Land Use
Most Recent Version of Draft Vision Statement, Goals, Policies, and Actions
Draft Vision Statement
The Land use in River Road and Santa Clara supports neighborhood character and local identity, including our long standing agricultural heritage and high value soils. Our neighborhoods are walkable, with a range of housing types affordable to all residents. Abundant shops, services and community spaces are served by a variety of transportation options. Strategic development and revitalization in more urban locations, especially the River Road corridor, helps maintain neighborhood character while meeting our housing and economic needs in a way that is environmentally responsible. Development is well designed, sustainable, and compatible with existing surroundings. Adjacent to the Willamette River greenway, development improves safety, enhances access, and respects ecological functions.
Draft Goals
Goal 11: Support development that is well designed and economically, socially and environmentally sustainable.
Goal 12: Ensure future housing addresses the needs of the community.
Goal 13: Support a thriving, vibrant and active River Road corridor.
Goal 14: Promote land use and development that protects and enhances neighborhood character.
Draft Policies and Actions
Review the most recent draft policies and actions for the Land Use Goals below.
*Impact of House Bill 2001
Want to learn how House Bill 2001 will impact our draft land use policies? Download this fact sheet or learn more about House Bill 2001.
Click on each draft goal, policy, or action to provide feedback!
Tell us what you like, what you have concerns about, or questions you may have about these drafts.
Goal 11
Support development that is well designed and economically, socially and environmentally sustainable.
11.1
Effective Public Process: Encourage effective collaboration between developers, public agencies, and neighbors through local land use regulations.
11.1.1
Adopt a new process that requires developers to communicate with the RR or SC at least one month prior to submitting a land use application, preferably during the schematic phase of design, prior to the creation of construction documents. The process shall replace the current Chapter 9.7007 Neighborhood/Applicant Meetings process. Additionally, the new process should be required for proposed zone changes and Willamette Greenway Permits but be removed for partitions. Upon notification of a private development allow a month (2 weeks?) for the community to respond with concerns and prioritized design recommendations. The developer must respond in their completed application how it responds to concerns are addressed or mitigated in the plan prior to acceptance of the application.
11.1.2
Negotiate with public agencies to provide 180 calendar day notice to affected Neighborhood Associations before deciding to sell any land parcel within their boundaries.
11.1.3
Work collaboratively with government agencies to identify appropriate uses for government owned properties in our neighborhoods with an eye to encouraging desirable uses such as innovative demonstration projects for public-private partnerships to produce innovative housing solutions.
11.2
Well Designed Built Environment: Promote building design, size, scale and site layout that provide gradual transitions between different uses and scales and incorporates pedestrian scale design through local land use regulations.
11.2.1
Minimize land use conflict by adding code requirements that adjoining low density and higher-density residential land are designed to be more compatible, as well as between residential and non-residential uses. Develop and adopt development standards that provide form and site transitions such as sloped setbacks, balcony offsets, and buffering between properties zoned Single family Residential and denser development in adjacent multifamily housing and commercial zones. Prohibit upper story balconies on housing walls that abut R-1 rear yards unless the buildings are at least 50 feet from the property line.
11.3
Well Designed Community Space: Use well-designed public and private community space to support the goals and policies of the Neighborhood Plan and other applicable City and State-wide goals through collaboration between the City, County, and local businesses and residents.
11.3.1
Establish a network of streets with green and pedestrian friendly features in conjunction with public spaces.
11.3.2
Provide clear “entry points” to the River Road neighborhood, identifying it as the “River and Garden District.”
11.4
Green and Resilient Properties: Encourage actions on residential, commercial, and public properties that enhance food and energy production, water storage and conservation, and social interaction on site through local regulations and incentives.
11.4.1
Green Infrastructure: Provide financial incentives for property owners that provide on site features or energy production that reduces the burden on public infrastructure or private infrastructure, reduce atmospheric toxins and CO2 emissions, or provide seismically sound structures on commercial or public properties beyond code requirement and could be for shelter in a disaster scenario.
- On site feature examples: Greywater treatment, water harvesting, photovoltaic panels, solar water heaters, low VOC materials reclaiming unused parking spaces for public use.
- Incentive Examples: Permit fee reductions, reduced SDC charges, Tax credits and rebates.
11.4.2
Identify food producing trees and shrubs that can be included in the city’s “menu” of acceptable landscaping plants. Reference Olympia, Washington’s plant lists for public property. Identify a citizen’s committee to work with the city to identify acceptable plants.
11.4.3
Provide incentives to increase and maintain residential tree canopy.
Goal 12
Plan for future housing that addresses the needs of the community.
12.1
Compatible Infill: Allow for residential infill development that provides gradual transitions using a variety of housing types with pedestrian scale development standards through local land use regulations, programs and incentives.
12.1.1
Review existing policy, programs and regulations to identify and remove land use code and financial barriers to innovative and creative housing options without requiring a subdivision. Examples: Rowhouses/Townhouses, Cluster Subdivisions, Duplexes, Triplexes, Fourplexes, Courtyard housing, Live/work housing, Mixed-use housing, Accessory Dwelling Units.
12.1.2
Provide incentives to encourage a mix of compatible housing types including workforce housing (middle housing).
12.1.3
Adopt flexible code that allows infill opportunities that are more compatible to adjacent neighbors than the typically current flag lots.
12.1.4
Remove barriers for Tiny Homes such as land use restrictions and challenges in providing water and sewer hook ups.
12.2
Affordable Availability: Plan for affordable housing, as well as, low and moderate income housing that is available and dispersed throughout the River Road/Santa Clara neighborhoods through local land use regulations, strategies, funding and partnerships.
12.2.1
Develop strategies and tools to create and preserve rental and owner-occupied affordable housing and housing affordability throughout the area. Identify and implement investment strategies that expand and maximize local, regional, state and federal affordable housing resources, partnerships and tools.
12.2.2
Work within City and County boards, commissions and committees to increase the availability of Workforce and Affordable Housing in our Neighborhoods.
12.3
Support limited agricultural worker housing on parcels outside the UGB and inside the neighborhood boundaries by identifying solutions that honor Oregon Statewide Planning Goal 3 through collaboration between the Santa Clara neighborhood, Lane County, and Oregon’s Department of Land Conservation and Development.
12.3.1
Identify barriers that currently prevent worker/owners from building multiple dwellings on agricultural land solutions that honor Oregon statewide land use goal 3 and allow housing that minimizes its footprint while accommodating workers needed to productively cultivate that same farmland (i.e. clustered housing).
12.4
Facilitate collaborative planning efforts between the neighborhood organizations, city, and county to promote innovative housing strategies.
12.4.1
Utilize Opportunity Siting and other incentives to collaborate to develop innovative projects that are supported by a developer and the Neighborhood Association and approved by governing agency.
12.4.2
Identify and provide incentives to allow residents to age in places that are accessible, comfortable and safe no matter their age or physical condition.
12.4.3
Foster collaborative partnerships between the community and local nonprofits to explore opportunities such as identifying potential sites, and tools (such as community land trusts), or programs for affordable and workforce housing development.
12.5
At five-year intervals after adoption of this plan, measure the effectiveness of policies and actions established in this plan. Utilize the results to review the document and adopt revisions to achieve those policies and actions that are still applicable.
Goal 13
Support a thriving, vibrant and active River Road corridor.
13.1
Key Areas for Development: Support development and redevelopment that contributes to a thriving, vibrant and active River Road corridor in key areas designated in the River Road Corridor Study for residential and commercial/mixed-use development through local land use regulations and incentives.
13.1.1
Utilize the River Road Corridor Study to designate key areas for residential and commercial/mixed-use development at appropriate density and scale along the River Road corridor and minor arterials in the River Road and Santa Clara Neighborhoods.
13.1.2
Utilize the River Road Corridor Study as a tool to redevelop the area on River Road north of the Corridor Study area.
13.1.3
Rezone C-2 Community Commercial areas outside the River Road Corridor Study area but within the River Road-Santa Clara neighborhood plan area for mixed-use commercial with development standards.
13.1.4
Allow developments of 4-6 stories in designated nodes along River Road as long as public amenities are provided by the developer.
13.2
20-minute neighborhoods: Support walkable neighborhoods where people can meet most of their daily needs within a 20-minute walk through local land use regulations, development standards and incentives.
13.2.1
Coordinate site designs with Street design for Arterials and Collector Streets to improve public right-of-way. Provide adequate sidewalk space for pedestrian movement, street trees, landscaping, street furniture, lighting, pedestrian shelters, sidewalk cafes, and other elements of active pedestrian areas. Require components in building designs that offer protection to pedestrians, such as awnings and canopies, as a means to encourage pedestrian activity along the street and within shopping areas.
13.2.2
Evaluate current commercial standards and where appropriate revise them to facilitate non-automobile forms of access and utilization. No use may include a drive-through facility, excepting those that provide financial services, pharmaceutical prescription dispensing or businesses where the building is 600 square feet or less.
13.2.3
Coordinate with Lane Transit District to ensure that the design of new buildings support Transit Oriented Development.
13.2.4
Provide a clear path for food carts to connect all plumbing fixtures to an approved drainage system, including a process for SDC calculations. If greywater is to be stored in tanks, insure approved sanitary sewer disposal locations are available.
Goal 14
Promote land use and development that protects and enhances neighborhood character.
14.1
Compatibility Transitions: Promote compatibility between new developments and existing properties with development standards such as height and scale transitions, setbacks, buffering with trees, and window offsets whenever adjacent properties are zoned differently.
14.1.1
Develop transitions between R-1 properties.
14.1.2
Increase minimum required parking standards when higher density development abuts R-1 zoning and the adjacent streets (i.e. lanes) aren’t developed to Eugene’s local street standard or higher to avoid spillover parking problems.
14.2
Neighborhood Livability: Retain and enhance neighborhood livability by mitigating noise, identifying and preserving historical and cultural properties, and encouraging green development and design at pedestrian scale.
14.2.1
Reduce Neighborhood noise by establishing railway quiet zones for the crossings at Irving Road and Irvington Drive.
14.2.2
Prohibit the creation of new private roads to ensure future maintenance.
14.2.4
Identify and inventory structures and other landmarks of historical or architectural significance and make recommendations for their preservation.
14.2.5
Ameliorate the effect of increased density and infill by providing both a clear and objective design path and discretionary path with standards and design review processes.
14.3
Willamette River Compatibility: Create clear and objective development standards such as height limits, sloped setbacks, and buffering standards for development fronting the Willamette Greenway in the Neighborhood Plan area to better implement the Willamette Greenway state and local policies.
14.3.1
Adopt lot-specific plan designations and zoning with development standards such as height limits, sloped setbacks, and buffering standards in a defined area along the Willamette Greenway within the Neighborhood Plan area to maintain a low-density edge. (Corridor Study code)
14.3.2
Rewrite Willamette River Greenway permit provisions to provide adequate protection for natural resources.
14.3.3
Include clear and objective standards for development that lies within the greenway boundaries.
14.3.4
Provide incentives, such as reductions, to SDC’s and/or provide tax credits to support preservation of the Willamette River Greenway via conservation easements.
14.4
Maintain existing plan designations Prevent upzoning within the Willamette Greenway adjacent to the east boundary of the Willamette Greenway boundary.
Land Use Working Group Materials:
December 5, 2018 - Policy Round-up
Working group members reviewed the draft policies by sorting them into cross-cutting themes and identifying gaps.
- Meeting Handout: Full list of draft goals, policies and actions
- Meeting Results:: Draft policies sorted by theme
September 27, 2018
At the September 27 working group meeting, working group members, their Community Advisory Committee leaders, and Technical Advisory Committee members provided their final edits to the draft goals. They then began consolidating and reworking the draft policies that were submitted.
August 28, 2018
At the August 28 working group meeting, participants signed up to write draft policies under each goal using the accompanying worksheets. Goals on these worksheets reflect the August draft of the goals, which have been updated by working group members since (see above).
Working group members also used the following documents while drafting goals, policies and actions.
- Worksheet Glossary (A cheat sheet with definitions and a guide to completing the worksheet)
- Land Use Data packet (Data collected over the course of the fall related to land use)
April 23, 2018
- Land Use Action Planning
- Land Use Vision Themes (Produced at the March 20, 2018 workshop)
March 20, 2018
- SCRRIPT Vision Statements (created in 2015)
- Summary of "Value Now" Activity
- Land Use Values Statements (Produced at the February 7, 2018 workshop)
February 7, 2018