara Neighborhood Plan and River Road Corridor Study Housing Tools and Strategies process Eugene-Springfield 2020 Consolidated Plan Eugene-Springfield Fair Housing Plan (Assessment of the Impediments to Fair Housing and Fair Housing Plan Strategies) Attachment 1, Page 5 of 10 Middle Housing Code Amendments (Implementation of House Bill 2001) Public Involvement Plan 6 Communications and Public Engagement Activities This section outlines various communication methods along with an estimated timeline of when certain project milestones will occur. Given the COVID-19 pandemic, an emphasis will be placed on online methods that comply with current health guidelines and engage a broad spectrum of the community to gather feedback on the design and code concepts, code framework, and draft land use code language. As guidelines change, the methods will be reevaluated for safety, inclusivity and effectiveness. Translation services will be provided where feasible. The majority of these engagement activities focus on developing and receiving input on the draft land use code language to be developed. Staff will evaluate the effectiveness of different methods and adapt as we proceed. Planned communications and public engagement activities include: Website – provide project information and documents (fact sheets, general process timeline, videos, summaries of outreach efforts, etc.) o Including posting information about the context and exclusionary history of residential zoning. Engage Eugene – house public engagement elements of the process (surveys, Q&A, videos, open forum, etc.) City Newsletters – use existing City E-Newsletters to provide regular project updates including: Envision Eugene, City Council Newsletter, Neighborly News and others. Social Media – use existing City accounts on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to get messages out, post videos, and advertise engagement opportunities. o Pilot “online office hours” on Twitter and/or Facebook. o Engage with community members on NextDoor and Reddit o Host Facebook Live community conversations about the relationship between zoning and race, sustainability, transit, and more. o Use inclusive social media and have a presence on multiple platforms. Healthy Democracy – pilot a curated group of Eugene community members who are representative of the general population and will be compensated for their time at two points in the process. This component is intended to produce a more equitable decision-making process for the Middle Housing Implementation project. Meeting in a Box – create printable/digital meeting materials for local organizations, neighborhood associations, and other interested parties to provide feedback on the project without having staff present or having to attend a public meeting. Local Media – Marketing for the project in The Register Guard, Eugene Weekly, local news affiliates Roundtable Workshops – o Equity RoundTable: The equity roundtable will build on work from the Equity Panel used for the Climate Action Plan 2.0 and foster future partnerships pertinent to housing with the City and among panel members. This roundtable will be facilitated and representatives will be compensated for their participation. o Boards and Commissions RoundTable: Representatives from Boards such as the Housing Policy Board, Commissions such as Planning Commission and Sustainability Commission and local partners will provide input on the draft code language before final concepts go to Council for decision making. Public Open House(s)–The community will have opportunities to review and give input on all new modified Land Use Code sections from the roundtable workshop(s). Staff will consider meeting times and locations, including online opportunities, to provide equitable access to all community members, and to comply with current health guidelines. Attachment 1, Page 6 of 10 Middle Housing Code Amendments (Implementation of House Bill 2001) Public Involvement Plan 7 Community and Stakeholder Presentations – Open invitation for informational presentations at existing community and neighborhood meetings or events. Other possible activities, depending on staff capacity, include: Student Outreach – Virtual staff visits to relevant classes at Lane Community College, and the University of Oregon to conduct outreach. Middle Housing Art Show – Display materials made by community members that depict their visions of middle housing types. Equity and Inclusivity Residential Zoning has a complex history that resulted in exclusion of low-income, black, indigenous, and people of color from certain neighborhoods. In Oregon this history was especially harmful with direct exclusion of non-white people from the state from 1844 until 1926. Although those exclusions are illegal today, their negative impacts are still affecting our community through the legacy of exclusionary zoning. Housing policy and code changes are an opportunity to mitigate those. A component of the Public Involvement Plan will be to educate the public about this history and the connection between housing policy, zoning, and equity. Additionally, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic presents challenges and opportunities to conducting an equitable and inclusive public engagement process. Current health recommendations prohibit large, in-person gatherings. This means that our engagement will shift to include mostly virtual opportunities to engage. Efforts such as the Healthy Democracy panel, online forums, use of social media, mobile-friendly webpage design, and new creative tactics will be used. The project team is committed to an inclusive approach that removes barriers and results in community-wide participation. Public Engagement Activities Timeline Estimate Activity Summer 2020 Envision Eugene newsletter for project kick-off. Develop public outreach materials (fact sheets, summaries, etc.) Educational Public Outreach Updated Project Webpage Launch the project Engage Eugene page Present Public Involvement Plan to Planning Commission and City Council Fall 2020 Extend request for 2-3 representatives from boards, commissions, and local partners to participate in roundtable workshop(s) Equity Roundtable workshop(s) Public Open House(s) and online public comment opportunity Attachment 1, Page 7 of 10 Middle Housing Code Amendments (Implementation of House Bill 2001) Public Involvement Plan 8 Healthy Democracy Panel #1 Winter 2021 Workshop(s) with Boards, Commissions and local partners Roundtable Updates to general public and key stakeholders (representatives from boards, commissions and local partners, and agency subject matters) on project status and next steps, and notices about upcoming Public Open House(s) & online public comment opportunity (website, E-newsletters, social media, etc.) Winter 2021 Develop additional public outreach materials (fact sheets, summaries, etc.) Distribute outreach materials Public Open House(s) and online public comment opportunity Create an outreach summary from Public Open House(s) and online public comment results and notification of next steps (website, E-newsletters, social media, etc.) Review outreach summary and proposed code amendments with Planning Commission project resource group Spring 2021 Update on status of draft code amendments and notification of upcoming adoption process to general public and key stakeholders Healthy Democracy Panel #2 Summer – Fall 2021 Continue public information opportunities around the code amendments and overall adoption package Winter 2022 Formal adoption/public hearing process begins with legal notices for Planning Commission public hearing Spring 2022 Adoption deadline is June 30, 2022 *Meetings or other outreach and engagement activities will be added to the above list as needed. Project Stakeholders Agency Subject Matter Experts The project will involve agency subject matter experts to provide technical input on draft code language, in addition to coordination with other plans, partners, and projects. Agency experts will include staff from the following: City of Eugene Urban Design City of Eugene Community Development (Housing) City of Eugene Public Works (Transportation and Engineering) City of Eugene Human Rights and Neighborhood Involvement City of Eugene Emergency Management staff City of Eugene Sustainability City of Eugene Police Eugene/Springfield Fire Eugene Water and Electric Board Attachment 1, Page 8 of 10 Middle Housing Code Amendments (Implementation of House Bill 2001) Public Involvement Plan 9 School Districts (4J and Bethel) Lane County Public Health Homes for Good (Lane County) Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development Equity RoundTable The Equity RoundTable will be formed from key stakeholders and will provide an equity lens to help staff to develop and refine policy and code language. Staff will invite representatives from: Leaders in the community from Black, Indigenous, and People of Color identified groups LatinX Alliance NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) Springfield Eugene Tenants Association (SETA) GLAAD (formerly the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) Lane Independent Living Alliance LILA (Lane Independent Living Alliance) Lane Transit District Accessibility Committee Boards, Commissions and Local Partners RoundTable The Boards, Commissions, and local partners roundtable will serve as stakeholders and will help staff to develop and refine policy and code language. Staff will invite representatives from: Boards and Commissions: City of Eugene Planning Commission City of Eugene Sustainability Commission City of Eugene Human Rights Commission City of Eugene Budget Committee City of Eugene Historic Review Board City of Eugene Active Transportation Committee Housing Policy Board Local partners: Better Housing Together AARP Eugene Chamber of Commerce Eugene Association of Realtors Human Services Network Equity and Community Consortium 350 Eugene Better Eugene-Springfield Transportation 1000 Friends of Oregon League of Women Voters of Lane County Walkable Eugene Citizens Advisory Network (WE CAN) Attachment 1, Page 9 of 10 Middle Housing Code Amendments (Implementation of House Bill 2001) Public Involvement Plan 10 Homebuilders Association of Lane County Neighborhood Leaders Council/ Neighborhood Representatives University of Oregon Staff Lane Community College Staff General Public Members of the general public will have multiple opportunities to provide input and stay informed through the website, Engage Eugene, newsletters, an open house, and community outreach events that follow public health guidelines in addition to participating in the formal adoption process. In addition, community members have provided input through the extensive visioning process of Envision Eugene, ongoing housing planning and housing related land use code projects, which has shaped Eugene’s vision to promote more housing affordability, availability and diversity. Attachment 1, Page 10 of 10