July 18: Springfield Climate Friendly Areas
The City of Springfield, like other larger Oregon cities, has been working to develop solutions to comply with a mandate from the Department of Land Conservation and Development to designate “climate friendly areas” (CDAs) within the city. While Springfield and some other jurisdictions have challenged the requirements in court and are now awaiting a decision by the Oregon Supreme Court on whether or not to review the case, staff have continued efforts to devel0op strategies that comply. City staff provided a briefing to City Club on July 18, following presentations to the Springfield Planning Commission and City Council.
What became clear in the presentation is that while staff has identified ways in which the City could change its land use requirements to meet the DLCD standards, there is no assurance that the private sector will find the new requirements acceptable in terms of bringing construction to market. If this becomes the case, the new rules could actually impede future development rather than encourage it.
Boiled down to the essence, the new requirements direct the city to designate one of more CFAs, whose purpose is to foster denser development, expand mixed use development and create walkable communities that do not require cars. There would be two classes of CFAs. In the first class, minimum residential density would be 25 units per acre, and construction of buildings up to 85 feet in height (seven stories). In the second class, minimum residential density would 15 units per acre and maximum building height would be increase to 50 feet (four stories). To comply with the rules, the City must designate at least one first class CFA mad as many second class areas as desired. The net effect of designation these areas would need to be that 30 percent of the current residential housing demand measured by long term comprehensive plans could be met by construction within the CFAs. While doing this, the City must also avoid risks of displacing current residents who are low income. City staff reported that nearly one half of current Springfield residents are low income.
Springfield has been studying four potential CFAs: (Glenwood riverfront (with a subset for the current Glenwood Master Plan area), downtown, (which runs east as far as about 21st street). Mohawk, and the area near the Peace Health Hospital at Riverbend. Each of these areas, while potentially meeting the requirements, have substantial infrastructure needs which would have to be addressed before there is any possibility that the level of dense development contemplated could be built.
Recently doff presented four different scenarios to the Planning commission and Council that might be suitable: scenario A would make the Glenwood Master Plan area primary and all other areas secondary; scenario B would make the entire Glenwood riverfront area primary and all other areas secondary; scenario C would make the downtown area primary and designate no other areas; scenario D would designate the Glenwood riverfront area as primary and a part of the downtown area as secondary.
Staff work continues on developing more information to permit the Council to make a decision sometime next year. Thie next task for staff will be to identify strategies that might produce the desired level of housing and evaluate other tradeoffs that will necessarily follow.
To watch the entire presentation, click here: CFA Presentation