B. Discussion <br />The subject property is approximately 0.97acres in size, located at the northwest corner of the <br />intersection of West Irwin Way and Barger Drive. The property is currently developed with a <br />convenience store, two residential structures, a carport, parking spaces, landscaping and fences. <br />The subject property, along with an approximately 3.75-acre area to the east are currently zoned <br />C-1/CAS, and are developed with a mix of commercial uses. The C-1/CAS zoned area is <br />surrounded by R-1/CAS low density residentially zoned land. <br />The property's land use designation is Commercial in both the Metro Plan and the applicable <br />Bethel-Danebo Refinement Plan. Both the current C-1 zone and the requested C-2 zone are <br />consistent with the Metro Plan and Refinement Plan designations. <br />Eugene Code (EC) Section 9.678(2) requires that zone change applications must comply with the <br />criteria set forth in EC 9.8865. The staff report reviews the requested zone change for <br />compliance with each of the applicable approval criteria and recommends findings of compliance <br />with each of those criteria. <br />While not applicable to the zone change request, during the public hearing, the applicant's <br />representative explained that the purpose of the zone change request was to allow the property <br />owners to improve the site, with upgrades to the current development to better serve the <br />community. He noted that the owners' future proposed development could include adding a gas <br />station to the existing market. <br />Two residents of Irwin Way expressed concern that they only recently learned of the proposed <br />zone change, and that development under the C-2 zone could negatively impact their property. <br />They noted that Irwin Way and the surrounding neighborhood has no sidewalks, and significant <br />pedestrian traffic along the street could be negatively impacted by additional development. They <br />specifically questioned whether impacts of future development, including potential traffic <br />patterns from a gas station, had been fully evaluated. <br />The city's planning file for this application confirms that notice of the proposed zone change was <br />provided in accordance with the 30-day notice requirements of EC 9.7315. <br />The current zone-change application requests only a change in the zone from C-1, Neighborhood <br />Commercial, to C-2, Community Commercial. As explained in the staff report, and by city staff <br />during the hearing, a zone change request must satisfy the zone change criteria explicitly <br />provided in EC 9.8865. <br />While the applicant's representative explained how the property owner may request to develop <br />the property in the future, the requested zone change does not include, and is not required to <br />include, any development request. Rather, at such time as a development application is submitted <br />for the subject property, any proposed development must comply with all applicable city <br />standards, including standards related to traffic impacts. Depending on future development <br />proposals, the concerns raised during this public hearing may be relevant to approval criteria <br />Hearings Official Decision (Z 21-4) 2 <br />