HB 2001 has a model code. That model code isn’t based on the principle of neighborhood land use priorities. There is a lot of incentive for us to write our own standards.
Our Planning Department will be instructed to create a committee to generate standards and rules. Our new planning director Alyssa Hansen hasn’t started this process yet. As your City Councilor, I’ll ensure that the HB2001 Rules Committee is founded upon ITEA. Inclusiveness, Transparency. Equity. Accountability.
Let’s move forward with implementation of effective, scalable approaches, which means subsidized, market rate and mixed use housing development on EMX transportation corridors. The City decided on this direction in the Envision Eugene plan in 2012 which is being updated. As your next City Councilor, I’ll insist that we follow through with that strategy for increasing our affordable housing stock.
https://www.eugene-or.gov/2977/Community-Design-Handbook
https://www.eugene-or.gov/3009/The-Envision-Eugene-Comprehensive-Plan
People in the ward are concerned about HB2001 and the implication that it actually could increase housing costs and lead to displacement of residents. They aren’t against development in the ward, and they would like to see it fit in with the neighborhood. All neighborhoods have this livability standard as their context. Neighborhoods do have character/energy they appreciate preserving.
As your next City Councilor for Ward 2, I’ll insist on neighborhood land use planning. Neighborhood land use, or Refinement Planning, looks at a neighborhood’s assets and discerns where and what kind of development would be fitting. Jefferson Westside Neighborhood has a good example of a Refinement Plan.
I would like to see the Neighborhood Associations in Ward 2 undertake a similar endeavor. I’ve spoken with the U of O’s PPPM Department. They see this work has intern potential. This would be a win win for students and Ward 2.
Ward 2 actually has a significant amount of low income and middle income housing within its boundaries. An additional 172 units of low-income housing has been approved – the Rest Haven Development on upper Willamette. In the past four years, Ward 2 has added 120 beds for the homeless.
Every ward needs to do its part. My position is it’s important to involve the people who live and are invested here in the process.
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