EOA/HNA Policy Advisory Committee Meeting Notes Thursday, 9/25/14, 5:30 – 7:30 pm Pringle Hall Community Center, 606 Church Street Attendance: Committee Members Present: Rich Fry, Sheronne Blasi, Curt Arthur, Mike Erdmann, Larry Goodreau, Jeff Leach, Andrew Wilch, Daniel Benjamin, Mark Grenz (Absent: Warren Bednarz, Chuck Bennett, Steve Dickey, Larry Goodreau, Travis Henry, Jim Lewis, Eric Olsen, Alan Sorum, Anne Easterly, Levi Hererra, Diane Lace, Kenji Sugahara, Jason Tokarski) Staff Present: Lisa Anderson-Ogilvie, Eunice Kim, Glenn Gross, Doug Rux, Kelly Kelly Consultants: Bob Parker and Beth Goodman, EcoNW Consultants Public: Richard Reid, Salem City Watch; Kim Sapunar, MWVCOG; Robert Hornaday; Evan White; Holly Sears, Salem Assoc of Realtors; Nate Brown, Keizer CD Director; Don Russo; Leslie Polson; Jeff Leach. Lisa Anderson-Ogilvie, Urban Planning Administrator, opened the meeting at 5:36 PM. She facilitated introductions and an overview of the EOA/HNA agenda and turned the meeting over to Bob Parker, a consultant from EcoNW. Bob Parker gave a summary of the EOA/HNA process to date. He also presented an overview of possible implementation strategies to address Salem’s housing and employment land needs. The key issues are the identified deficits of land for multifamily housing (213-acre deficit) and commercial development (271-acre deficit). Other issues involve the management of industrial lands, revisions to residential development standards, and the lowering of barriers to multifamily development. It is important to develop strategies, policies and stated goals to wisely manage the City’s land. Policies for Managing Commercial and Industrial Land Beth Goodman, an EcoNW consultant, noted that she and Bob strongly recommend protecting large industrial lands for development as a policy and making this guiding factor for the advisory committee’s direction moving forward. Q: Sheronne Blasi asked for clarification as to how Beth would state her policy recommendation for the committee to embrace. The committee has expressed a desire to retain the City’s flexibility to rezone land and does not want add further regulations to limit that flexibility. Mill Creek and the Renewable Energy Park already have enough controls when it comes to developing the land. A: As an example, the City could maintain the existing protections of certain large industrial lands and wisely protect large properties that are only available in Salem and make us uniquely valuable as businesses look to locate in Salem. The City could identify these areas to protect them from being rezoned and sold off in smaller pieces. For smaller properties, the City could go ahead and allow rezoning and redevelopment as the market dictates. EOA/HNA Meeting Notes 1 9/25/14 A: Lisa Anderson-Ogilvie said if protections are not put in place, the rezoning of industrial land will likely continue as it has in the past, with the City generally granting each applicant approval in a piece-meal fashion. Many approvals turn industrial land into commercial land. Q: Sheronne Blasi noted that the Planning Commission appreciates having the flexibility to make changes as market changes arise. A: Doug Rux recommended keeping a range of sizes of industrial land and conducting an inventory of properties with uniquely-desirable qualities and assets to maintain and protect from piecemeal rezoning that spoil the potential for more desirable businesses to locate in Salem. A: Bob Parker agreed with inventorying sites of particular value so decision makers can be flexible with rezone requests that reflect the market changes but still protect the bigger picture developable lands for down the road. That way Salem’s unique qualities and assets in terms of available lands are wisely maintained and managed into the future. Bob noted that less valuable industrial lands could be more flexibly redeveloped and rezoned. He suggested taking the big, valuable properties off the table for rezoning and protecting them for wise development. Q: Rich Fry: Can the City map and share these valuable sites with decision makers? A: Doug Rux said this could be done. He gave examples of known valuable sites with unique attributes that would be wise to maintain and protect from rezoning. These sites were generally located in existing Urban Renewal Areas. He also identified some sites that would be suited for rezoning and redevelopment, which were generally fringe industrial sites that were surrounded by commercial or residential lands. A: Bob Parker affirmed the value of identifying areas to protect for higher-value uses and areas that are appropriate for rezoning as the market dictates. A: Lisa Anderson-Ogilvie noted we don’t need to discuss the specifics of sites during this meeting, but she noted that some maps were shown to the committee earlier in the process and could be provided. Committee members noted that they understood that they did not specifically need to select the specific sites of value for protection, but they indicated that seeing a map of the large valuable industrial areas would be helpful and asked to see them at next meeting. Policies for Managing Residential Land Bob Parker noted that the issue of redevelopment is challenging and needs more work. Q: Mike Erdmann: How have changes related to housing development (e.g., allowing tri-plexes in single-family zones) gone when allowed in other cities? A: There have been mixed results. Even if the City reduces barriers to redevelopment with more flexibility and allows for more affordable housing, that doesn’t mean the market will produce them. People might not want smaller housing units with less available parking, and developers might not find building to this market profitable. Density and lot size was discussed. EOA/HNA Meeting Notes 2 9/25/14 Lisa Anderson-Ogilvie noted that the City can only reduce barriers to multifamily development and provide a suite of redevelopment options to allow a variety of housing to be built. The market will do what the market will do from there. Andrew Wilch discussed the need for policies that encourage affordable housing, and he cited statistics for low-income households in Salem (those earning $34,000 or less – 37% in Salem). Q: Mike Erdmann asked Andrew what policy we should implement or endorse to facilitate affordable housing. A: Bob Parker noted that all cities share this problem. Andy is recommending comprehensive plans that address the issue of affordability. Policies could include a systematic evaluation of infrastructure, gaps, and incentives available to developers; recognition that land use and the Salem Housing Authority should work together and utilize tools to work with the public sector; evaluation of the need for affordability annually; and promotion of any available incentives. Mark Grenz noted that it is fine to have the committee include strong language and development standards to provide incentives, but he also noted that the market/private sector may not choose to fill this need, and the elected officials have to be on board with endorsing more affordable housing. They have a habit of being an impediment to approval of housing that “doesn’t look good.” Action: Bob Parker will bring to the committee draft language that includes goals and policies that work toward addressing affordable housing needs in Salem and exploring solutions with the private sector. Andrew Wilch noted that it is important to keep language that expressly addresses the need for affordable housing strategies, policies, goals and tools amongst all involved in development. Rich Fry noted that the suite of options – e.g., smaller houses, reduced parking requirements, and accessory dwelling units – will all be difficult for “Salemites” to accept and might be hard to sell. Bob Parker noted that Salem will evolve over the next 20 years. Preferences will change. All the plan makers can do is be visionary and plan for the future. The City must continue to be proactive with the knowledge of future needs in mind. Comments from Guests Richard Reid from CityWatch thanked the committee for its good work on these tough problems. Don Russo, Chair of Northgate Neighborhood Association, thanked the committee for its valuable and timely insights as the North Gateway Urban Renewal Area (Portland Road area of the City) process moves forward. Next Steps The next meeting will be at 5:30 p.m., October 23 at Pringle Hall. More information on the EOA/HNA Meeting Notes 3 9/25/14 procedural steps, Planning Commission and City Council involvement, and the process, priorities and timelines will be discussed. Bob Parked encouraged all committee members to forward their comments, feedback and input to staff or consultants prior to the next meeting, so they can be included in the direction and resulting product. Lisa Anderson-Ogilvie closed the meeting at 7:33 PM. G:\CD\PLANNING\LRP\2013 HNA EOA\Advisory Committee Meetings\Agendas and Minutes\Meeting 6 9-25-14_ek.docx EOA/HNA Meeting Notes 4 - 9-25-14\EOA-HNA Mtg Notes 9/25/14