Public Testimony 1st Open Record Period

• The most puzzling omitted I-2 use in the staff report is food processing. It is allowed in I-2 and not in S-W, and was the primary use of the site from the 1940s well into the 1990s. Food processing continues to be important in Whiteaker at Grain Millers, Surata Tofu, and elsewhere. A fairly recent nearby addition to the neighborhood (in an I-2 zone) is Grizzlies Granola. My concern is that the staff report didn't make clear that this historic and valued use would not be permitted in an S-W zone. Statement about economic vitality The staff report states that: a change to S-W/SR will encourage the economic vitality of the area for employment and industrial, institutional, and commercial uses while also allowing a mix of residential dwellings. This zone has a broad range of permitted uses. No single use is mandated or required within the area and the zone encourages both a mixture of uses within a building as well as within a block." If that were true, why is there a significant amount of nearby S-W property on the market or sitting vacant? And why has so much of the relatively scarce nearby I-2 been recently redeveloped and improved or where business has increased dramatically? (see Hop Valley Brewing, Joe's Garage, Grain Millers, and Grizzlies Granola as examples) Notification Residents of the North Polk/Cross Place area were pleased that the applicant provided an excellent informational meeting last year. Less admirable is that notification of this application wasn't sent to those attending who expressed interest but who live beyond the limit of required notification. I could go on, and prefer not to, just noting that very few people who live in the immediate vicinity of the proposed changes were able to understand much of anything in the advance materials. It should be possible to provide information to citizens like Jen Hoover, who testified on January 26, so that they can provide informed opinions without having to hire a consultant. An factual summary for the public at the beginning of the staff report would go a very long way toward establishing trust and increasing involvement. Concern #3: Neighborhood character of diverse, compatible uses Neighborhood Identity quote from the Whiteaker Plan: "Whiteaker's mix of business and industrial enterprises close to residential areas is a positive feature that creates an opportunity for nearby employment of neighborhood residents. It also represents a type of "incubator" environment for small businesses that require inexpensive facilities, often developed in conjunction with residential uses."