Agendas and Minutes
Planning Commission (View All)
Planning Commission Regular Meeting
Agenda
Tuesday, February 13, 2024
The public hearing will be held at 7:00 p.m. on February 13, 2024. The meeting will be televised on local channel 9 or channels 180 and 181 for Charter Communications customers or will also be available live stream by going to rvtv.sou.edu and selecting RVTV Prime.
Written testimony will be accepted for the public hearing agenda items via email to PC-public-testimony@ashland.or.us with the subject line “02/13/24 PC Hearing Testimony” by 10:00 a.m. on Monday, February 12, 2023. Written testimony will not be accepted on findings because the record is closed. If the applicant wishes to provide a rebuttal to the testimony, they can submit the rebuttal via e-mail to PC-public-testimony@ashland.or.us with the subject line “02/13/24 PC Hearing Testimony” by 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, February 13, 2023. Written testimony received by the deadlines will be available to the Planning Commission before the meeting and will be included in the meeting minutes.
Oral testimony will be taken during the electronic public hearing. If you wish to provide oral testimony during the electronic meeting, send an email to PC-public-testimony@ashland.or.us by 10:00 a.m. on Monday, February 12, 2023. In order to provide testimony at the public hearing, please provide the following information: 1) make the subject line of the email “02/13/24 Speaker Request”, 2) include your name, 3) specify the date and commission meeting you wish to virtually attend or listen to, 4) specify if you will be participating by computer or telephone, and 5) the name you will use if participating by computer or the telephone number you will use if participating by telephone.
If you would like to watch and listen to the Planning Commission meeting virtually, but not participate in any discussion, you can use the Zoom link below to join the meeting as an attendee.
February 13, 2024
REGULAR MEETING
Minutes
Written testimony will be accepted for the public hearing agenda items via email to PC-public-testimony@ashland.or.us with the subject line “02/13/24 PC Hearing Testimony” by 10:00 a.m. on Monday, February 12, 2023. Written testimony will not be accepted on findings because the record is closed. If the applicant wishes to provide a rebuttal to the testimony, they can submit the rebuttal via e-mail to PC-public-testimony@ashland.or.us with the subject line “02/13/24 PC Hearing Testimony” by 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, February 13, 2023. Written testimony received by the deadlines will be available to the Planning Commission before the meeting and will be included in the meeting minutes.
Oral testimony will be taken during the electronic public hearing. If you wish to provide oral testimony during the electronic meeting, send an email to PC-public-testimony@ashland.or.us by 10:00 a.m. on Monday, February 12, 2023. In order to provide testimony at the public hearing, please provide the following information: 1) make the subject line of the email “02/13/24 Speaker Request”, 2) include your name, 3) specify the date and commission meeting you wish to virtually attend or listen to, 4) specify if you will be participating by computer or telephone, and 5) the name you will use if participating by computer or the telephone number you will use if participating by telephone.
If you would like to watch and listen to the Planning Commission meeting virtually, but not participate in any discussion, you can use the Zoom link below to join the meeting as an attendee.
February 13, 2024
REGULAR MEETING
Minutes
I. CALL TO ORDER:
Chair Verner called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. at the Civic Center Council Chambers, 1175 E. Main Street. She noted that Council Liaison Paula Hyatt was attending the meeting via Zoom.
Commissioners Present: Staff Present:
Lisa Verner Brandon Goldman, Community Development Director
Doug Knauer Derek Severson, Planning Manager
Kerry KenCairn Michael Sullivan, Executive Assistant
Eric Herron
Russell Phillips
Gregory Perkinson
Absent Members: Council Liaison:
Susan MacCracken Jain Paula Hyatt
II. ANNOUNCEMENTS
Community Development Director Brandon Goldman made the following announcements:
III. CONSENT AGENDA
IV. PUBLIC FORUM - None
V. OTHER BUSINESS
Mr. Goldman informed the Commission that the Council received an update regarding the Croman Mill Site cleanup effort. This cleanup is a prerequisite for development of the site, and staff received notice that the wigwam burners and wood treatment area were scheduled for cleanup on February 17th and 24th, 2024. Contaminated materials will be removed to a dump site in Eagle Point, and SCS Engineering will be onsite to assist with the excavation and to perform immediate sampling to determine if additional materials require removal. Mr. Goldman noted that the materials from the wood treatment area, which has a high level of non-hazardous contaminants, will need to be removed to a landfill.
The Commission discussed the timeline for the cleanup of the site, which is being conducted rapidly in the interest of all parties, but could take several years if additional testing and cleanup is required. Mr. Goldman stated that the applicant had hired a traffic engineer to conduct traffic studies, as well as Johnson Economics to perform an economic analysis of the project. The applicant will also need to provide additional information to staff as part of their annexation and masterplan review submittal. Mr. Severson added that the applicant is working with the property owner to perform some rough grading when the cleanup work is performed in order to expedite the process.
Chair Verner called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. at the Civic Center Council Chambers, 1175 E. Main Street. She noted that Council Liaison Paula Hyatt was attending the meeting via Zoom.
Commissioners Present: Staff Present:
Lisa Verner Brandon Goldman, Community Development Director
Doug Knauer Derek Severson, Planning Manager
Kerry KenCairn Michael Sullivan, Executive Assistant
Eric Herron
Russell Phillips
Gregory Perkinson
Absent Members: Council Liaison:
Susan MacCracken Jain Paula Hyatt
II. ANNOUNCEMENTS
Community Development Director Brandon Goldman made the following announcements:
- The Community Development Department is launching its Citizen Self-Service software on February 20, 2024. This will allow customers to pull certain permit types and access existing permits online.
- The City received an “Every Mile Counts” Climate Friendly and Equitable Communities (CFEC) grant from the Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD). This grant will provide consultant services for reviewing code updates for the City’s Climate friendly Areas (CFAs), which will be done by 3J Consultants. The City also received a grant for ECONorthwest to do a market analysis for the housing development potential in those CFAs.
- The City has been designated as a Tree City USA for the 37th year in a row. This was granted due to the work the of the City’s Tree Management Advisory Committee, the City’s code requirements for tree preservation and protection, and the work of the Parks and Recreation Department.
III. CONSENT AGENDA
- Approval of Minutes
- January 9, 2024 Regular Meeting
- January 23, 2024 Special Meeting
IV. PUBLIC FORUM - None
V. OTHER BUSINESS
A. Review of the Community Development Work Plan for 2024
Mr. Goldman stated that this meeting would be treated as a Study Session, as no item required any decision to be made.
Staff Presentation
Planning Manager Derek Severson briefly detailed various projects that the Community Development Department was currently engaged in or would begin working on in the near future (see attachment #1). These projects included:
Mr. Severson outlined several potential topics for upcoming Commission Study Sessions, including expiration timelines for land use actions, vesting and modification of land use approvals, unbundling parking from rental units, and a closer examination of the Comprehensive Plan. He remarked that the Planning Commission annual retreat would be scheduled soon, which would likely include site visits to current developments in the City. Mr. Severson noted that the Building Division is also looking at various code updates, including a reexamination of the floodplain. He stated that the Housing and Human Services Advisory Committee has created a Homelessness Services Masterplan Subcommittee to examine how best to treat homelessness in the City, as well as ways to assist the City’s unhoused population.
Questions of Staff
Commissioner KenCairn asked if staff anticipated any pushback from homeowners regarding the establishment of a manufactured home park zone. Mr. Goldman responded that the first step of this process would be to engage in public outreach and garner feedback from homeowners.
Commissioner KenCairn asked what type of assistance the Commission could provide for these upcoming projects. Mr. Goldman responded it would depend on the project, but that her work on the DPMAC will directly assist the Commission, and that the EOA would benefit from a member of the Commission serving on the advisory group in a similar capacity. Commissioner Knauer volunteered to assist with the EOA project. Commissioner Perkinson stated that several projects mentioned were of interest to him, and offered to act as liaison to the ARU Incentive Program. Mr. Goldman added that the Commission could also assist by helping to develop a public outreach plan for these projects.
Staff Presentation
Planning Manager Derek Severson briefly detailed various projects that the Community Development Department was currently engaged in or would begin working on in the near future (see attachment #1). These projects included:
- Parks, Trails, and Open Space Plan Map Adoption, which would be reviewed by the City Council at its February 20, 2024 meeting.
- Development Process Management Advisory Committee (DPMAC). This group has met several times to discuss how best to streamline the City’s permitting process, as well as ways to streamline departmental procedures. This group will present its findings to the Council in July, 2024.
- Accessory Residential Unit (ARU) Incentive Program. This program would provide customers with free, pre-approved plans for ARUs, which would result in an expedited review process by City staff. The applicant would still need to demonstrate how these buildings fit on site, but the review process timeframe would be significantly accelerated. If an applicant wished to customize these plans they would need to contact the architect or designer to have those alterations done, which would likely result in a fee. Staff also contacted the architect who designed the plan templates for the City of Medford to inquire if these plans could be utilized by the City, or if that same architect could design similar plans for the City’s use.
- Economic Opportunities Analysis (EOA). The City received a Technical Assistance Grant to conduct a coordinated EOA with the City of Medford, which will include a Buildable Lands Inventory Update.
- Climate Friendly & Equitable Communities and Climate Friendly Areas. A Technical Assistance Grant was received for work through mid-2025, which will also fund a Transportation Modeling test case with the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and the DLCD.
- Manufactured Home Park Zoning Ordinance. The City is currently on a waiting list for Technical Assistance Grant, pending funding availability. This ordinance would establish a manufactured home park zone in order to retain the manufactured homes already in the City, and to protect them from being redeveloped. Rent would be unaffected by this new designation.
- The Southern Oregon University Masterplan is currently undergoing an update, which will come to Commission for review at Study Sessions in the near future.
- Former Croman Mill Site & Railroad Property Environmental Clean-Ups. A voluntary clean-up program has been undertaken through the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).
- Croman Mill Site Re-Development. Townmakers, LLC, provided an update to the City Council last week, and are continuing to move forward in submitting an application for developing the Croman Mill Site.
- Playwright Walk. A collaborative effort by the Community Development Department to support local organizations, including the Historic Preservation Advisory Committee (HPAC), the Public Arts Advisory Committee (PAAC), as well as philanthropists to develop a Playwright walk around the City featuring plaques honoring various playwrights. This project would be similar to the Marking Ashland Places (MAP) project that installed plaques around the City designating historical sites.
Mr. Severson outlined several potential topics for upcoming Commission Study Sessions, including expiration timelines for land use actions, vesting and modification of land use approvals, unbundling parking from rental units, and a closer examination of the Comprehensive Plan. He remarked that the Planning Commission annual retreat would be scheduled soon, which would likely include site visits to current developments in the City. Mr. Severson noted that the Building Division is also looking at various code updates, including a reexamination of the floodplain. He stated that the Housing and Human Services Advisory Committee has created a Homelessness Services Masterplan Subcommittee to examine how best to treat homelessness in the City, as well as ways to assist the City’s unhoused population.
Questions of Staff
Commissioner KenCairn asked if staff anticipated any pushback from homeowners regarding the establishment of a manufactured home park zone. Mr. Goldman responded that the first step of this process would be to engage in public outreach and garner feedback from homeowners.
Commissioner KenCairn asked what type of assistance the Commission could provide for these upcoming projects. Mr. Goldman responded it would depend on the project, but that her work on the DPMAC will directly assist the Commission, and that the EOA would benefit from a member of the Commission serving on the advisory group in a similar capacity. Commissioner Knauer volunteered to assist with the EOA project. Commissioner Perkinson stated that several projects mentioned were of interest to him, and offered to act as liaison to the ARU Incentive Program. Mr. Goldman added that the Commission could also assist by helping to develop a public outreach plan for these projects.
B. Croman Mill Site Cleanup Update
Mr. Goldman informed the Commission that the Council received an update regarding the Croman Mill Site cleanup effort. This cleanup is a prerequisite for development of the site, and staff received notice that the wigwam burners and wood treatment area were scheduled for cleanup on February 17th and 24th, 2024. Contaminated materials will be removed to a dump site in Eagle Point, and SCS Engineering will be onsite to assist with the excavation and to perform immediate sampling to determine if additional materials require removal. Mr. Goldman noted that the materials from the wood treatment area, which has a high level of non-hazardous contaminants, will need to be removed to a landfill.
The Commission discussed the timeline for the cleanup of the site, which is being conducted rapidly in the interest of all parties, but could take several years if additional testing and cleanup is required. Mr. Goldman stated that the applicant had hired a traffic engineer to conduct traffic studies, as well as Johnson Economics to perform an economic analysis of the project. The applicant will also need to provide additional information to staff as part of their annexation and masterplan review submittal. Mr. Severson added that the applicant is working with the property owner to perform some rough grading when the cleanup work is performed in order to expedite the process.
VI. OPEN DISCUSSION
The Commission discussed how best to deal with members of the public providing testimony that stray from applicable topics to the Commission, or are disruptive to the meeting or devolve into hate-speech. Commissioner Knauer suggested that the Commission adopt a resolution regarding acceptable public testimony during Commission meetings, and denouncing disruptive behavior while still granting members of the public their right to speak. It was generally determined by the Commission that a resolution is not currently necessary unless a disruptive event occurs, in which case a resolution could be considered and adopted. Chair Verner noted that it is the obligation of the Commission to stop disruptive behavior or hate speech from occurring and that a system for dealing with this type of event can be developed if necessary.
VII. ADJOURNMENT
Meeting adjourned at 8:20 p.m.
Submitted by,
Michael Sullivan, Executive Assistant
The Commission discussed how best to deal with members of the public providing testimony that stray from applicable topics to the Commission, or are disruptive to the meeting or devolve into hate-speech. Commissioner Knauer suggested that the Commission adopt a resolution regarding acceptable public testimony during Commission meetings, and denouncing disruptive behavior while still granting members of the public their right to speak. It was generally determined by the Commission that a resolution is not currently necessary unless a disruptive event occurs, in which case a resolution could be considered and adopted. Chair Verner noted that it is the obligation of the Commission to stop disruptive behavior or hate speech from occurring and that a system for dealing with this type of event can be developed if necessary.
VII. ADJOURNMENT
Meeting adjourned at 8:20 p.m.
Submitted by,
Michael Sullivan, Executive Assistant
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