Revised Narrative 8-13-18 - Laserfiche WebLink

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON NORTH CAMPUS CONDITIONAL USE & WILLAMETTE GREENWAY PERMIT APPLICATION The City and Lane Transit District have coordinated extensively to plan and construct the bus rapid transit system, EmX. Franklin Boulevard is currently served by an EmX line extending from Downtown Eugene to Springfield Station and the project area is adjacent to a primary transit station at Franklin Boulevard and Agate Street. Additional improvements to improve the capacity and function of Franklin Boulevard were conditioned and required as part of the approved Conditional Use Permit for Matthew Knight Arena and have also been implemented. Based on the above findings, the trip generation resulting from the current proposal is less than was approved in CU 88-16, and the trip generation is further offset by improvements to facilities that have occurred since the approval of the last Conditional Use Permit. Along with implementation of planned improvements to accommodate proposed development of the North Campus area, planned public facilities will accommodate the requirements of the proposed development. Therefore, this criterion is satisfied. (c) The proposed development shall protect visual access from main entry points from Franklin Boulevard to the river/riparian vegetation. The proposal does not involve changes to the project area that negatively affect visual access from main entry points from Franklin Boulevard such as Riverfront Parkway. The Applicant has established a Regulatory Plan, Sheet L01 Regulatory Plan Exhibit A, that applies more self-imposed, stringent development regulations than is required by code in order to facilitate riparian restoration, open space improvements, and for viewsheds to be protected. For example, the Applicant has established regulations regarding maximum building coverage. North of the tracks, the Applicant is proposing maximum building coverages well below what is allowed by the code. The applicable S-RP zone states that at least 40% of the portion of the development site shall be shall be landscaped with living plant materials, requiring the building coverage and site elements to be contained within 60% of the development site (implying an allowed building coverage of 40% to 50%). To the west of the Millrace (Area 4), the Applicant proposes a maximum building coverage of 15%; to the east of Riverfront Parkway (Area 6), the Applicant proposes a maximum building coverage of 16%. Between the Millrace and the Riverfront Parkway (Area 5), the Applicant proposes a maximum building coverage of 0.5%, and maximum field coverage of 47%. The maximum building coverage to the south of the tracks is proposed to comply with existing S-RP coverage standards. By maintaining current access points from Franklin Blvd, as well as electing to impose height limitations, the Applicant demonstrates a commitment to protecting visual access through regulation of building mass and scale. Therefore, this criterion is satisfied (2) Criteria for Development Within Willamette Greenway Boundaries. (a) Compliance with the criteria in EC 9.3725(1) Criteria for all Development above. Findings presented under EC 9.3725(1) satisfy this criterion, and are incorporated by reference herein. (b) The height and bulk of the proposed development shall be designed to consider the impacts on public open space, especially the buffer strips along the Willamette River and Millrace, and to adhere to the Cameron McCarthy FINAL SUBMITTAL | Revised August 13, 2018 79