Revised Narrative 8-13-18 - Laserfiche WebLink

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON NORTH CAMPUS CONDITIONAL USE & WILLAMETTE GREENWAY PERMIT APPLICATION three, and establishes a 200-foot setback from top of bank). This would allow for riparian restoration areas to be much wider than the 100-foot conservation setback required by the code. Through careful analysis of the site (including the Riparian Assessment and Management Report), and confirmed through engagement with UO faculty in the Ecology Focus Group, the project team determinedthat the edge of the river and riparian buffer were most critical in terms of restoration priorities because of the need to protect water quality and provide beneficial shade to aquatic 11 species dependent on cooler water. In addition, most ecological functions need at least a 100- 12 to 200-foot riparian buffer, with 200 feet accommodating the functions more optimally. It should be noted that the proposed 200-footsetback is from the top of high bank. When factoring the distance from the riverÈs edge to top of high bank, the proposed setback is about 250 to 300 feet and furtherfrom the riverÈs edge in most areas. The proposed setback allows more area for: Providing shade and cover that is beneficial to fish, birds, and animals (and not good for most 13 invasive plants); Removing the existing fill and re-grading the river bank to a more natural slope, allowing trees 14 to better access water, improving groundwater recharge, and improving views and access to the river; Improving flood storage function, removing sediment and contaminants, improving erosion 15 control, and increasing channel stability; Providing habitat for sensitive species; Passive recreation, such as soft trails; 16 Outdoor teaching related to ecology; and Creating a buffer from other potential uses, such as recreational fields and the bike path. After the Conceptual Study, in response to stakeholder and wider community feedbackgathered throughout the process, the university revised and clarified the Master Site Plan and Conditional Use Permit application in the following ways for the area north of the railroad tracks. All of these commitments are well beyond what the code would require (as further described in the description of the Master Site Plan (Section 5). Established a development setback of 200 feet from the top of bank (of the Willamette River and Millrace Outfall) for buildings and recreational fields, expanding opportunity for riparian and upland habitat restoration (required setback is 100 feet); Further reduced the proposed coverage (maximum footprint) of potential buildings (from 18% to 15% in Area 4, from 2% to 0.5% in Area 5, and from 25% to 16% in Area 6). This reduces the potential scale and quantity of buildings; Furtherreduced the proposed height of potential buildings proposed east of the Frohnmayer Bridge from 45 feet to 37 feet. This also helps to reduce the scale of buildings; 11 Riparian Assessment and Management Report by Mason, Bruce & Girard, 2018, pg. 10. 12 UO Riverfront Botanical Survey Presentation, 2012, Professor Bitty Roy, Institute of Evolution and Ecology and Biology Department. 13 UO Riverfront Botanical Survey Presentation, 2012, Professor Bitty Roy, Institute of Evolution and Ecology and Biology Department. 14 Riparian Assessment and Management Report by Mason, 2018, Bruce & Girard, pg. 11. 15 Riparian Assessment and Management Report by Mason, 2018, Bruce & Girard, pg. 10-11. Cameron McCarthy FINAL SUBMITTAL | Revised August 13, 2018 21