AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY <br />January 24, 2023 <br />To: Eugene Planning Commission <br />From: Gabe Flock, Principal Planner & Project Manager <br />Jeff Gepper, Senior Planner <br />Subject: Deliberations on Willamette River Greenway Code Amendments <br />(City File: CA 22-1) <br />ACTION REQUESTED <br />At this work session, Planning Commission will deliberate on the proposed Willamette River <br />Greenway Code Amendments. Staff will present materials and topics raised in testimony and <br />questions from Commissioners following the second public hearing held on January 10, 2023. <br />BACKGROUND <br />The purpose of the Willamette River Greenway Code Amendments project is to update <br />Eugene's Willamette River Greenway Permit approval process to provide a set of clear and <br />objective approval criteria for the review of housing development within the Willamette River <br />Greenway. If the proposed amendments are adopted, an applicant seeking to develop housing <br />within the adopted boundary of the Willamette River Greenway will be able to choose to <br />proceed under the new clear and objective standards, or choose to proceed using the City's <br />discretionary approval criteria. The proposed code amendments do not change the adopted <br />Willamette River Greenway Boundary, which has been in existence since the mid-1970's. <br />The proposed clear and objective approval criteria are intended to ensure that housing <br />development within the Willamette River Greenway will continue to be reviewed for <br />consistency with the requirements of Statewide Planning Goal 15 (Willamette River Greenway), <br />and meet the "clear and objective" requirements of ORS 197.307 for housing. As discussed in <br />prior meetings on the topic, overall the proposed changes are intended to reduce barriers to <br />housing development, meet the City's obligations under State law, and maintain a balanced <br />approach to protecting the Willamette River Greenway with effective development standards. <br />In response to public input received as part of the first Planning Commission public hearing on <br />March 8, 2022, as well as Planning Commission deliberations and direction at the June 14, 2022 <br />and August 2, 2022 Planning Commission meetings, staff updated the proposed Willamette <br />River Greenway Code Amendments with several changes to the draft code. The updates <br />generally include the following: <br />• Tree Preservation Standards Added <br />• Public Hearings Required for All Greenway Permits <br />• Greenway Setback Clarifications <br />• Parking Area Limitations Removed <br />• Reduced Length of Building Facades <br />Page 3 of 43 <br />