The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About2024-11-04 Study Session MINV NTjr*Tar*UITAOr—V=io MMO Mayor Graham called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m.Mayor Graham and Councilors Hyatt, DuQuenne, Bloom, and Kaplan were present. Dale and Hansen were absent. Public input (15 minutes - Public input or comment on City business not included on the agenda) None III. Climate Friendly Area Update Brandon Goldman Community Development Director introduced Derek Severson Planning Manager, Scott Fregonese of 3J Consultants, Elizabeth Decker of Jet Planning, and Becky Hewitt of ECONorthwest. Goldman summarized the project team's public engagement efforts and related recommendations for the climate friendly areas (CFAs), project since his last presentation to Council on July 15,2024. Goldman shared that the City received an extension of the deadline from the DLCD (Department of land Conservation and Development) to June 30, 2025. Goldman spoke this new deadline allows for integration of citywide walkable design standards to be done simultaneously under the Climate Friendly and Equitable Communities (CFEC) project. Fregonese outlined the CFEC program scope including parking reform (completed), CFA identification, upcoming Transportation System Plan (TSP) updates and reviewed CFA designation criteria. Fregonese spoke that Phase I of the CFA study is underway with code analysis, market study, and community engagement prior to code adoption planned for mid- 2025. Decker discussed the code analysis on the candidate CFAs: the Railroad Property, Transit Triangle, and Croman Mill. Preliminary recommendations focus on two of the sites: the Railroad! Property and the commercial portion of the Transit Triangle which would fulfill the State's CFA housing capacity requirements while minimizing impact on already developed residential areas. Developing CFA's as an overlay zone will allow for more flexibility for future use elsewhere. Decker summarized the benefits of CFA overlay for these areas adding that existing height and density bonuses for deed -restricted affordable housing would be permitted outright with additional bonuses permitted by state statute. Decker outlined key CFA overlay standards: allow multifamily residential (with ground -floor mixed, -use,), townhouses, commercial/office/civic uses, at least 50-foot building height, require at least a minimum density of 15 du/ac (dwelling units per acre), and apply no maximum density. Kaplan clarified that the Railroad Property being discussed is not the historic railroad district. Hewitt discussed related market factors that may drive potential development within these City Council Study Session November 4,2024 Page I of 2 areas. Buildings over three stories are less likely to be built even if allowed. Commercial development tends to concentrate along busier streets near existing retail nodes. Townhouses are a strong form of development potential! for the local market. Mixed -use development can be challenging but works best where both ground' floor retail and apartments/condos are desirable,. Bloom asked about ramifications for developers of having the CFA as an overlay instead of an underlying zone. Goldman clarified that developers of this scale are familiar with such zoning overlays. Graham confirmed with Goldman that a CFA overlay would be easier to apply to other areas in the future. DUQUenne asked what staff is doing to recruit development in these areas. Goldman responded that recruitment is outside the scope of the CFA program but reviewed previously adopted incentives. Kaplan asked for confirmation that townhouses would be allowed under the remediation requirements at the Railroad Property and Goldman responded he will follow up with DEQ. Kaplan asked about the zoning for the Croman Mill area. Goldman responded that the potential applicants Would plan to re -zone these areas. Hyatt spoke that the planning commission noted that downtown has similar requirements to, CFA's,. Goldman confirmed that minor adjustments in underlying zoning would bring the area into alignment with CFA goals while maintaining current historic preservation requirements. Kaplan asked for rent and vacancy trends for commercial development which Hewitt provided. Kaplan and Hyatt asked about the presented difficulties Of actualizing (versus allowing) mixed -use development which Hewitt explained. DUQUenne noted the difference between the City's housing need for multifamily units and the market analysis that showed this potential as weak. Hewitt confirmed that the market for development is still stronger for single family dwellings compared to the City's need for affordable multifamily rental units for its workforce demographic. Removing density limits will allow these units to better compete, Graham asked about the minimurn square footage requirements which Goldman provided. Council discussed direction for staff to include, the overlay, the railroad property and the transit triangle, with the option for the overlay to be extended in the future, They would like to see code updates for the downtown. Recommend staff check with DEQ that the townhome requirement would not be precluded at the Railroad Property and/or confirm that the City's CFA requirements could be met at the revised Transit Triangle location alone, Ill. Adjournment of Study Session The meeting was adjourned at 7:07 p.m, Respectfully Submitted by: City Recorder Alissa Kolodzins 1 Attest, Mayor Tonya Graharn City Council Study Session November 4, 2024 Pope 2 of 2 CFA & Project Background 11,11. Discussion Ashland Climate Friendly Areas City Council Study Session November 4, 2024 qSULTING ECO J ET St northwe A o S,cott Fregonese, 3,J C'011SUltil-Ig 4, Elizabeth Decker, ,JET Planning Becky I-lewitt, F'-"C 0 n (,) r t I-i w e s t Mac,kei izie Visser, ECOnorthwest CFA & Project BackgrqVo / r r r r r ��%��/�l r/,,,��%/�/��/i�/%/%,;;;�ii�/r�//%//,i///c,, ,//,%moo,„„r/,-r, �%/,,,/%,,,,ri/////ice///��//�i,��/%/ ,,r�r�i/r,,, ,r�, /i„ ////�/ac��ir„///�,��//i � �///�� ,�i�✓,�/iii�,,,i,,,,/ V Colu:ncill ......... ... .' Railroad Property Phase I Direction Ira nsit Mangle Downtown not initially recornrnended as a CFA because it is largely built out and is a National Register Historic District 1, Developer interviews NO Discussions with City commissions Ot�her three potentiall sites recornmended for further analysis with the code development phase based on development potential W Public open house and online survey h ty for FA Designation 4 0 r, ()o 70c,,,, N11" 1000 M 'S'.1ppm t D 0 t ,; u a rt Othur —,0 z Survey open through November 18 [a 47) 1 ..................... i, . . .. ... .. Railroad Transit rrian-ale Croman * Reviewed three sites through code audit and market study * Designate one or more with updated zoning now, future consideration in TSP * Use designation to advance City goals for the area(s), beyond state reqs Two initial CFA overlay designations Railroad Property: Near downtown,, existing rnix of development, significant gap between existing zoning and potential development, further study height impacts wR Corm-nercial portion of Transit Triangle: Aligns with intent for area, near SOU, need to update existing overlay, limit changes within residential areas Addreiss develop.ment goal's for Croman Mill throiu�g maon with applicant I 41, Cl'[,y WOLIICI have CFA overlay to aj-,)[)ly ir-i fit,itul'ie as allerr lative im Downtown is largely developed, existing code similar to CFA standards L.Iri-lited additior'lal belle - fit fr-on-i CFA overlay hei-e, i"nay Col"Iflic-I.- with Ilistoric Distr,jct, stan(.J�il-ds and r-eview IM 11 Lr-";evelop CFA Overlay zone to apply to selected areas: * Repeal/replace exisfirig Transit Triangle (.)verlay I i o Replace existing Residential Overlay in Railroad Property # Explore applicabiHty of soIar setbacks Incorporate deed -restricted affordable housing into CFAs: o Existing helg[it and density bollUses -to be allowed outrigi-It o Addiflorial boinises p(l.'rimitted by sta-te statUte m 14 Nigher construction costs for development >S stories Dents, land costs net likely to justify higher construction costs ........................ . • ,along busier streets that offer easy access and visibility ® blear existing retail nodes that already attract shoppers Townhouses are a strong form of development • Strong for -sale housing market . Challenges with condo development ® Increases construction costs, complexity • Works best where Loth ground floor retail and apartments/condos are desirable Recommendat'I"Orlsi j' DIZE)'CUSS1011 'pilimm" am =I MIND 4 [1,', Railroad .. ..... ..... Do you support the initial OFA recommendations? Ashland ghat Triang cothIne,rcla opportunities or concerns would you like to, s,ee addressed in the CFA overlay? Other questions or 1: 7priorities? . . . . ............... . .. . . .............. . .......... .. PFA' ECO 3J CONSUL'HNGI J E'T` 0