NEWS ICS is Entering the Implementation Phase! (August 10, 2009) Work is underway in small implementation groups to refine the ICS Task Team’s Round One Recommendations.  These include groups working on the Heritage Area zone for parts of Jefferson-Westside, Building Height in West and South University areas, and Parking Strategies in neighborhoods surrounding the University of Oregon.  The remainder of the Round One implementation groups will get up and running in the coming months. In addition, the Planning Commission will hear from task team members and staff about Round Two Recommendations on August 10that 11:30 in the Atrium Sloat Room.  Go to www.eugene-or.gov/pc to see the agenda packet, which will be posted on or about August 4th.  The timeline shows the working draft schedule for each of the recommendations passed by or anticipated to be passed by the Task Team through its final meeting in September. More information about each of the recommendations can be found in the PC packets for the April 27th, 2009 and August 10th, 2009 meetings. Planning Commission Work Session In April, the Planning Commission held a work session on the ICS Task Team's March and April recommendations. The recommendations can be viewed under "2009 Meeting Materials," on the Planning Comission page: www.eugene-or.gov/pc.     ICS Task Team Update from ICS Task Team Co-chair Sue Prichard Three public workshops were held and all generated good attendance.  Comments made during those sessions are being considered by the topical committees. In our last task team meeting, several motions were made to either forward a proposal on to the Planning Commission (PC) to begin the code amendment process, or requesting the PC to scope and plan a process for taking a proposal from conceptual stage to something ready for code amendment.  Our next two (or three) meetings will offer the opportunity for committees to continue to bring their motions to the task team for approval or disapproval.  In the meantime, more research and work is being done by committee members to refine potential solutions to negative impacts of infill so that we are better prepared for working with the Planning Commission and for weathering the public process portion of this project. We have a work session with the Planning Commission on April 27th, during which they will be discussing the motions that have been passed by the task team up to that point. We have had very preliminary discussions about whether task team members have any interest in continuing to work on these issues after July.  For now, we have commitments from everyone to stick with it until July.  Seeing that there may be multiple opportunities to stay involved after that, as these issues move through the Planning Commission and onto City Council, we wanted to encourage task team members to think about their willingness to stay involved.

OVERVIEW Infill development is new residential construction in established areas of the city. Infill can be accomplished by developing a remnant vacant or redevelopable lot, by dividing an existing lot into smaller pieces such as flag lots or alley access lots, or by developing additional housing units on an existing developed lot. Infill compatibility standards are tools that can regulate the amount, form, and appearance of new residential development in established areas. Regulations will codify clear and objective infill standards based on public involvement, technical analysis, and policy direction. Infill Compatibility Standards (ICS) is a project aimed at addressing the impacts of residential infill development.  The city’s neighborhoods differ in such characteristics as development pattern, street pattern, block and lot layout, topography, natural environment, distance from the urban core, access to transportation options, surrounding land uses, and predominant architectural style.  However, with a few exceptions in Special Area Zones, infill in most neighborhoods is regulated by base zone standards (setbacks, height limits, lot coverage limits) that may not fully address the neighborhood’s defining characteristics.  As a result, some infill projects have been built that are described by neighboring property owners as having negative impacts on nearby residents.  The project includes describing, categorizing, and addressing those impacts in the most effective way possible and demonstrating positive infill examples, while considering the impacts on the city’s growth pattern as a whole.    Growth Management Policies The adopted Growth Management Policies (GMPs) direct the city to encourage infill development and increase housing density while maintaining the character and livability of individual neighborhoods.  This project seeks to implement the policy directives in the GMPs. Citizen Interest The Planning Division is experiencing a very high level of citizen interest in both the Infill Compatibility Standards and the Opportunity Siting projects.  Over the last year, issues related to neighborhood character, neighborhood involvement, and residential compatibility have risen to the top of citizen concerns and desires for Planning Division work.  Planning staff are committed to making these high-priority work tasks a success.