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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09/25/1995 Work Session . City of Springfield Work Session MINUTES OF THE WORK SESSION OF THE SPRINGFIELD CITY COUNCIL HELD MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1995 The City of Springfield Council met in Work Session at Springfield City Hall, Jesse Maine Room, 225 Fifth Street, Springfield, Oregon, on Monday, September 25, 1995, at 6:05 p.m. with Mayor Morrisette presiding. ATTENDANCE Present were Mayor Morrisette and Councilors Beyer, Burge, Dahlquist (6:08), Maine and Shaver. Also present were Assistant City Manager Gino Grimaldi, City Recorder Eileen Stein, Development Services Director Susan Daluddung, Planner II Robin Johnson, Public Works Director Dan Brown, Police Chief Bill DeForrest and members of staff. 1. Mavor's Housino Task Force Recommendations Reoardino Density Issues Raised bv the City Council. . Planner II Robin Johnson presented the staff report and recounted the efforts of staff to address concerns regarding housing densities expressed by some Council members in the past. Ms. Johnson reviewed the issues expressed by Council members and discussed what the task force wants to do in response to the Council's concerns on these issues. The task force is seeking Council's direction and approval on moving forward with it's recommendations to respond to the concerns. -She discussed staff efforts to organize a self-guided tour of housing developments in the Eugene/Springfield metropolitan area and how the tour could be used to gather data and make recommendations for future Metro Plan amendments regarding housing. Ms. Johnson provided a handout discussing the tour. Ms. Johnson also provided a listing of the Residential Lands and Housing Study Citizen Advisory Committee under whose direction the Residential Land component of the Metro Plan would be analyzed for future policy changes based on the study outline she presented. Council asked questions about the proposed study process and possible participants in the process. Councilor Shaver suggested an experienced Planning Commission member should be part of the process. Development Services Department Director Susan Daluddung indicated that the Planning Commission did have a role as an ex- officio member of the task force. She indicated that it was ex-officio because the Planning Commission would later be voting on the Metro Plan amendments. Councilor Burge stated this study is becoming more of a process than anticipated and stated his concern that the Council is not being given the opportunity to express its own views and direct the process. . . City of Springfield Council Work Session - 9/25/95 Page two Ms. Daluddung stated staff is going to be doing some data gathering and will then bring it back to Council for information and process direction. She clarified that the proposed study process would not proceed until the Council had the opportunity to, based on the data, express it's views and direct whether and what the process should entail, and that the task force would await Council direction. Councilor Shaver mentioned issues he felt needed to be addressed, including the design of medium and high density housing, parking, impact of dense populations on crime rate, and proximity to employment and shopping, Councilor Maine commented that the Council keeps getting stuck in the same place. She stated more detailed information is needed before any details can be discussed She suggested the Council have a joint meeting with the task force or another work session with additional information provided. Councilor Burge stated he would like to see the target more focused than what has been proposed. Councilor Shaver agreed and asked if there were a list of items that the task force agreed on. . Ms. Daluddung said the task force should meet to discuss the broad issues in which ' the Council raised this evening and then a joint meeting between the Council and the task force should occur. Councilor Shaver added that the Planning Commission should be invited and asked Ms. Daluddung to announce a the joint meeting at the next Planning Commission meeting. 2. Concerns of Georoia-Pacific Haul Road Neiohbors Public Works Director Dan Brown provided a staff report on this issue. He stated this issue really transcends the Public Works Department and has been identified by the Police Chief as a community policing issue. Mr. Brown identified the boundaries of the area on a large wall map and indicated that this issue was raised in response to numerous letters received from neighbors in the area who were concerned about safety in their neighborhoods. Mr. Brown discussed staff efforts to respond to the neighborhood concerns including meeting with neighborhood residents on July 5, 1995 to confirm their concerns, present initial options and seek feedback from the residents. Mr. Brown discussed the response proposed by staff, which the neighborhood residents endorsed. It includes fencing, lighting along the haul road and on one of the adjacent streets, and brush clearing. . Chief De Forrest provided additional comments. He indicated that this is a classic community policing problem. The actual crime rate is not significantly high, but the perception of the residents in the neighborhood is that they do not feel safe. He indicated community policing does attempt to deal with people's perceptions of safety. , . . . . City of Springfield ' Council Work Session - 9/25/95 Page three Chief DeForrest indicated that the problem would not be alleviated by increasing patrols, but by the types of solutions mentioned by Mr. Brown. He explained that if the Council is to embrace community policing, this is a good example of the type of neighborhood problems that Council could be presented with in the future. Mayor Morrisette stated he has been out to the neighborhood twice over the past couple of years and it is in need of improvements. Councilor Burge stated he does not have a problem with the City installing fencing on the ends of the streets, but that private property fencing should be done by private property owners. He commented that he does not favor the lighting on the road, but that neighbors could split the cost of renting lighting. Councilor Shaver concurred, but stated it is the city's property and it needs to be maintained. He suggested using a cross-bow to keep down the blackberries and routinely remove any junk which is dumped on the property. He inquired about the timing of placing the street lights on South 34th Street and felt that it should be done. Mr. Brown replied that lights would probably be installed in response to neighborhood requests anyway. There was a discussion regarding where the lights should be placed staff was asked to use their discretion regarding the need and placement of lighting. Mayor Morrisette suggested neighbors place sensor lights in their backyards,to further light the haul road. Councilor Beyer concurred. Council discussed the issue of fencing and cleaning up the community, especially with city owned property. IT WAS MOVED BY COUNCILOR BURGE, WITH A SECOND BY COUNCILOR MAINE, TO DIRECT THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT TO FENCE FIVE STREET END LOCATIONS AND WHEN APPROPRIATE CUT AND REMOVE THE BERRY BRIARS AND BRUSH ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE HAUL ROAD UP TO THE PRIVATE PROPERTY LINES AND ADD TWO STREET LIGHTS ON SOUTH 34TH STREET. THE WAS APPROVED BY A VOTE OF 5 FOR AND 0 AGAINST. 3. Sprinowood Development Proiect Status Up-date Planning Manager Greg Mott and Ms. Daluddung provided the staff report. They indicated the Council last discussed the status of the project on July 24 and at that meeting it was determined that additional information was needed regarding Springwood. Mr. Mott indicated that a response by Springwood on the specific issues identified on July 24, 1995 was provided to Council at this meeting. Mr. Mott explained the hand-out from Springwood developer, Dan Desler, who is also President of Good Neighbor Care Centers, Inc. Mr. Mott outlined efforts by Springwood to continue with the project in a manner in which they are demonstrating substantial progress in completing the project. Mr. Mott indicated that it is unclear whether the progress made to date is substantial progress. . . . . . City of Springfield Council Work Session - 9/25/95 Page four Ms. Daluddung stated the Council has three choices; 1) to place the project in periodic review to look at reverting the zoning, but findings would be necessary stating that substantial progress has not been made and a specific identification of substantial progress is necessary, 2) conduct a Metro Plan amendment to revert the zoning, initiated by the Council with the agreement of the property owner, without it an appeal could be filed, or, 3) continue along on the same track with periodic status reports, with a Council determinedtimeline, but a real definite timeline to determine substantial progress is necessary. The third option would not revert the zoning in any way, but would create definite timelines that both the city and the developer would understand and be held responsible for meeting. If the timelines were not met, then the zoning reversion could be undertaken at a future point. Councilor Burge discussed the information from Mr. Desler and indicated that it did not communicate any progress. He felt the zoning should be reverted immediately. Mr. AI Johnson, Attorney for Springwood, spoke regarding the progress made to date. He indicated they are also frustrated with the progress and are moving as fast as they possibly can. He suggested that Springwood and the City work together on a solution and discussed the three options for proceeding discussed by Ms. Daluddung. Mr. King suggested the Council might want to discuss tax credits. He also discussed how the city might proceed with some of the options including studying possible zoning reversions and land inventories, particularly in light of the current periodic review process. He felt there should be a short term planning process focused on the specific property and discussed the substantial effort that would be undertaken to revert the zoning. He reminded the Council that the first effort to zone the property from industrial to residential resulted in more streamlined Metro Plan amendment procedures negotiated with the city of Eugene and Lane County. Therefore a reversion process would not be as substantial as it once would have been. Councilor Shaver stated the property tax abatement had no strings attached. Ms. Daluddung replied that the only restriction is that the project must be built within two years. IT WAS MOVED BY COUNCILOR SHAVER, WITH A SECOND BY COUNCILOR MAINE, TO POLL THE OWNERS OF THE SPRINGWOOD GROUP TO SEE IF THEY ARE IN FAVOR OF REVERTING THE ZONING BACK TO INDUSTRIAL, IF SO, THEN A DISCUSSION REGARDING ZONING WOULD BE INITIATED. IF NOT, OTHER OPTIONS WOULD BE EXPLORED AT A FUTURE CITY COUNCIL MEETING. THE MOTION PASSED BY A VOTE OF 5 FOR AND 0 AGAINST. Councilor Burge reiterated that Mr. Desler's letter did not demonstrate a response to the Council's concerns as stated on July 24. He would like Springwood to provide definitive timelines within 30 days before he decides whether to support the zoning reversion. ... .. .. City of Springfield Council Work Session - 9/25/95 . Page five The Council discussed the motion and an amended motion was made. IT WAS MOVED BY COUNCILOR SHAVER, WITH A SECOND BY COUNCILOR MAINE, TO AMEND THE PREVIOUS MOTION TO ALSO PROVIDE TWO WEEKS (OCTOBER 9, 1995) TO REVIEW THE RESULTS OF THE PROPERTY OWNER POLL REGARDING ZONING OF THE SPRINGWOOD PROPERTY. THE MOTION PASSED BY A VOTE OF 5 FOR AND 0 AGAINST. 4. Other Business Councilor Maine agreed to be the Council liaison for the Intergovernmental Human Services Committee and Councilor Beyer agreed to be the Council liaison for the Convention and Visitors Association of Lane County Oregon (CVALCO), due to the resignation of Councilor Walters from his Ward 3 City Council position. The meeting was adjourned at 7:48 p.m. Minutes Recorder - Eileen Stein S3#JJ/~~ Mayor . ATTEST: ~ City Recorder .