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Home My WebLink About2024-05-14 Planning MIN Planning CommissionMinutes Note: Anyone wishing to speak at any Planning Commission meeting is encouraged to do so. If you wish to speak, please rise and, after you have been recognized by the Chair, give your name and complete address for the record. You will then be allowed to speak. Please note the public testimony may be limited by the Chair. May 14, 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 Commissioners Knauer and MacCracken were attending the meeting via Zoom, though the latter was not yet in attendance when the meeting was called to order. Commissioners Present: Staff Present: Lisa Verner Brandon Goldman, Community Development Director Doug Knauer Derek Severson, Planning Manager Kerry KenCairn Aaron Anderson, Senior Planner Eric Herron Michael Sullivan, Executive Assistant Russell Phillips Gregory Perkinson Susan MacCracken Jain Absent Members: Council Liaison: Paula Hyatt II.ANNOUNCEMENTS Community Development Director Brandon Goldman made the following announcements: Several Community Development Department staff members participated in the Habitat for Humanity wall-raising for the Beach Creek Subdivision on May 11, 2024. This volunteer event was organized by Serena Locke and Regan Trapp on behalf of the Oregon Permit Technicians Association, where they serve as President and President-Elect, respectively. Ms. Trapp is also a Permit Technician II in the City’s Community Development Department. The Historic Preservation Awards ceremony will take place on May 18, 2024 at Railroad Park to mark the installation of the HUB Medallion. The Historic Preservation Awards are granted to developments that occurred over the last year in Historic Districts. Building Code amendments will be reviewed by the City Council at their May 24, 2024 meeting, and include state building code modifications to be approved for local adoption. Senior Planner Aaron Anderson and Associate Planner Veronica Allen developed code updates relating to developments in the floodplain. III.CONSENT AGENDA Page 1 of 4 In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please email planning@ashland.or.us. Notification 72 hours prior to the meeting will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to the meeting (28 CFR 35.102-35.104 ADA Title 1). Planning CommissionMinutes 1.Approval of Minutes a.April 9, 2024 Regular Meeting b.April 23, 2024 Study Session Commissioners Perkinson/Phillips m/s to approve the consent agenda as presented. Voice Vote: All AYES. Motion passed 6-0. IV.PUBLIC FORUM – None V.OTHER BUSINESS A. 2024 Update to the Buildable Lands Inventory (BLI) Chair Verner opened the Public Hearing and Public Record at 7:07 p.m. Mr. Goldman stated that the BLI is a supporting document to the Comprehensive Plan, and received minor updates in 2004 and 2005, with more significant updates occurring in 2011 and 2019. He added that the BLI is a tool that will change over time. Mr. Anderson outlined the purpose of conducting an update of the BLI, which is to quantify the amount of vacant and partially-vacant land available within the city limits and Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) of the City. Combined with the City’s 2021 Housing Capacity Analysis (HCA), 2023 Housing Production Strategy (HPS), a BLI allows a community to determine whether there exists an adequate supply of buildable land to accommodate future housing and business development (see attachment #1). Mr. Anderson detailed how the BLI update found that the City has 288 net buildable acres within the city limits, while the UGB contains 630 net buildable acres, for a combined potential of 2,710 additional dwelling units. The City has produced 90 dwelling units over the last six fiscal years, with the HCA determining the need for 43 dwellings produced per year to meet expected demand. Mr. Anderson briefly outlined the data used to compile the BLI update, which included population and household demographics, geospatial data, and vacant and partially-vacant land within the UPG and city limits. Mr. Anderson concluded that the HCA found a demand for 858 new dwelling units in the City over the next 20 years, with the BLI update demonstrating that there is sufficient buildable land to accommodate this need. He reiterated that the BLI is a living document, citing numerous changes to state law, such as the elimination of parking requirements and new Climate Friendly Area regulations, which impacted the potential number of new dwelling units in the City. Page 2 of 4 In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please email planning@ashland.or.us. Notification 72 hours prior to the meeting will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to the meeting (28 CFR 35.102-35.104 ADA Title 1). Planning CommissionMinutes Questions of Staff Commissioner KenCairn asked if potential dwelling units are determined by average size or by lot. Mr. Anderson responded that it is lot-specific and begins algorithmically to determine lots with a minimum size to support additional dwelling units. These lots were then analyzed for any logistical or planning obstacles, such as steep slopes or floodplains. Commissioner KenCairn asked how recent state law changes impacted the identification of potentially developable lots. Mr. Anderson responded that the methodology remained consistent with those used in the 2019 update, and that a single-family home lot which had the potential to be subdivided was counted as two lots. Commissioner KenCairn asked how cottage development factored into this analysis. Mr. Anderson responded that analyzing the potential for cottage developments is difficult due to the wide range of factors when identifying a site for a cottage development. Commissioner MacCracken Jain expressed appreciation that more units were being developed than anticipated, but remarked that the analysis did not account appear to account for how housing demand could change based on price elasticity. Mr. Goldman responded that the BLI analyzes how much potential housing exists, but does not analyze price controls or how much demand for housing there is. He noted that the current 20-year supply of available buildable land is a variable based on potential future price fluctuations. Commissioner Perkinson commented that page 6 of the BLI update notes that the recent state law changes could have unknown impacts to the BLI and are therefore not included in the model. When presenting the BLI to the Council, Commissioner Perkinson suggested that staff emphasize this uncertainty and how these changes could impact future planning. Commissioner Phillips asked why the City only requires the creation of a minimum of 43 units annually despite producing 90 dwelling units on average over the last several years. Mr. Anderson responded that the HCA analyzed components of economic change in greater detail than the BLI, and found that a minimum of 43 new dwelling units are required annually in order to meet expected population growth over the next 20 years. He stated that the HCA found that the City is producing enough housing to meet housing demand, and that the number of dwelling units produced is actually underestimated due to when the building permits were issued. Chair Verner asked why the City is experiencing a housing shortage if there is seemingly enough housing being produced annually. Mr. Goldman responded that the HCA identifies the City’s housing needs over the next 20 years based on predicted population growth, but does not speak to the types of housing that is needed to make up any deficiencies from the past. He noted that it also excludes cost of living and the number of people who are unable to afford living in the City. He stated that this relates more to the HPS and emphasized that the BLI, HCA, and HPS inform the City on how much land is available for housing, how much housing is needed, and how to develop that needed Page 3 of 4 In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please email planning@ashland.or.us. Notification 72 hours prior to the meeting will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to the meeting (28 CFR 35.102-35.104 ADA Title 1). Planning CommissionMinutes housing. Commissioner MacCracken Jain suggested that staff elaborate on the differences between housing demand and housing supply when presenting the BLI update to the Council. The Commission discussed the interconnected nature of the BLI, HCA, and HPS, and suggested that this relationship be emphasized when the update is presented to the Council. Chair Verner closed the Public Hearing at 7:55 p.m. Decision Commissioners Perkinson/KenCairn m/s to support the resolution as presented. Voice Vote: All AYES. Motion passed 7-0. B. Election of Planning Commission Officers (Chair and Vice-Chair) Commissioners Perkinson/KenCairn m/s to reelect Commissioner Verner as Chair. Voice Vote: All AYES. Motion passed 7-0. Commissioners Perkinson/Phillips m/s to reelect Commissioner Knauer as Vice-Chair. Voice Vote: All AYES. Motion passed 7-0. V.OPEN DISCUSSION - None VI.ADJOURNMENT Meeting adjourned at 7:58 p.m. Submitted by, Michael Sullivan, Executive Assistant Page 4 of 4 In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please email planning@ashland.or.us. Notification 72 hours prior to the meeting will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to the meeting (28 CFR 35.102-35.104 ADA Title 1). PLANNING COMMISSION 2024 Buildable Lands Inventory MAY 14, 2024 ͮͮͰϼʹͭͯ͵ϼͮ ͮͰͯϼʹͭͰ͵ϼͳ ͭͲʹϼͮͭͭͬϼͳ ͯͰʹϼͲͮͯͬϼͳ ˡ̅˵̃̄˹˿˾̃ˏ