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Home My WebLink About2025-11-04 Council Mtg MIN ASHLAND CITY COUNCIL BUSINESS MEETING MINUTES Tuesday,November 4,2025 I. 5:00 PM Executive Session To review and evaluate the employment-related performance of the chief executive officer of any public body, a public officer,employee or staff member who does not request an open hearing pursuant to ORS 192.660 (2)(i). Mayor Graham and Councilors DuQuenne, Dahle, Kaplan, Hansen and Sherrell were present. City Attorney Johan Pietila,City Manager Sabrina Cotta, City Recorder Alissa Kolodzinski were present. From the media was Steve Michell of Ashland.news. 6:00 PM Business Meeting Council Present: Mayor Graham,Councilors Bloom, Dahle, DuQuenne, Hansen, Kaplan, and Sherrell. Council Absent: None Staff Present: Sabrina Cotta City Manager Johan Pietila City Attorney Alissa Kolodzinski City Recorder Brandon Goldman Community Development Director Aaron Anderson Senior Planner Rachel Dias Deputy Director of Parks & Recreation II. CALL TO ORDER Graham called the meeting to order at 6:02 p.m. a. Land Acknowledgement" Dahle read the land acknowledgement. III. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Kaplan led the pledge of allegiance. IV. ROLL CALL V. MAYOR'S CHAIR OF THE COUNCIL ANNOUNCEMENT Item C (Imperatrice property) was removed from the consent agenda to come back as an agenda item. VI. APPROVAL OF MINUTES a.Minutes of the October 20,2025 - Study Session Meeting b.Minutes of the October 21,2025 - Business Meeting c. Minutes of the October 7, 2025 - Business Meeting Hansen moved to approve the minutes of October 20,21,and October 7 as presented in the packet. Bloom seconded the motion. Roll Call Vote:Sherrell,Dahle,Bloom,DuQuenne,Kaplan,and Hansen-YES.Motion passed. Business Meeting November 4,2025 Page 1 of 6 VII. CONSENT AGENDA a. Resolution 2025-28 Establishing Ownership of the Hargadine Cemetery b. Resolution 2025-29: Approving an Additional Seasonal Event Day on December 6th, 2025, per Ashland Municipal Code 13.03.030 c. Request to Begin Surplus Property Process - Imperatrice Property (removed from agenda) d. Resolution 2025-27 Authorizing Parks and Recreation Department Grant Application. Item d was pulled to be discussed under Unfinished Business. Bloom moved to approve the remaining items on the consent agenda (items a and b).Dahle seconded the motion. Roll Call Vote:Dahle,Bloom,DuQuenne,Kaplan,Sherrell and Hansen-YES.Motion passed. Vill. SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS IX. PUBLIC FORUM - Several community members spoke about topics including the importance of inclusion for those experiencing homelessness,the increasing food insecurity in light of recent EBT and WIC cuts affecting vulnerable populations, and a petition effort to add a May ballot measure. There was also a request for the December retreat to focus on addressing overspending. X. PUBLIC HEARING a. Public Hearing and First Reading of Ordinance 3272: An ordinance annexing property and withdrawing an annexed area from Jackson County Fire District no. 5, and also repealing ordinances 3215 and 3194 which were the previous annexation approvals in Casita 1 and Casita 2." (1511 Highway 99 - Planning Action #PA-T3-2024-00011) Graham opened the public hearing. Graham explained the procedure for this Type III planning action and hearing. Kaplan reported having had ex parte communication from Marty Eldridge by e-mail. Kaplan spoke that he declined to meet and instead referred Eldridge to Staff and clarified this contact would not influence his decision. Goldman presented the application for annexation,zone change, and site design review for 10 apartment buildings containing 210 one-bedroom units with 24 affordable units restricted to 80% area median income (see attached). Previous applications for this site had been remanded by the Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA) primarily over parking exceptions, street improvements, and affordable housing unit size standards.The Planning Commission had recommended approval with conditions, finding the proposal met all applicable criteria including the affordable housing requirements, transportation impact requirements, and infrastructure needs. Business Meeting November 4,2025 Page 2 of 6 Anderson showed slides depicting the project location, site plan, and building designs. He noted that each building would have affordable units distributed throughout the project, and that the only exception requested was to the phasing requirements for affordable housing. Bob Kendrick of Kendrick Enterprise LLC, representing the applicant, explained that the Grand Terrace project would provide needed housing while including sustainable features such as EV car sharing, reduced parking demand,and pedestrian amenities. He noted that the project meets all city ordinances and would include transit improvements. Kelly Sando,the traffic engineer, explained via Zoom that the traffic impact analysis demonstrated the project met Oregon Administrative Rules for annexation applications and that ODOT had concurred with their findings. Eight members of the public testified during the public hearing: • Mary Dorsch expressed concerns about traffic impacts to Ashland Mine Road, noting that the road is already congested and is a bottleneck for evacuation during fire emergencies. • Sean Van Osdal, stated that all 140 households in his neighborhood opposed the project due to concerns about quality of life and emergency evacuation with only one exit available. • Morgan Strickland and Marty Eldridge, requested that the city require the developer to create an alternate emergency escape route from Wildcat Lane over the railroad tracks to the new development. • Brent Thompson argued that the project represented bad planning and cited concerns about traffic congestion, inadequate pedestrian access, and lack of park facilities close by. • Richard Vilas asked the council to address infrastructure concerns first, particularly widening the bridge at North Valley View to improve evacuation routes. • Echo Fields spoke in support of the project, noting it complies with the city's housing production strategy and meets relevant planning codes. • Diane Paulson opposed the development due to traffic concerns, questioning the traffic study and expressing doubt that residents would use alternative transportation. • Andy Khan supported the project but supported the request for an emergency exit through the corner of the property. In response to questions about a potential emergency exit,Goldman explained that the project did not include such a connection as submitted, but the Council could ask the applicant to provide an acknowledgment that no development would occur in an area that might accommodate a future connection, should a railroad crossing ever be approved. Kendrick stated in rebuttal that he was willing to help address evacuation concerns but noted that making a railroad crossing a condition of approval would make the project infeasible due to the lengthy timeline for railroad approvals. During deliberation,councilors acknowledged concerns about evacuation and traffic but emphasized the critical need for housing in Ashland. Councilors noted that the city's responsibility was to ensure Business Meeting November 4,2025 Page 3 of 6 housing availability while also working on safety improvements and that the upcoming Transportation System Plan would provide opportunities to address evacuation issues. Graham closed the public hearing. Dahle moved to approve Ordinance number 3272,an ordinance annexing property and withdrawing an annexed area from Jackson County Fire District No.5 and directing staff to present findings approving planning action#PA-T3-2024-00011,reflecting the approval of the exception to the standard for affordable housing phasing at AMC 18.5.8.050.g.4 and return for a second reading on December 2,2025.Bloom seconded the motion. Roll Call Vote:Dahle,Bloom,DuQuenne,Kaplan,Sherrell and Hansen-YES.Motion passed. b. First Reading of Ordinance 3255: An Ordinance Relating to Liquor License Review, Repealing and Replacing AMC Chapter 6.32. Postponed to next meeting due to lack of time. Recess taken for 10 minutes. c. ORDINANCES,RESOLUTIONS AND CONTRACTS a. Second Reading and Adoption of Findings for a Legislative Amendment to the Southern Oregon University Facilities Masterplan and Implementing Ordinances #3267, #3268, and#3269 (#PA-L-2025-00016) Councilor Hansen recused himself from the conversation and vote due to a conflict of interest as a solar contractor. Goldman explained that this was the second reading of ordinances related to Southern Oregon University's 2025 Facilities Master Plan.The council had approved the first reading on October 7,2025, with several amendments that were now incorporated into the final documents. Goldman read the amended sections aloud,which included modifications to sections regarding applicability, permitted uses,and conditional uses. Bloom moved to approve second reading and adoption of the following ordinances as amended at first reading on July 15 and October 7,2025:Ordinance number 3267,an ordinance amending the city of Ashland comprehensive plan to adopt and incorporate the Southern Oregon University 2025 facilities announcement plan amendment as supporting document plan;Ordinance number 3268, an ordinance amending AMC 15.04.210-216,AMC 18.3.6,AMC 18.4.7,AMC 18.5.2.020,AMC 18.5.2.030, and AMC 18.5.7.020 to be consistent with the Southern Oregon University 2025 facilities master amendment;and Ordinance number 3269,an ordinance amending the adopted zoning and comprehensive plan maps to be consistent with Southern Oregon University 2025 Facilities Master Plan Amendment.Sherrell seconded the motion. Roll Call Vote:Dahle,Bloom,DuQuenne,Kaplan,and Sherrell-YES.Hansen-abstain.Motion passed. Business Meeting November 4,2025 Page 4 of 6 Bloom moved to approve and adopt the findings of fact and conclusions of law for planning action PA-L-2025-00016 as amended to reflect the council's October 7,2025,action and serve as the record in support of adoption of ordinances 3267,3268,and 3269.DuQuenne seconded the motion. Roll Call Vote:Dahle,Bloom,DuQuenne,Kaplan,and Sherrell-YES.Hansen-abstain.Motion passed. d. UNFINISHED BUSINESS From consent agenda d. Resolution 2025-27 Authorizing Parks and Recreation Department Grant Application Dials explained that the Parks department was seeking to apply for an Oregon Parks and Recreation Department Land and Water Conservation Fund grant for Phase 2 of East Main Park. She noted it would be a 50/50 matching grant,with the city's portion potentially coming from unencumbered Food and Beverage Tax funds and System Development Charges (SDC) money. If awarded,the city would receive notice next year with work beginning in early 2027. Councilors discussed ramifications of pursuing a grant requiring matching funds. It was noted that Parks receives approximately $885,000 annually from Food and Beverage Tax revenues. Dials confirmed that about$150,000 in SDC funds might be available for the project. It was noted that this was an opportunity to complete the park in an underserved area with the potential to find community partners to help fund it. Hansen moved to approve Resolution number 2025-27 to apply for a Land and Water Conservation Fund grant for East Main Community Park Phase 2.Dahle seconded the motion. Roll Call Vote:Bloom,Dahle,Kaplan,Hansen,and Sherrell-YES. DuQuenne- NO.Motion passed e. NEW BUSINESS f. CITY MANAGER REPORT- Cotta reported that: • Code enforcement had worked with Bi-Mart and Shop & Kart to enforce cleanup in their back areas with significant progress • Eight low-income housing units were approved as part of a 16-unit development at 300 Clay Street • Ashland Fiber Network signed a new bandwidth contract saving $41,000 while increasing bandwidth by 33% • The Centennial Ice Rink was scheduled to open on November 21st,weather permitting • Culvert work around Ashland Creek related to the water treatment plant was nearly complete Cotta noted that upcoming agenda items would include a first quarter financial update, discussion of the Avista franchise agreement, health insurance review, collective bargaining agreements,the liquor Business Meeting November 4,2025 Page 5 of 6 license ordinance, and a proposal from OHRA (Opportunities for Housing, Resources, and Assistance) for winter sheltering. g. OTHER BUSINESS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS/REPORTS FROM COUNCIL LIAISONS h. ADJOURNMENT Bloom moved to adjourn.Seconded by DuQuenne All Ayes. Motion passed. The meeting was adjourned at 8:46 p.m. A� �' � A Lkk ��/&� City Recorder Alissa Kolodzinski Mayor fonya Graham Business Meeting November 4,2025 Page 6 of 6 �CITY�IOF City Council Meeting Ordinance 3272 November • Grand Terrace Annexation This is the first time this application has come before Council November 4, 2025. AN ORDINANCE ANNEXING PROPERTY AND WITHDRAWING AN ANNEXED AREA FROM JACKSON COUNTY FIRE DISTRICT NO. 5. AND ALSO REPEALING ORDINANCES 3215 AND 3194 WHICH WERE THE PREVIOUS ANNEXATION APPROVALS IN CASITA 1 AND CASITA 2. F > Brandon Goldman DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR Aaron Anderson SENIOR PLANNER Ta��i COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT e&.e& Grand Terrace 9-lot (210 dwelling unit) outline Plan & Final plan approval for a Performance Standards Option (PSO) subdivision, and; Site Design Review approval for the ten apartment buildings and related site improvements Annexation/Zone Change for 8.5-acres property, with adjacent ODOT right-of-way (ROW) and railroad property. Background A substantially similar application was approved in 2020 and subsequently appealed to LUBA where it was reversed. The City Council then amended our annexation regulations to allow for variances and exceptions. In December 2022, a second application was approved this time including outline plan and Site Design Review. This was also appealed to LUBA where they remanded on two issues. At the remand hearing the application was withdrawn. Grand Terrace Planning Commission Approval Hearing May 13, 2025 O Findings adopted July 22, 2025 Grand Terrace — Planning Commission Property lies entirely within the Urban Growth Boundary and contiguous with city limits Proposed R-2 zoning and multi-family use are consistent with the Comprehensive Plan designation. Public facilities, including transportation, deemed adequate by Public Works and ODOT Minimum residential Density required is met Staff recommends Council approve Ordinance 3272 annexing the property, with the conditions of approval included in the Planning Commission Findings. 1 1 1 Wet 9 Villa;_' C - i \¢F d Ashland 1 - ' t � Lill —I ` �F. %'-0 Dunn Butte t " 11 Panther r t � o /-' , R� r 0 , n r �` � �` � r •',� C �—� ,1 •1. �� , �j i t , �/ � � � i ..- /� � �!y ��I 4, �LL `, ` / �� C G,\`Y � � C � C ry . i � >1• o ,�: i E „ �, a •� w r �.. ,r�'. �� ' '.v�„ �. 'mot,. h' +h R rnscorrro< T � cxerrDn.<¢tr MD. usuwr PARC$I•A / \ OJt 1tlI3•QfITl1 �� \ a10'OISwnY rtl0 `� \ TAXWr IOW �\ \IOUOF tiN[ PARS I \\\ \ O.R 2013-035734 �. s.oss.ors([asrwe) 'b \ o � -M tPd1YNM• - S01/II(A�r PMPYFR nMI1MLSl CY:bCII rnaa_anam___ P tJx I2814 IN t rRACr A, six Y\1 � late ulce y S, 2on[J SIN Ills/ f \a*YYYt a.1r.aCs /1 - 5�.p� xm+ra ' �. ttalaamro iz b Icas mINR>OMJomw ?# Pti s J�Qy� =-IJ16.1I'(IJ16 a9J �� 1V�f�tftam[ 'Y.^t J�1 INq.)d du (SLI+11f[ 1 �AroAorNn[� n+� 0 arr�widrr ® Lasrfc an.l9aA.p an ours a,wweac � / cm crls eadcw. ,ed;wr er rd. .v+ws[cnav cr n<xrH nn 1 \ wn..av<Ao prr wr �\ Ex WA*Cr.11a l"10.110 CEHIEAIK(+NfAi[D) Grand Terrace — By the numbers 19.46 - acres 8.53 private land, 4.33 R/R, 6.60 ODOT ROW 9 - lots, 1 - open space, 10 - Buildings 21 - units per building 210 - one-bedroom units 25% of base density as affordable housing. 24 - units at 80% Area Median Income Aw Yf 4+ At- J 1iA « � �� _ - 1r 'w- �`` ; fir, ^� `'-'��/�5� ; '� ,P �• • i._ wm m : r 4 tV{{{�'IiU1BCt� �1' `rilitL7 I —r-r— ,n �• /�////////, ��, .� �, 1 1!ii 7ff7l1 �i• �i RON r1 it 7f7 '.• it r♦ ♦i:`J� / ' V i ii��lf.�ii)i i^ii'�i!i'i�ii•i IIH A lil0r Ma ♦r• r�!•e;ilrii!v•vmrq. I owr•eiii•rr•r•a �� • �• � t ••�•3rL�.ice i •■�• a• L\� � �! ( • c♦� _.,. .. �m all OFF �� '�� I■ �i I�iI �iI�IIIII�I� ��•I_��_ i_�� 'li ��ELMEMN i►MHOMEME � �� u I 9 — � o — DI 1 D L a a m ! n I 3111111111 m o 7 z j , 4 m ] < I y O I D pO iw T s t s I i , n , III fill 3 ERRACE t GRAND TERRACE jj�jj'j'1jjjj' LA.P=TNT BLDG.YI MockridgeEngineeringARTMENTIDGMockdtlgeEngineering MYY Do.AYa�tl OR 1�:�..� PoBm 1]9S i1arM.OR 915IT + 1 i� ,nvv N.ANWon \\c 7ii V08a 1%S MrM.OR 91Ni S t TY Ld JE1E.3�.1100{1 {Tti L01]F1E-V.1rylY{1 ♦! f PMrw:611+1D3.]1EE: ENTRY THRESHOLD PLAN Dena rer:. >an oEna Ana ceae oea ocn �• i LU c TTT �.: 60 _ g .1 e — FL PROPOSED MAIN FLOOR PLAN Affordable Housing - Phasing Exception to phasing standard 4. A development schedule shall be provided that demonstrates that the affordable housing units per subsection 18.5.8.050.G shall be developed, and made available for occupancy, as follows • a. That 50 percent of the affordable units shall have been issued building permits prior to issuance of a certificate of occupancy for the last of the first 50 percent of the market rate units. • b. Prior to issuance of a building permit for the final ten percent of the market rate units, the final 50 percent of the affordable units shall have been issued certificates of occupancy. [Units Total 186 Mark ettoAffordable Bldg TOTAL AFFORD TOTAL Construction %Afford %All Total No MARKET UNITS ALL Total Units Completed Units UNITS IN BLDG IN BLDG Completion Completed U/Total complete 1 19 2 21 2 8% 10% 21 2 19 2 21 4 17% 20% 42 3 18 3 21 7 29% 30% 63 4 18 3 21 10 42% 40% 84 5 19 2 21 12 50% 50% 105 6 19 2 21 14 58% 60% 126 7 19 2 21 16 67% 70% 147 8 18 3 21 19 79% 80% 168 9 18 3 21 22 92% 90% 189 10 19 2 21 24 100% 100% 210 186 24 210 24 210 Staff Recommendation Staff recommend that the City Council approve the Annexation and Ordinance, and to direct staff to return with findings approving the application including the exception to the phasing requirements for affordable housing. Potential Motion I move to approve Ordinance no. 3272 an ordinance annexing property and withdrawing an annexed area from Jackson County Fire District no. 5 and repealing ordinances no. 3215 and no. 3194 which were the previous annexation approvals in Casita 1 and Casita 2. And to also direct staff to prepare findings approving planning action #PA-T3-2024-00011 reflecting the approval of the exception to the standard for affordable housing phasing at AMC 18.5.8.050.G4 and return for second reading on December 2, 2025. f ITY OF ��H L A N 0- 1. _j s,. Questions?