How Does Zoning Work? <br />The Eugene-Springfield Metropolitan Area General Plan (Metro Plan) is part of the City's <br />comprehensive plan. The Metro Plan helps to guide land use and zoning decisions. It includes <br />long-range policy direction for land use planning and legislative decision-making, as well as <br />guidance for parcel-specific land use decisions such as this zone change request. In some areas, <br />refinement plans provide additional policies and land use designation maps to further guide <br />land use decision-making in specific neighborhoods or geographic areas of the City. <br />Another component of the City's comprehensive plan is the Envision Eugene Comprehensive <br />Plan. It provides goals and policies to help guide the City in updating the Eugene Code and other <br />regulatory documents, programs and planning projects. Unlike the Metro Plan or refinement <br />plans, the Envision Eugene policies are not intended to be used in determining approval or <br />denial of land use applications, like a Zone Change, unless such direction is stated in the policy. <br />In the context of a Zone Change application, consistency with the applicable provisions of the <br />Metro Plan and any applicable adopted refinement plans for the area of the request, is <br />fundamental to the decision-making process. More than one zone category may carry out a <br />particular land use designation, and the relevant policy direction helps determine what the <br />zoning should be. In other cases, the land use designation and policy direction may be so <br />specific that only one zone or overlay zone can correctly establish particular restrictions, <br />development standards or process. In a nutshell, zoning specifies allowed uses for a piece of <br />land, and what standards will apply at the time of development (e.g. height, setbacks). <br />Application Details & Procedure <br />The applicant is requesting approval for a Zone Change to change the base zone of a .37-acre <br />property from R-2 Medium-Density Residential to Low-Density Residential (R-1). The property <br />also has the /UL Urbanizable Lands Overlay Zone, which is proposed to remain. <br />The property is not within City limits, but is within the City's Urban Growth Boundary. As stated <br />by the applicant, the intent of this zone change is to establish consistency between the <br />property's zoning and the comprehensive plan (Metro Plan) land use designation in order to <br />meet the requirements for annexation. The property is designated on the Metro Plan Diagram <br />as Low Density Residential, which is not consistent with the current zoning, R-2 Medium- <br />Density Residential, whereas the R-1 Low-Density Residential Zone is consistent with the Low <br />Density Designation. <br />The subject property is developed with a single dwelling and is surrounded by developed single- <br />family residential properties, as well as other residential and commercial uses along River Road. <br />For ease of reference, maps of the subject site vicinity and zoning can be seen in Attachments A <br />and B. <br />Staff Report <br />800 River Road I Z 22-13 <br />Page 4 of 12 75