Background and Present Request <br />The subject property is comprised of four Tax Lots totaling approximately 2.95 acres, and is <br />located north of Ayres Road between Gilham Road and Walton Lane. Annexation of the subject <br />property became effective on July 29, 2016, based on findings that key urban facilities are <br />available. The Agricultural (AG) zoning of the property is a placeholder zone, allowing interim <br />uses until a time at which land is converted to urban development (see EC 9.2000 Purpose of <br />AG Agricultural Zone). The applicant's request to rezone the property to Low-Density <br />Residential (R-1) would provide zoning to allow for urban development. <br />Staff notes that there is property zoned Neighborhood Commercial (C-1), Medium-Density <br />Residential (R-2), and AG in the vicinity of the subject property. However, the majority of <br />property is zoned R-1, the requested zoning designation. <br />Referrals/Public Notice <br />Public notice of the subject application was mailed on August 19, 2016, and posted consistent <br />with the requirements of EC 9.7315 Public Hearing Notice. The Planning Division has received <br />no public testimony at the time of publication of this staff report. Any testimony received <br />following the completion of this staff report, and prior to the public hearing, will be presented <br />to the Hearings Official at the hearing. <br />The Planning Division also provided information concerning the application to other <br />appropriate City departments, public agencies, service providers, and the affected <br />neighborhood group. Staff notes that notice of the proposed zone change was mailed to the <br />Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) on August 4, 2016. All <br />referral comments received by the Planning Division on this application are included in the <br />application file for reference, and addressed in the context of applicable approval criteria and <br />standards in the following evaluation. <br />Zone Change Evaluation <br />The Hearings Official will review the application for a zone change and consider pertinent <br />evidence and testimony as to whether the proposed change is consistent with the criteria <br />required for approval, shown below in bold typeface (see EC 9.7330 and EC 9.8865). Staff's <br />findings in response to each of the criteria are provided below, to assist the Hearings Official in <br />making a decision on the zone change request. <br />EC 9.8865(1): The proposed change is consistent with applicable provisions of the <br />Metro Plan. The written text of the Metro Plan shall take precedence over the Metro <br />Plan diagram where apparent conflicts or inconsistencies exist. <br />The Metro Plan designates the subject property as Low Density Residential, the proposed R-1 <br />zoning is consistent with this designation. With regards to the Metro Plan policies, staff does <br />not find any polices that would serve as mandatory approval criteria for this zone change. <br />However, the following policy appears to be relevant. <br />Policy A.2: Residentially designated land within the UGB should be zoned consistent <br />with the Metro Plan and applicable plans and policies; however, existing agricultural <br />Kersey, Daniel and Chris (Z 16-2) September 2016 2 <br />HO Agenda - Page 2 <br />