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HomeMy WebLinkAbout3168 Amending the City of Ashland Zoning Map to add a Transit Triangle Overlay ORDINANCE NO. 3168 AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE CITY OF ASHLAND ZONING MAP TO ADD A TRANSIT TRIANGLE OVERLAY Annotated to show deletions and additions to the code sections being modified. Deletions are bold lined through and additions are in bold underline. WHEREAS, Statewide Planning Goal 10 requires cities to inventory and plan for buildable lands for residential use to provide for adequate numbers of needed housing units at price ranges and rent levels which are commensurate with the financial capabilities of Oregon households and allow for flexibility of housing location, type and density; and WHEREAS, the City Council identified the need to provide incentives to create affordable and workforce housing in the 2015-2017 Council Goals and Objectives; and WHEREAS, the Ashland Comprehensive Plan includes a goal to "Ensure a variety of dwelling types and provide housing opportunities for the total cross-section of Ashland's population, consistent with preserving the character and appearance of the city; and WHEREAS, the 2012 Ashland Housing Analysis identified a deficit in rental housing for extremely-low income (less than 30 percent of area median income) and low-income households (between 30 and 50 percent of area median income) and recommended more rental studio and one-bedroom units; and WHEREAS, the 2016 American Community Survey shows that 39.4 percent of Ashland households are single-person compared to 27.8 percent of Oregon households, and 44.8 percent of single-person households in Ashland are renter-occupied compared to 36 percent of single- person households in Oregon are renter-occupied; and WHEREAS, according to figures released in January 2018 by the Southern Oregon Multiple Listing Service, the median sales price for existing single-family residences in Ashland in 2017 was $421,500, which was a 7.5 percent gain over 2016. In contrast, the purchasing power of an Ashland household of four earning the median income in 2017 was $217,950. WHEREAS, Ashland households earning 120% of median income can afford $1,270 to $1,295 per month for housing costs. Workforce housing has come to be defined as housing targeted to households who may earn too much to qualify for affordable housing subsidies but not enough to afford a home or an apartment. The gap between earned income of people living and working in a community and the housing costs tends to be intensified in high-cost housing areas. As a result, affordable housing programs and providers generally consider workforce housing to be households earning 80 to 120 percent of area median income. Given these parameters, 46 percent of Ashland households can afford up to $875 a month for housing and an additional eight percent can afford up to $1,250 a month on housing (2015 American Community Survey, U.S. Census). WHEREAS, the rental housing market has experienced increased prices and shortages over the last several years. Residential rental unit vacancy rates remain at one to two percent for the region. A low vacancy rate for rental units is generally considered to be an indicator that there are little to no available units for rent. WHEREAS, the City of Ashland participated in the regional planning process that resulted in the adoption of the Greater Bear Creek Valley Regional Plan in 2012. Cities throughout the region identified reserve areas to accommodate housing for future population growth. The City of Ashland decided to accommodate housing for future population within the Ashland's current boundaries rather than identify future growth areas on the perimeter of the city. Also as a part of the regional planning process, the City of Ashland committed to provided 6.6 units per gross acre for new development. Changes to the zoning and land use ordinance that encourage development of residential units in the transit triangle can provide needed multi-family residential units to contribute toward meeting the regional density target. WHEREAS, the City Council determined it is necessary to amend the land use ordinance to encourage the development of multifamily rental units in the area adjacent to the bus route to respond to changes in the housing supply and to meet the target residential density in the Greater Bear Creek Valley Regional Plan. Housing availability, diversity of housing types and housing prices have been a concern in Ashland for some time. However, these concerns have been intensified in the last several years throughout the region, state and west coast. Housing prices including rents have continued to rise at a rapid rate. In addition, the supply of housing was impacted by less construction during the recession. The changes in housing'market and resulting impacts on housing supply necessitate a change in the zoning and land use ordinance to allow the diversification of the housing supply by providing an area to construct moderately priced multifamily rental housing.; and WHEREAS, Article 2. Section 1 of the Ashland City Charter provides: Powers of the City The City shall have all powers which the constitutions, statutes, and common law of the United States and of this State expressly or impliedly grant or allow municipalities, as fully as though this Charter specifically enumerated each of those powers, as well as all powers not inconsistent with the foregoing; and, in addition thereto, shall possess all powers hereinafter specifically granted. All the authority thereof shall have perpetual succession. WHEREAS, the above referenced grant of power has been interpreted as affording all legislative powers home rule constitutional provisions reserved to Oregon Cities. City of Beaverton v. International Ass'n of Firefighters, Local 1660, Beaverton Shop 20 Or. App. 293; 531 P 2d 730, 734 (1975); and WHEREAS, the City of Ashland Planning Commission considered amending the City of Ashland Zoning Map to add a Transit Triangle Overlay and recommended the amendment to the Ashland Municipal Code and Land Use Ordinances at a duly advertised public hearings on May 22, 2018, June 12, 2018 and July 24, 2018, following deliberations, recommended approval of the amendments; and WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Ashland conducted a duly advertised public hearing on the above-referenced amendments on September 18, 2018; and WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Ashland, following the close of the public hearing and record, deliberated and conducted first and second readings approving adoption of the Ordinance in accordance with Article 10 of the Ashland City Charter; and WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Ashland has determined that in order to protect and benefit the health, safety and welfare of existing and future residents of the City, it is necessary to amend the Ashland Municipal Code and Land Use Ordinance in manner proposed, that an adequate factual base exists for the amendments, the amendments are consistent with the comprehensive plan and that such amendments are fully supported by the record of this proceeding. THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY OF ASHLAND DO ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. The above recitations are true and correct and are incorporated herein by this reference. SECTION 2. The officially adopted City of Ashland Zoning Map, adopted and incorporated by Ashland Municipal Code Section 18.1.2.070, is hereby amended to add a Transit Triangle (TT) Overlay designation to approximately 170 acres of land within the City limits, said overlay amendment is reflected on the revised Zoning Map, attached hereto as Exhibit A, and made a part hereof by this reference. SECTION 3. Severability. The sections, subsections, paragraphs and clauses of this ordinance are severable. The invalidity of one section, subsection, paragraph, or clause shall not affect the validity of the remaining sections, subsections, paragraphs and clauses. SECTION 4. Codification. Provisions of this Ordinance shall be incorporated in the City Comprehensive Plan and the word "ordinance" may be changed to "code", "article", "section", or another word, and the sections of this Ordinance may be renumbered, or re-lettered, and amendments - including map amendments, combined, provided however that any Whereas clauses and boilerplate provisions and text descriptions of the map amendments (i.e. Section 2) need not be codified and the City Recorder is authorized to correct any cross-references and any typographical errors. The foregoing ordinance was first read by title only in accordance with Article X, Section 2(C) of the City Charter on the 201h day of November, 2018, and duly PASSED and ADOPTED this I8th day of December, 2018. r Melissa Huhtala, City Recorder SIGNED and APPROVED this day of Qttjj 2018. Stromberg, Mayor Reviewed as to form: David H. L"an, City Attorney i