HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013.08.28 Conservation Commission Agenda Packet ASHLAND CONSERVATION COMMISSION
Meeting Agenda
6:00=8:00pm — August 28, 2013
Community Development Building, Siskiyou Room
51 Winburn Way
1. 6:00 Call to Order
2. 6:00 Consent Agenda / Reports (5 min)
2.1. Minutes July 24, 2013 meeting
2.2. Unified Land Use Code Project Update Memo
3. 6:05 Announcements (10 min, 1 minute per member)
3.1.Next Regular Meeting: September 25, 2013
3.2.Upcoming Sub-committee meetings for Sept/Oct
3.3.Other Announcements from Commissioners
3.3.1. Bear Creek Salmon Festival — Oct 5t" 8:00 AM
4. 6:15 Public Forum (10 min to be evenly divided by public wishing to speak)
5. 6:25 Reports
5.1. Councilor Rosenthal (5 min pres, 5 min questions)
5.2. Recology Franchise Agreement— Beam (10 min pres, 15 min
questions)
6. 7:00 Old Business
6.1. "Bring Your Own Bag" Policy (Plastic Bag Ban) — Buck/Silverberg —
(30 min with questions)
6.2. Energy / Community Outreach — Silverberg — (20 min with
questions)
7. 7:50 New Business
8. 7:50 Wrap Up
8.1. Review of goal assignments (5 min)
8.2. Items to be added to next agenda (5 min)
8.3. Adjournment (8 PM)
ASHLAND CONSERVATION COMMISSION
Meeting Minutes
July 24, 2013
Community Development Building, Siskiyou Room
51 Winburn Way
1 CALL TO ORDER
Meeting called to order at 6:00 by Commission Chair Weir. In attendance: McGinnis, Hartman,
Buck, Beam, Biegel-Coryell, Weir. Koopman arrived at 6:15. Staff- Hanks
2 CONSENT AGENDA/ Reports
Commissioner Weir mentioned the consent items in the packet. Buck motioned for approval of
minutes, second by McGinnis, June 26, 2013 minutes approved unanimously.
3. ANNOUNCEMENTS
Buck gave a recap of the Fourth of July event (see attachment for details). Buck suggested that
the Fourth of July planning for 2014 be placed on the Commission's April 2014 meeting agenda.
Biegel-Coryell reported that the SOU Student Union solar project (33 kw)was well on its way
towards completion. Buck mentioned that the Chamber of Commerce weekly greeters meeting
will be hosted by Recology on August 9th at the Recycle Center. McGinnis stated that the
sustainability sub-committee will meet next week and hopes to have something for the full
Commission to review at the August or September meeting. Koopman noted that SOCAN will
have a meeting in Medford at the Library July 30t"
4. PUBLIC FORUM
Linda Chesney with the Ashland Parks & Recreation Department spoke about the Bear Creek
Salmon Festival and asked for the Commission's support in the form of a donation to rent durable
goods to reduce/eliminate waste from the event and welcomed the Commission to have a booth at
the event in addition to the car wash kit demonstration that Commissioner Beam is doing.
Huelz requested that the Commission do something to allow him to have free rental space at
Pioneer Hall for the zero net energy classes he offers. Chair Weir stated that he would consult
with Staff about the matter and respond at a future time.
Winston Friedman spoke to the Commission about divestment of the City's investments relating to
fossil fuel firms. McGinnis questioned staff about the matter and Hanks responded that most City
investments are handled through a local government pool and other investments such as PERS
are not handled by the City but by other public agencies. McGinnis made a motion to have staff
research and report on the City's current investment and banking policies to determine if the
Commission is interested in making a divestment related policy recommendation to Council.
Second from Hartman. All voted for the motion, with the exception of Beam.
5. REPORTS
5.1 —City Council Liaison Report
City Counclior Rosenthal reported that he requested and received approval from the Council to
refer the request recently presented to the Council for the development and implementation of a
bag ban ordinance regulating the use of plastic bags in the City. Rosenthal presented that he felt
there were five options for the Commission to review and recommend on.
1) Develop a new ordinance
2) Expand on an existing ordinance (Styrofoam ban AMC Ch 9)
3) Create a voluntary program
4) Status Quo— keep things how they are
5) Something else
The Commission discussed the matter and voted 5-1 (Beam dissent)to create an ad-hoc sub-
committee to bring something back to the Commission to review. Ad-hoc members include
Biegel-Coryell, Buck, Silverberg, Weir.
5.2 - Solid Waste Franchise Agreement
Commissioner Beam, the Commission's member of the Solid Waste Franchise Agreement
working group, presented an update on the progress of the new franchise agreement with
Recology. Beam stated that he feels it will be important to find a way for everyone in the
community to help pay for the services as he currently sees various subsidies and inequities in the
system. Beam mentioned that the working group has met twice and review draft documents
prepared by City staff. Beam suggested that the Commission provide input for him to present to
the working group at their meeting later in the week.
Items discussed by the Commission included, fleet management standards, setting of targets and
goals for diversion and recycling, availability of post consumer composting services, vehicle
milage reduction. Buck made a motion suggesting that the Commission develop five broad
recommendations, which the Commission unanimously approved. The final five
recommendations were developed as a memo to the working group (attached)
6. OLD BUSINESS
6.1-Water Sub-committee/Storm Drain Pilot Program
Beam updated the Commisison on the project stating that a meeting with City staff is scheduled and the
project is moving forward and he will report as key items are addressed and put in place.
6.1.1 — Bear Creek Salon Festival Expenditure Request
The Commission voted unanimously to recommend expenditure of$85 for durable goods (plates, dishware,
etc)for the festival and also to be a booth exhibitor.
6.2— Leaf Bag Program Expenditure Request
Beam motioned (Hartman second)to approve a recommendation for expenditure of$300 to support the leaf
bag purchase program, similar to previous year contributions from the Commission. Motion passed
unanimously
7. NEW BUSINESS
7.1- Document Review/Packet Submittal Policy
McGinnis explained the reasoning behind his recommendation for the Commission to be more formal in how
it handles and responds to Commissioner document/concept review. The Commission agreed in principle
and will include it in the future as formal policy.
8. WRAP UP
8.1 — Review of goal assignments
Deferred by Chair Weir
8.2— Items to be added to next agenda
Chair Weir listed anti idling discussion, car wash best practices, downtown storm drain inlet pilot project
update, the unified land use code update, the electric rate study and results of the sustainability sub-
committee as future agenda items and asked Commissioners to send him any additional requests.
8.3—Adjournment
Meeting adjourned at 8:05 pm
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact the
Community Development office at 541-488-5305(TTY phone number is 1-800-735-2900). 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 Title1).
CITY OF prl
1111PPOW", " FAAi-
0
Feedback 41" of July event 2013
This is our first year to get a baseline for waste & recycling rates. We will use this to inspire
future efforts to not only reduce trash and increase recycling but to avoid the materials all
together by incentivizing the behaviors that "leave no trace" = more durables/fewer single use
items. *** The partnership between Ashland Chamber, Conservation Commission &
Recology Ashland takes steps forward each year to reduce waste at events all year.
In 2013 the amount of trash generated-40 yds from parks + 5 yds city cans = 45 yd
Recycling collected-25 yds. Commingle recycle+ 5►full bags of plastic water bottles and
aluminum cans to SOU. Small amount of glass. 29 C.S. in Park& Plaza
PARADE Successes Fewer handouts & trash, We had enough volunteers for float and
collection station this year!! 18 on C.C. float & 11 at collection station in park until 5:30pm,
WoW's were heavily used & appreciated. New banners were GREAT on float! Tom's railing.
MORE T-SHIRTS for C.C. float next year.
OPPORTUNITIES for Next Year
• Chamber lead efforts to urge retailers more incentives for own container use & in 2014
disallow ALL"compostable" plastics from event. No place to compost, more expensive,
contaminates recycling efforts.
• Work with Starbucks&other downtown coffee peeps make an effort that day. Help collect
plastic,wash & recycle with SOU help. Maybe create special July 4t"cup OR year round
0. Get all coffee shops and vendors on board.
• Consider adding 5 —6 C.S. in Park matched with trash.
• In park, have M.R.'s roam through event with commingle carts collecting cardboard and
nickel deposits and paper throughout day.
• Reduce or eliminate candy wrappers.
• Continue to encourage or require parade entries to reduce or eliminate handouts. Consider
launching QR Code concept for 2014 for parade and booths to eliminate paper.
• Consider reducing number of traditional vehicles and replace with electric and other
alternatively fueled vehicles. Contact Lithia, Butler, Nissan, VW, Mitsibishi, BRAMMO. Let's
drive into the future while preserving a part of the past.
• Consider integrating MORE pre-parade encouragement about "striving toward a leave no
trace" event. For example : 4t" of July barbeque—Use durables instead of throw away
plates, cups, utensils. Lets' brainstorm list to work toward.
• Better use of bullhorns : messaging : what we are collecting rather than general concepts.
• Triangle park water & collection M.R.'s for next yr.
CITY OF
ASHLAND
Memo
DATE: August 26, 2013
TO: Solid Waste Working Group
FROM: Tom Beam, Conservation Commission rep to working group
RE: Conservation Commission Initial Recommendations
As part of my role to represent the views and desires of the Conservation Commission on the topic of
the draft solid waste franchise agreement and administrative policies, the following is an initial set of
recommendations the Commission would like the working group and ultimately the City Council to
consider as the development of a new franchise agreement with Recology Ashland Sanitary moves
forward towards a final, approved set of documents.
1. Include both short and long term goals and targets for both increased waste diversion and
decreased waste collection based on Ashland specific data that includes a review and revise
policy and process.
2. Include the recycle center as an allowable expense for an appropriate time period to allow broad
and comprehensive opportunity for public input and deliberation on the merits and feasibility of
the long term operation of the facility.
3. Incorporate the Purpose, Policy and Scope language from the current City of Beaverton Solid
Waste Management ordinance (attached) into the City of Ashland ordinance.
4. Include curbside post consumer services for both residential and commercial customer
classifications
5. Include fleet management best practices (% of alt fuel, track./reduce overall vehicle miles
travelled, max age of fleet, etc) to ensure efficient use of resources and to mitigate impacts on the
community relating to vehicle fleet operations.
The Commission would be very interested in continuing to be a resource to the working group and the
Council as the project moves forward and could assist in developing the targets and other details related
to the above recommendations as needed/desired by Council.
City of Ashland
ADMINISTRATION DEPT Tel:541-552-2046 .
20 East Main St Fax:541-488-5311 ,r
Ashland,Oregon 97520 TTY: 800-735-2900
www.ashland.orms
adam@ashland.onus
City of Beaverton Purpose, Policy and Scope
4.08.020 Purpose, Policy and Scope.
A. It is the policy of the City of Beaverton to reduce the amount of solid waste generated and
disposed per capita by undertaking aggressive waste prevention and recycling activities.
1. The City shall promote the development of environmentally sound and efficient practices
regarding the collection of solid waste, recyclable material, and compostable material.
2. In order to attain these goals and protect public health and the environment, the City shall
regulate collection of solid waste, recyclable material and yard debris within the city limits.
B. In carrying out this policy, the goals of this chapter are:
1. To promote sustainability throughout the collection system, by seeking to maximize efficiency,
equity and economic vitality, improve worker safety and reduce environmental and human health
impacts over the entire life cycle of materials.
2. To reduce the amount of solid waste generated, as measured on a per capita basis.
3. To achieve a 75 percent recovery rate from the solid waste stream by 2020 and 90 percent by
2050.
4. To ensure the safe and sanitary collection, transportation and recovery of solid waste,
recyclables, and compostable materials.
5. To provide Beaverton residents and businesses with the opportunity to recycle more materials
through convenient on-site, curbside and depot collection programs.
6. To establish and enforce collection standards for solid waste, recyclables and compostable
materials to ensure uniform, cost effective and high quality service delivery to all customers.
7. To establish rates that are fair to the public, the franchisee and the City, encourage waste
reduction, and promote safe, efficient collection.
8. To promote awareness of the waste reduction system in order to achieve the highest
participation possible throughout the community.
9. To achieve reductions in toxic waste and minimize its harmful impacts and to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions.
10. To reduce life cycle impacts by promoting product stewardship and producer responsibility.
[BC 4.08.020, added by Ordinance No. 4203, 5/6/02; amended by Ordinance No. 4613, 4/2/13]
City of Ashland
ADMINISTRATION DEPT Tel:541-552-2046 .
20 East Main St Fax:541-488-5311 ,r
Ashland,Oregon 97520 TTY: 800-735-2900
www.ashland.orms
adam@ashland.onus
CITY OF
-.r�►S H L A N D
Memo
DATE: August 19, 2013
TO: Ashland Conservation Commission
FROM: Maria Harris, Planning Manager
RE: Update on Unified Land Use Ordinance Project
SUMMARY
The Unified Land Use Ordinance (ULUO) project is approaching completion having gone through a
year of development and review at 15 Planning Commission meetings, five advisory commission
meetings, a focus group and an open house meeting. There are several proposed ordinance amendments
detailed below that may interest the Conservation Commission. The first draft of the ULUO, as well as
project handouts, the meeting schedule and meeting materials are available on the project web site
www.ashland.or.us/unifiedcode.
BACKGROUND
Proposed Ordinance Amendments
A matrix summarizing the proposed ordinance amendments is available on the project web site. Many of
the amendments fall in four categories—recommendations from the green code evaluation, from the
planning application process evaluation, from the 2006 Land Use Ordinance Review by Siegel Planning
Services and miscellaneous amendments that have come up in working through the project.
The green development evaluation found that the current land use ordinance addresses most aspects of
green development (for more information see April 23, 2013 and May 14, 2013 Planning Commission
packets on project web page). The evaluation compares the US Green Building Council's Leadership
Through Energy and Environmental Design Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND) rating system
with the City's current ordinance requirements. The LEED-ND framework is used as a tool for the
assessment of the current ordinance requirements because it comprehensively addresses green
development at the regional, city, site, infrastructure and building level.
After reviewing and discussing the evaluation, the Planning Commission is recommending the following
amendments to further address green development measures.
• Allow cottage housing in the single-family zones. Cottage housing is a type of development
consisting of a group of small homes clustered around a common area.
• Design and orient residential lots, buildings and roofs with the long sides facing south to allow the
use of passive and active solar strategies where the site and location permit.
Page 2 of 3
The ULUO includes a variety of other amendments that support green development. The following
amendments originate from the 2006 Land Use Ordinance Review, and the miscellaneous amendments
that came up in working through the project. Miscellaneous amendments include adding new language
to provide standard code sections (i.e. purpose, applicability), deleting language that is no longer
applicable, editing areas staff identified as routinely confusing or problematic, and correcting
inconsistencies in the code.
• Use the less discretionary Site Review process, rather than the Conditional Use Permit process, for
accessory residential units (ARU's).
• Revise the required distance between buildings in multi-family zones to provide more flexibility
for cottage housing and for consistency with single-family zones.
• Allow building height in the Commercial zones (C-I and C-1-D) to increase from 40 feet to 5 5 feet
when the building is more than 100 feet from a residential zone.
• Exempt the Commercial zone (C-1) from the solar setback requirements, except for buildings
abutting a residential zone.
• Allow reconstruction of nonconforming garages and sheds as a Ministerial over-the-counter
approval and building permit, rather than requiring a Conditional Use Permit, if the building's three-
dimensional shape, footprint and use do not change.
• Update design standards for manufactured homes on individual lots on home width, siding and
location on slopes to reflect statutory requirements, and to remove requirement to build separate
garage or shed for consistency with single-family home requirements. Also, update design standards
for manufactured homes in parks to make interior side and rear consistent with statutory
requirements and exterior setbacks consistent single-family subdivision requirements.
Project Description
The ULUO is the land use ordinance and related development standards combined into one document
with improved organization, wording, formatting and graphics. The 2006 Land Use Ordinance Review
by Siegel Planning Services recommends creating a ULUO, and the project was identified as an action
item to address the 2011-2012 Council Goal to respond to the recommendations of the 2006 Siegel
report.
The ULUO is organized and formatted so the document is easy to understand and navigate by the wide
variety of people that use the code (i.e. applicants, design professionals, neighbors, elected and
appointed officials, staff). The ULUO provides an approachable code framework by dividing the
document into six sections of related chapters. The six parts of the ULUO are: 1) Introduction and
General Regulations, 2) Zoning Regulations, 3) Special Districts and Overlay Zones, 4) Site
Development and Design Standards, 5) Application Review Procedures and Approval Criteria and 6)
Definitions (see ULUO Outline on project web site).
Tables are used throughout the document to consolidate information for convenient reference. For
example, the current code has 12 separate chapters covering each of the base zones. The permitted uses
and dimensional regulations (e.g. lot coverage, building height, required yard areas) are repeated in each
chapter. In contrast, the ULUO covers the same information in Part 2 Zoning Regulations, but
DEPT.OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Tel:541-488-5305
20 E.Main Street Fax:541-552-2050
Ashland,Oregon 97520 TTY: 800-735-2900 .
www.ashland.or.us ,'r
Page 3 of 3
consolidates the allowed uses and dimensional standards in tables. Users can quickly find information
such as the zones where offices are allowed, or the required front yard in residential zones.
The organization and format of the ULUO are based on the State's Model Development Code for Small
Cities, Third Edition, 2012. The Model Development Code is produced by the TGM program, and has
won state and national recognition for the format, graphically based standards and smart development
standards.
Public Outreach
The Planning Commission completed the review of the first draft of the ULUO, and the audits of the
planning application procedures and green development measures over the past year. Staff presented the
project to the Conservation, Historic, Housing and Tree Commissions, and several more updates are
scheduled for August and September.
A focus group meeting of design and development professionals was held on June 10, and an open
house was held on June 20. Both meetings covered the code organization, amendment highlights, and
the evaluations of the planning application procedures and green development measures. A total of three
hundred postcards announcing the meetings and the project web site were mailed to design and
development professionals, contractors, City advisory commissions, and past planning applicants. The
Open House was also announced in the hard copy and online version of the Ashland Daily Tidings.
In addition to advisory commission updates, upcoming outreach activities will include a focus group
meeting for landscape design professionals and Open City Hall topics. The landscape design
professionals are being targeted because there wasn't attendance from this group at the June meetings,
and there are some minor amendments proposed for the landscaping standards. Additionally, another
focus group meeting may be held for the larger design and development professionals group to review
any additional amendments that may arise during the adoption process. At the June focus group meeting,
the participants requested that any additional amendments be posted on the project web site. Open City
Hall is an on-line forum where participants can learn about the project and make comments.
Next Steps
The revised draft ULUO is scheduled for completion in September and the adoption process in October.
The Planning Commission will hold a final study session to review the adoption-ready draft before
proceeding with the adoption process. The finished draft will then be taken through the formal public
hearing process which involves a public hearing and recommendation by the Planning Commission, and
a public hearing and decision by the City Council.
ATTACHMENTS
N/A
DEPT.OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Tel:541-488-5305
20 E.Main Street Fax:541-552-2050
Ashland,Oregon 97520 TTY: 800-735-2900
www.ashland.or.us OVAL&I