requirements for vegetative ground cover and one canopy tree every 30 feet. While it may be a <br />subject for interpretation as to the intent of Goal 15, staff does not believe that that the intent <br />is to entirely block views between proposed development and the river. <br />Staff also provided information about the City's adopted native plants list which identifies <br />appropriate species for planting in areas along the Willamette River (as well as prohibited non- <br />native, invasive species) and would be relied upon for required buffering along the Greenway <br />setback. As with other aspects of the proposed code amendments, reliance on existing code <br />provisions and the existing adopted plant list provides the advantage of consistency and <br />simplicity in administration, as a familiar aspect of existing code requirements near protected <br />natural resources. Based on testimony from the River Road Community Organization and <br />possible interest in more flexibility, staff would also like more input on whether to allow some <br />percentage of non-native species, also from an existing adopted plant list for required <br />landscaping areas. <br />Parking & Vehicle Use Areas <br />The draft code includes a standard at EC 9.8814(3)(d) that prohibits parking and other vehicle <br />use areas between any building and the Greenway setback. Similar existing standards also <br />prohibit parking to be located between any building and a street. In response to questions and <br />concerns about how to apply this standard, staff reviewed the draft code against other similar <br />base zone and special area zone standards and found a variety of conflicting requirements that <br />prohibit parking and vehicle use areas between the building and the street. <br />In keeping with best practices and urban design principles, standards that prohibit parking <br />between the building and the street are generally designed to foster walkable, pedestrian- <br />friendly conditions. A variety of existing City-wide standards such as for commercial areas and <br />multi-family housing, and in more localized special area and overlay zones, support these urban <br />design principles. These current standards, as well as new Statewide requirements emerging <br />from the Climate Friendly and Equitable Communities rulemaking, all appear to conflict with <br />the prohibition on parking and vehicle use areas between buildings and the river as was initially <br />proposed. Requirements for Fire Department and other emergency vehicle access around <br />buildings could also present a very real public health and safety issue that would also require <br />some accommodation, even if the prohibition is kept for other non-emergency vehicle traffic <br />and parking between buildings and the river. <br />As discussed at the last meeting, the draft code contains additional approval criteria that <br />address on-site pedestrian access and public access with respect to the river, as well as <br />standards for native landscape buffering along the Greenway setback, so staff recommends <br />deleting this parking orientation standard from the draft code to eliminate this potential <br />conflict. This change is relatively simple and will also have the general effect of pulling buildings <br />farther away from the river if parking areas are allowed between buildings and the Greenway <br />setback, also in keeping with the general intent of Goal 15. <br />