From laura.buhl at state.or.us Fri Mar 27 19:08:54 2015 From: laura.buhl at state.or.us (Buhl, Laura) Date: Sat, 28 Mar 2015 02:08:54 +0000 Subject: [LandUse-News] Land Use News for March 27, 2015 Message-ID: Welcome to this week's roundup of the Land Use News The Land Use News is an electronic news clipping service provided by the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD). Land Use News emphasizes local reporting and commentary on land use in Oregon and other states. The links to copyrighted news stories in Land Use News are not archived by DLCD, and the archiving policies of these sources vary. The stories, if available, reside on the site of the original news source. Please direct requests for archived stories, or permission to reprint them, to the original news source. Past Land Use News weekly e-mails may be found here: http://listsmart.osl.state.or.us/pipermail/landuse-news Anyone may subscribe, unsubscribe, or change their subscription to the free service by visiting this site: http://listsmart.osl.state.or.us/mailman/listinfo/landuse-news. ________________________________ As parking needs fall, City Hall weighs reduced requirements Capital New York But even as views on parking have changed dramatically, zoning mandates have remained steady in much of New York. The city still requires most outer borough and upper-Manhattan builders to provide approximately one off-street parking space for every two units of housing. Some planners say it is high time these dusty, worn-out regulations are replaced. Congestion charge has led to dramatic fall in accidents in London - Research shows 40 per cent drop in traffic accidents since 2003 Guardian (London) Hated by some, loved by others, the London congestion charge has been a divisive issue ever since it was introduced in 2003. Now a new study suggests that it has had one impact that will be welcomed by all: a dramatic decline in accidents. For Enterprising Few, a Humble Patch of Newark to Build a Dream On New York Times Those lucky enough to get a plot must close on it within three months, build a home within 18 and then spend five years living there, all under the watchful eye of City Hall. They will not be obliged to pay property taxes during that span, and some financial assistance is available, but if they fail to follow through, they will be fined and could face repossession. Cole: LA Mayor's "I-Team" Seeks to Minimize Displacement During Urban Revitalization The Planning Report In this TPR interview, Cole outlines the goal for the new "i-team": coordinating LA's various urban revitalization programs to ensure the benefits minimize displacement and maximize benefits for existing residents. Auto Correction: L.A. rethinks its car culture California Sunday Magazine No one is more pleased than Aaron Paley to see Los Angeles morphing from a sprawling, car-dependent metropolis into a series of interconnected neighborhoods served by transit. In 2010, Paley introduced CicLAvia to his hometown. Modeled on Bogot?'s street festival Ciclov?a, the event drew an estimated 100,000 residents on foot, bike, scooter, Rollerblades, and skateboard to a seven-and-a-half-mile stretch of car-free road between Boyle Heights and East Hollywood. Parents Seeking Urban Lifestyles for Kids ABC A small but growing number of parents are bucking a trend when it comes to raising their kids: Rather than move to suburbs as their parents once did, many are opting to stay in or near downtown. . . Along the way, they're pushing cities to be more welcoming to families. Parents in cities across the country, including Seattle, Minneapolis and Denver, are banding together to advocate for new downtown schools, more playgrounds and more affordable family-friendly housing. New wave of development poised to roll across Denver's suburban fringe Denver Post "We've been in a major slowdown for the last five years, so it looks pretty good right now," said Brad Calvert, Metro Vision manager for the Denver Regional Council of Governments. "There's tons of pent-up demand." . . . Millennials, however, won't be satisfied with the suburbs of their grandparents' era, warns Chris Leinberger, a land-use strategist. They want a walkable and amenity-rich area with a more urban-style feel and alternative transportation options. How Much Sprawl Costs America Citylab Sprawl costs America over $1 trillion a year, according to a new report by LSE Cities and the Victoria Transport Policy Institute, because it can increase per capita land consumption up to 80 percent and car use by up to 60 percent. Together these outcomes create social costs that amount to $626 billion a year for people living in sprawling areas and $400 billion for those outside of them, the report estimates. Planning Debuts Awesome Map of Every Project Proposed in SF Curbed San Francisco The San Francisco-based startup Buildingeye just went live with the initial version of a map that shows all the projects in the Planning approval process going back to 2009. Projects appear as clickable pins-green is for completed Planning applications, and blue is for projects still under review-and they can be manipulated as easily as Google markers or taco results on Yelp. Palo Alto's website, which was actually the second American Buildingeye site to go live, launched in November. (The first was Corvallis, Oregon, in October.) San Francisco is third, and the fourth will be Alameda. Don't starve the census: New York Times opinion Portland Oregonian Some Republicans in Congress are calling for cuts to the Census Bureau's budget that would impair the agency's already strained ability to gather basic data. Don't forget land use in drought debate Sacramento Bee Land use is the context from which all our other decisions about resources follow. How much land we devote to urban and suburban uses and how ... Hot Topic: Oil and Coal Project Proposals City of Vancouver, Washington Two currently proposed projects involving increased railway transportation of fossil fuels through Vancouver have attracted broad interest within the community: *the Tesoro Savage oil transport project at the Port of Vancouver; and *the Millennium Coal Terminal proposal in Longview. How will the Cowlitz casino affect Oregon's economy? Oregon Public Broadcasting The Cowlitz tribe in Washington has won a 10 year legal battle to secure reservation land near La Center. They plan to build a 134,000 square foot casino on the land that will house lodging, shopping and dining. Washington lawmakers float new I-5 bridge idea Oregon Public Broadcasting Washington lawmakers are discussing a new Interstate 5 bridge plan that would connect Vancouver, Washington, and Portland. The plan would keep the existing I-5 bridge in place, but add a parallel fly-over bridge for through traffic. Michael Graves, who died Thursday, said Portland should 'take care' of his creation Portland Oregonian Michael Graves, the outspoken architect who designed the city of Portland's polarizing postmodern administrative offices, died Thursday. He was 80. Graves visited Portland last year to defend his work on The Portland Building, in line for a substantial renovation to fix water-infiltration damage after just three decades in use. Metro ponders new regional funding for transportation Portland Tribune We're just aware that transportation is very important to the region and ... The Oregon Department of Transportation says declining pavement and ... Oregon senate passes bill allowing bicycles, motorcycles to run red lights Portland Oregonian The bill would allow bikers to proceed at a red light if the signal "fails" to turn green after a "one full cycle." Under the proposal, the discretion to go is in the hands of the motorcyclist or bicyclist . . . "Our preferred best solution is for lights to get fixed," said Rob Sadowsky, the BTA's executive director. Oregon Humanities video tackles loss of black culture in Portland Oregon Public Broadcasting Avel Gordly, a former Oregon lawmaker and self-described warrior of light, and others discuss the loss of Portlands black communities in Future:Portland, a short video presented by the Oregon Humanities. Oregon house passes tech tax breaks, but scales back Comcast's savings Portland Oregonian The Oregon House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly Friday to approve big tax exemptions for Google Fiber and data centers in the state, but it cut in half the size of proposed tax breaks for Comcast and other telecom companies. Three finalists vie for Willamette Falls Riverwalk design Portland Oregonian Three design teams selected from 14 proposals are in the running to design a new walkway along the northernmost edge of the country's second-largest waterfall, by volume. Labor leader recuses himself from state decision on Jordan Cove LNG project after ethics complaint Portland Oregonian A trade union representative who serves on Oregon's Energy Facility Siting Council will recuse himself from any decision involving the Jordan Cove Energy Project after repeatedly acting as a mouthpiece for the controversial project, state officials said Thursday. New oil transport rules could mean jobs for Springfield Eugene Register-Guard With crude oil moving across American railways at record rates, and several major derailments drawing heightened attention to rail car safety, Oregons congressional delegation is pushing the federal government to speed up its efforts to write new standards for designing rail tank cars. Is rooftop solar under threat in Oregon? Oregon Business Journal A recent Washington Post article highlights a move by utilities to persuade state regulators to levy fees that could upend the economics of rooftop solar. Oregon isn't in the fight yet, but there are hints in recent testimony by Jim Piro, president of Portland General Electric Co., that it is coming. Low snowpack could lead to more fires in Oregon, Washington Oregon Public Broadcasting Low snowpack this winter could lead to an earlier, and more extreme fire season in the Northwest. Farmers wary of warm winter OregonBusiness Last month was 5.5 degrees warmer than an average Oregon February, triggering concerns about potential damage if plants bud early and then freeze. Warm ocean temperatures could mean trouble for marine life Oregon Public Broadcasting It's a double-whammy kind of year for the Pacific. An unusually warm winter in Alaska failed to chill ocean waters. Then this winters El Nino is keeping tropical ocean temperatures high. Combine these and scientists are recording ocean temperatures up to 7 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than average off the coasts of Oregon and Washington. Gov. Kate Brown to declare drought emergency in Lake, Malheur counties Portland Oregonian Perilously low snowpack levels in two southeastern Oregon counties have Gov. Kate Brown ready to declare a dought-related emergency. The state's Drought Council has decided conditions are so dry in Lake and Malheur counties, a crisis is underway. After receiving pleas from both counties to recognize a drought, the council has sent recommendations to the governor to make it official. Federal sage grouse protections too weak, scientists say Portland Oregonian Federal and state wildlife officials in Oregon and 10 other western states where greater sage grouse live have been scrambling to put protections in ... Juniper: It's Not Just For Gin Anymore Oregon Public Broadcasting (Think Out Loud) Twisted old Juniper trees can make for a pretty photograph, but they don't have a lot of commercial uses. And that can be a problem because there are a lot of juniper trees in Eastern Oregon, taking up space and water, and changing the habitat for species like the sage-grouse. We talk to Dylan Kruse, coordinator of the Western Juniper Alliance, and Gerard LaBrecque, who mills juniper at Joseph's Juniper Inc. about how several bills before the Oregon Legislature would affect the juniper market. Oregon a leader in removing invasive juniper to save sage-grouse KLCC Oregon is being praised for its efforts to remove invasive juniper trees, which are harmful to the greater sage-grouse. A report issued from the Natural Resources Conservation Service says Oregon has been a leader in removing juniper and replanting native grasses and sagebrush. NRCS Agency Chief Jason Weller says sophisticated mapping has helped the State locate the invasive plant. Oregon expands sage grouse conservation agreements Capital Press In return, landowners are protected from additional regulation for 30 years, even if sage grouse are listed as endangered. Oregon ranchers describe ... Deschutes Co., state plan south-county sewer open houses KTVZ The Department of Environmental Quality, Department of Land Conservation and Development, and Deschutes County will hold open houses in April ... Bend's UGB plans receive cautious praise Bend Bulletin Jim Rue, the director of the Department of Land Conservation and Development, the state agency the commission oversees, said he has heard there's ... Franell: Umatilla port, city set aside egos for greater good East Oregonian ... Umatilla in regard to the zoning issue that surfaced about a year ago and subsequently was sent to the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA). Pendleton council approves $1.6 million financial package to build hangars East Oregonian Mirroring the high risk/high reward nature of the Pendleton Unmanned Aerial Systems Range, the Pendleton City Council approved a $1.7 million financial package from the state at a meeting Tuesday night. Oregon invests $1.6 million in drone test site to stay competitive with other states Portland Oregonian Oregon is investing $1.6 million in the Pendleton drone test range to make sure the state isn't overshadowed as a home to an $11 billion emerging industry estimated to grow to $80 billion within 10 years. Planned La Pine biomass plant hinges on market Bend Bulletin -Company: Electricity buyer first step in making the plant happen- A wood-burning power plant remains a possibility for La Pine, with the city now taking the lead on the project from Deschutes County and the company behind it waiting for a change in the energy market. Wacom joins tech stampede to Portland, moving office from Vancouver and adding dozens of jobs Portland Oregonian The Japanese digital graphics company Wacom plans to move its U.S. headquarters from Vancouver to Northwest Portland next year, bringing a major new technology employer to the city's urban core and hiring dozens of employees within the next few years. Multnomah neighbors riled after land-use plan comment extension rejected Portland Tribune The Portland Planning and Sustainability Commission has declined to extend the public comment period on the city's draft comprehensive land-use ... Can economies boom without increasing global-warming pollution? It's already happening Portland Oregonian There's a practical reason Republicans tend to be suspicious of climate-change science, and it has nothing to do with suspicion of science. It's because the GOP is the party of business. And there's a direct connection between economic growth and carbon-dioxide emissions. Beaverton's Urban Renewal District expected to bank enough funds to spend Portland Oregonian The numbers are still rough, but it appears Beaverton's urban renewal district will pull in about $1.2 million next year. The city hasn't determined where to start spending the funds, but is in the process of developing a five-year action plan. The $1.2 million gives the Beaverton Urban Redevelopment Agency, which oversees the district, the ability to seek up to $10 million in bonds in 2016 to start revamping Beaverton's urban renewal district. The 997-acre district covers part of Murray Boulevard, historic downtown, Beaverton Town Square and the commercial area east of Oregon 217. OLCC: Don't mix medical, recreational pot Bend Bulletin -Officials say Oregon should not blend the two regulatory systems- In one of its first messages to the Oregon Legislature, the Oregon Liquor Control Commission warned against allowing retail marijuana shops, expected to open in late 2016, to sell from the same locations from which medical marijuana is dispensed. Oregon hemp growers face obstacles Bend Bulletin -Central Oregon farmers may be interested, but climate might not be right- The Oregon Department of Agriculture is issuing licenses for growing industrial hemp, and although no one in Central Oregon has applied yet, there has been interest. Warrenton Planning Commission to hear Oregon LNG requests Daily Astorian The firm is seeking to delete conditions of approval related to traffic that had been recommended by the Oregon Department of Transportation in 2005. Four Oregon dairies seeking expansion Salem Statesman Journal Four Oregon confined animal feeding operations CAFOs are looking to expand, and the public is invited to comment. The Oregon Department of Agriculture regulates manure discharges form the state's approximately 516 CAFOs, which include dairies and feedlots. Some cities lose funding LaGrande Observer Several small communities in Oregon, including North Powder and Wallowa, are no longer eligible for large grants that would help them pay for water and sewer systems, community centers and food banks. Transportation planning near halfway point Portland Tribune An ongoing effort to update West Linn's Transportation Systems Plan (TSP) is just about halfway complete, as the city completes its evaluation of existing conditions and begins to discuss potential solutions to improve transportation infrastructure. Bill moving through Salem could hasten transfer of state roads to city control BikePortland.org As we reported in November, state legislators, the Oregon Department of Transportation, Metro and a broad-based group of transportation advocates ... Panel denies dock funding again Portland Tribune The Oregon Transportation Commission has again denied state money for a much-debated renovation of a Columbia River dock that became a proxy in a wider debate over coal exports to Asia. The commission voted 3-1 Thursday for the allocation of $7 million in lottery-backed bonds to six other projects under Connect Oregon, which funds projects other than highways and bridges. Coal terminal's loss is Salem's gain Salem Statesman Journal The Oregon Transportation Commission has again rejected spending $2 million in taxpayer dollars on a proposed coal export facility in St. Helens. Eugene makes moves for bike-share program Oregon Public Broadcasting Oregon's first public bike-share system is coming closer to reality. Rock-mining bill stirs debate Eugene Register-Guard -Farmers and environmentalists say the measure would make it harder to defeat gravel operations- A controversial pro-gravel-mining bill sponsored by a prominent Lane County Democrat is drawing ire from farming and environmental groups. Opponents say House Bill 2666 could open up large tracts of valuable Oregon farmland to new sand and gravel mines. Laura Buhl, AICP, CNU-A | Land Use & Transportation Planner Planning Services Division | Transportation & Growth Management Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development 635 Capitol Street NE, Suite 150 | Salem, OR 97301-2540 Direct: (503) 934-0073 | Main: (503) 373-0050 laura.buhl at state.or.us | www.oregon.gov/LCD/TGM -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: