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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024 03 19 Planning Commission Minutes WS & RS (1) 1 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 2 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 3 • 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.