HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024 03 19 Planning Commission Minutes WS & RS (1)
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Planning Commission Minutes – March 19th, 2024
Springfield Planning Commission
Minutes for Tuesday, March 19th, 2024
Work Session 6:00 pm
Meeting held in Jesse Main Room (City Hall) and via Zoom
Planning Commissioners Present: Chair Rhoads-Dey, Salazar, Stout, Thompson, Webber, and
Schmunk
Excused Absence – Andrew Buck
Staff: Sandy Belson, Comprehensive Planning Manager; Sarah Weaver, Planning Commission
Assistant; Kristina Kraaz, Assistant City Attorney; Haley Campbell, Senior Planner; Chelsea
Hartman, Senior Planner
Chair Rhoads-Dey called the Work Session to order at 6:00 p.m.
Item(s):
•Housing in Non-Residential Areas: Code Amendments
Staff: Haley Campbell, Senior Planner
50 Minutes
Haley Campbell / Staff: gave a presentation on the proposed amendments to the Springfield
Development Code for Sections 4.7.370 Income-Qualified Housing on Property Owned by
Religious Nonprofits, 4.7.405 Income-Qualified Housing, and various other sections and
requested that the Commissioners provide input on the draft code amendments.
Commissioner Rhoads-Dey: wanted to know more about the repercussions of not adding
additional restrictions on the density and height standards for the first option for income-
qualified housing.
Haley Cambell / Staff: confirmed that the first option would not apply any new or different
density or height standards. This would leave the code more flexible by not adding additional
restrictions. The other two options would provide the community more clarity about what the
allowable standards are.
Commissioner Schmunk: wanted to know, if the City allowed to build higher apartments, would
it require more City services like Fire to gain access to infrastructure that may not be sufficient
for taller / larger structures.
Haley Campbell / Staff: confirmed that the Building and Development Code already require
access to infrastructure e.g. Fire, Stormwater, Sewer, to meet code and safety standards.
Approved 4/2/24
Attested S. Weaver
Planning Commission Minutes – March 19th, 2024
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Sandy Belson / Staff: mentioned that there are various other options to accommodate the
Building Code such as adding a sprinkler system or assuring that the water pressure is high
enough, which in this case is a SUB (Springfield Utility Board) issue.
Commissioner Stout: Is it possible for income-qualified housing to include commercial on the
ground floor and apartments above it? Also, could market value housing be intermixed with the
income-qualified housing?
Haley Campbell / Staff: Ground floor commercial is not a restriction at all. Income-qualified
housing requires potential renters to meet the 60% to 80% of area median income. HB 3395
addresses more market rate housing and the code amendments being discussed deal more
exclusively with income-qualified housing. The HB 3395 housing option is targeted at 80% to
120% of area median income. This allows for more market options and is less restrictive.
Commissioner Schmunk: The newest series of House Bill are making new requirements. Why is
this topic being addressed by the Legislature at this time.
Haley Campbell / Staff: Since the Pandemic, commercial properties and businesses have been
closing and leaving properties vacant. These House Bills are trying to create opportunities to
allow for residential use in commercial areas, which would alleviate the State’s housing crisis.
Sandy Belson / Staff: Each of the House Bills were proposed by different legislators and are not
uniform in their language and implementation strategies, which makes it confusing for
municipalities to implement. They are all written with the intent to alleviate the housing crisis
by providing options to expand the housing inventory.
Springfield Planning Commission
Minutes for Tuesday, March 19th, 2024
Regular Session 7:00 p.m. (approx.)
Chair Rhoads-Dey called the Committee for Citizen Involvement to order at 7:00 p.m.
Planning Commissioners Present: Chair Rhoads-Dey, Salazar, Stout, Thompson, Webber, and
Schmunk
Excused Absence: Andrew Buck
ADJUSTMENTS TO THE AGENDA – None
PLEDGE OF ALLIAGENCE – Led by Chair Rhoads-Dey
APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES
Planning Commission Minutes – March 19th, 2024
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• February 21st, 2024 - Approved
BUSINESS FROM THE AUDIENCE - None
REPORT OF COUNCIL ACTION
• Commissioner Thompson reported on the Council Meeting held on February 26th.
• Commissioner Schmunk reported on the March 11th Council Meeting.
BUSINESS FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION - None
BUSINESS FROM THE DEVELOPMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT
Sandy Belson / Staff: The next few months will be busy with two meetings a month. The next
meeting on April 2nd will have a Joint meeting with Lane County Planning Commission at the
beginning and a Public Hearing with just the Springfield Planning Commission directly after it.
Tomorrow the City will be launching a campaign on the Street Bond initiative. The election is
scheduled for May 21st.
ADJOURNMENT – 7:05 p.m.