HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-04-09 - Planning Commission MinutesI. CALL TO ORDER
Community Development Department
Planning Division Building Safety Division Environmental Health Division
117 NW Lafayette Avenue Bend Oregon 97701-1925
(541)388-6575 FAX(541)385-1764
http://www.co.deschutes.or.us/cdd/
MINUTES
DESCHUTES COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION
DESCHUTES SERVICES CENTER
1300 NW WALL STREET, BEND, OREGON, 97701
APRIL 9, 2015 — 5:30 P.M.
Meeting was called to order at 5:30 p.m. by Chair Hugh Palcic. Members present were
Vice Chair Ed Criss, Steve Swisher, James Powell, Susan Tunno and Chris Brown.
Absent: Todd Turner. Staff present were Nick Lelack, CDD Director; Peter Gutowsky,
Principal Planner; Peter Russell, Senior Transportation Planner; and Sher Buckner,
Administrative Secretary.
II. PUBLIC COMMENTS
None.
III. PUBLIC HEARING: Planning Division Work Plan for Fiscal Year 2015-16 - Nick
Lelack, Director, Peter Gutowsky, Planning Manager
Peter Gutowsky gave a PowerPoint presentation summarizing the work plan process.
Commissioner Brown asked for clarification on a request to initiate a Deschutes Junction
master plan. Tony Aceti has applied (separately) to redesignate/rezone his property to a
rural industrial zone, so we are already committed to doing a significant part of that work.
Nick said that the application is for exclusive farm use (not Tony Aceti's), and we do need
to know the final zoning for Tony's property before initiating a master plan.
Commissioner Powell asked if we have any information from ODOT about completing that
interchange. Peter Russell said that ODOT is currently working on a plan for short-term
improvements on 97, but not a frontage road. Right now that process is on hold while
other intermediate processes occur. Traffic has always been the major issue for Tony
Aceti's goals in the past, but things look better this time. Commissioner Powell and Peter
Russell discussed Tony Aceti's access to his property under the overpass.
Public Testimony
Kenna Snead requested that the County review the Tumalo Community Plan as is
required every five years. She also requested that the County look at the scenic bike path
which has been implemented to go through Tumalo. There is a crosswalk, but the
signage is not leading the cyclists through the crosswalk. There are 2-300 bicyclists
coming through Tumalo in the summer, and we need proper signage where they try and
cross four lanes of traffic.
Nunzie Gould testified that she thought it was a good thing we are adding staff, since
current staff is overloaded including Code Enforcement. There seems to be quite a range
as to how much time is needed for work plan items. Some time needs to be given as to
how to rank the projects and allocate staff realistically. We need to think about
connectivity between Highway 97 and Highway 20. It is not easy to get to Highway 20.
The off -ramp at Deschutes Junction takes you to Tumalo. The transportation and zoning
systems need to be integrated and projects ranked with an understanding as to their
complexity. The Redmond large -lot industrial concepts have been around for awhile, and
there are other references to them in the work plan. Housing needs to be considered so
people are not near a huge industrial center. Transportation planning also needs to be
done to get people to and from work. If there is rezoning at Deschutes Junction for
industry, we need to think about housing and a bus system.
She is glad to see sage -grouse and Oregon spotted frog listed among the projects, but we
need to work on maps for winter deer and elk range. We are urbanizing into areas where
we have wildlife and need to update our inventories from 1984 and 1992. We are a young
community with substantial growth and need to do a better holistic job of incorporating
things so we are not playing catch-up. Regarding agricultural lands, she feels that when
you create these new programs, you need to review all of your lands. Taking "one off'
approaches is not a good way to go. Also, when we go about creating examples of goal
exceptions within our community, it is another piecemeal approach. In the case of South
County, facilitating a sewage treatment plant, to allow areas outside the city limits to tie in,
is an end -run around urban growth boundary development. La Pine's boundaries are
new, and the water table issue has been there for a long time.
Nunzie also said we are trying to remove horses from Tumalo in the work plan. There is
substantial residential land between the commercial area and the river that would not be
included in this plan. Tumalo has been a horse mecca and we should not be trying to limit
that. If it is to protect nearby groundwater, there are horses stabled near the river in other
areas, as an example. The County should take a good look at what is actually achievable
in the work plan.
Peter Gutowsky said staff recommends continuing the hearing until April 23 so the public
has more time to participate. Commissioner Criss asked if we are considering five new
positions across CDD, and Nick said yes, across all of the departments. Commissioner
Criss asked how that affects the work plan. Nick said we had a long-range planner in the
budget, but with the sustained and extraordinary needs in current planning, and the fact
that we are under State -mandated timelines, that position was moved to current planning.
We may need to consider adding staff in the next year. We are a fee -supported
department, and many of the items in the work plan such as those with the City of Bend
and the City of Redmond are processes that we cannot turn a blind eye toward, along with
items such as sage -grouse and Oregon spotted frog. We do not want to overstaff after
what we went through with layoffs, so we are being conservative with the budget.
Nick said we are undertaking a natural hazards policy, which is a high priority with the
Board. Peter Gutowsky said we did try and put a metric to the timeframe for these
projects as indicated in the matrix. We try and give the information in the most accessible
way possible. Commissioner Brown asked what it would take if we wanted to do
everything in the work plan. Nick said if we undertook every project on the list, some of
which would continue for more than a year, we could address the Haner Park setback for
example. To do something like the Tumalo Community Plan, something else may have to
come off the list. To take any project off is difficult, and some of the projects are the result
of citizen input such as the Goal 11 project. Another one is initiating a text amendment
prohibiting the issuance of land use and building permits if a property has a pending code
violation or is in violation with conditions of approval from a prior land use decision. The
Board wants to be proactive in regulating medical marijuana, as well. We need to keep
projects such as those Nunzie suggested in the matrix. Peter Gutowsky added that review
of Goal 5 policies is in the Comprehensive Plan, but we should not do this or tackle a
wildlife inventory until the Bend Urban Growth Boundary is completed, and possibly the
Urban Reserve, too.
Motion: Commissioner Swisher motioned to continue the hearing until April 23.
Seconded by Commissioner Brown. Motion passed.
Commissioner Criss had to leave the meeting (6:30 p.m.)
IV. WORK SESSION: Review of County Polices & Regulations Pertaining to Fires and
Floods — Peter Russell, Senior Transportation Planner
Peter Russell summarized the work with the University of Oregon on floods and fires, and
with Will Groves of our staff. They will also be back on April 23 along with our County
Forester.
Maureen Jackson and Brett Satterfield of the University of Oregon presented slides and
discussed their work on the project, along with comments by Michael Howard and Bob Parker.
V. OTHER ITEMS / COMMISSION AND STAFF COMMENTS
Nick said that tomorrow we will initiate recruitment for the two new Planning
Commissioners and run it through May 8, with appointments in early June.
Regarding the work plan, we really are trying to maximize our staff. We are working on an
ordinance to make sure that regulations on medical marijuana and recreational marijuana
are not tied together. The Board approved John Shepherd's private park application,
which may or may not be appealed to LUBA.
Chair Palcic said we are looking for someone to sit in on the interviews for the two new
Planning Commissioners, and please let him know of any interest. Commissioner Swisher
offered to help with the interviews.
Peter Gutowsky discussed the draft Coordinated Population Forecast. Commissioner
Brown and Peter Russell discussed the Transportation System Plan.
VI. ADJOURN
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned.
Respe fully submitted,
Sher Buckner
Administrative Secretary
The video record of this meeting can be located at: http://www.deschutes.org/cd/page/cdd-meeting-videos
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