Eugene Planning Commission <br />May 7, 2018 <br />Page 5 <br />The evidentiary issue is discussed in (b) above. No evidence was submitted after the record was <br />closed. <br />The Applicant carried its burden to show that no approval of development is possible on this <br />site under a Needed Housing track in the code. The Applicant's initial submittal explained why <br />the 20% grading limitation in Needed Housing track, EC 9.8325(5), prevents any development. <br />One can't grade through the 20% slopes to get to the more level, developable ground on top of <br />the hill. See graphic attached to March 3, 2017 Letter. See also March 5, 2018 Hearing Letter. <br />With a cryptic allegation to the contrary in the Staff Report, and a fuller explanation in the <br />staff's post-hearing memo, the city alleged that a 1.48-acre part of the site could be partitioned <br />into several parcels under the Needed Housing Partition standards of EC 9.8220. See March 21 <br />Staff Memo at 2. The Staff's proposal is summarized at page 4 of our Final Argument. The <br />applicant then submitted rebuttal evidence to staff's theory in the second open record period. <br />See March 30 Schirmer Satre Letter and accompanying Exhibits W and X. The Applicant's <br />Final Argument explained, based on evidence in the record, why the code precludes partitioning <br />of just part of the development site and requires, instead, a PUD for any development approval <br />on the site. April 6 Final Argument at 4-9. <br />In summary, the following errors are evident in the HO findings on the Needed Housing Statute <br />issue and should be resolved by the Commission in favor of the Applicant: <br />a. The HO erred in failing to find that, because this is an application for housing, the <br />statute requires the City to provide a path for approval of housing under clear and <br />objective standards. <br />b. The HO erred in finding that the owner's entitlement under ORS 197.307(6), that the <br />owner "retains the option of proceeding," is satisfied if the owner has the mere right to <br />apply for approval under standards that do not allow some application to be approved. <br />The statutory entitlement is for a path to approval under clear and objective standards, in <br />this instance for a PUD approval because a PUD approval is required. <br />c. The HO erred in finding that the owner's statutory entitlement to a path to approval <br />under clear and objective standards requires an application under the Needed Housing <br />code standards in EC 9.8325, which for this site preclude any approval. As the Court of <br />Appeals explained to the City in Recovery House VI, an owner is allowed to apply under <br />a set of standards and then argue that state law prohibits applying some of those <br />standards. That is what the Applicant did here by applying under EC 9.8320. <br />d. The HO erred in failing to find that as development of this site requires a PUD <br />approval. Any development approval of this site does require a PUD. The Applicant <br />made this showing. The Staff failed to rebut this showing. <br />