In an unsurprising move, a City Councilor will ask to reconsider the defeat of the proposal to remove the overlay zones on lower south Commercial Street.
Council meets on Monday, and Councilor Phillips will offer a motion
to reconsider City Council’s decision to reject the proposed zone change and code amendment to repeal overlay zones in the SCAN neighborhood.
He explains
City Council Rule 11 provides for a motion to reconsider any action taken by the Council. The motion must be made no later than the close of the next following regular meeting of the Council, and must be made by one of the prevailing side, but may be seconded by any member.
I, Councilor Phillips, voted with the prevailing side on June 26th and therefore may make a motion to reconsider on this matter.
If the motion to reconsider passes, I intend to make a second motion to delay Council deliberation on the proposed zone change and code amendment to a future City Council meeting. Further, if the motion to reconsider is passed, I request that notice of the deliberations on the matter be provided to SCAN and each person that submitted testimony.
It's interesting he doesn't have a specific amended motion to propose, but instead will argue for delay. Maybe there's a compromise that is still being negotiated and needs time to mature?
This will be interesting to watch unfold.
- Previously on the overlay zones, "Housing, Livability, and Cars: Notes on Overlay Zones and Origin of Free Parking"
- And on the origin our of zoning schemes, "Salem's First Zoning Map Limns Familiar Neighborhoods" and "City First Zoned in December 1926, Appealed to City Beautiful Concept"
- Salem Reporter had more on the Council meeting, "Taller buildings in Fairmount area get a thumbs down from city council."
If we want to keep protecting farmland and forest with our Urban Growth Boundaries, we will have to do more urban infill, and things like the overlay zones hinder that.
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| In the paper today |
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| Willamette Week on Housing and UGB expansion |
Related, the City is applying for a grant to support housing production and needs Council to authorize a letter of support.
The City of Salem is applying for a Housing Planning Assistance Grant to help develop a Housing Production Strategy (HPS), which will lay the roadmap for actions the City would take to help promote the production of housing. Specifically, the City is requesting a DLCD-provided consultant to help City staff develop the HPS. The City is required by State rules to adopt a HPS by December 31, 2025.
Grant applications are due July 31, 2023. Applications must include a letter of support from the governing body of the city or county applying for the grant. A draft letter of support is included...
Getting the whole city on board with housing production, and not carving out special exceptions for "neighborhood character" and for "incumbency privilege" will a real part of the project.
Planning Commissioner Slater's great idea for a large solar installation at the airport will be presented as an information report.
- See previously, "Solar at the Airport?"
Alas, it is not any action item, and it's not clear from the agenda item what next step, if any, is actually being considered.
2 comments:
When it was time to deliberate, there was a substitute motion to keep the overlay district but change the height limit to 45 feet. That was voted down 4-5 (5 nays). On the original motion of eliminating the overlay district, it was also voted down 4-5 (5 nays). The result (at the moment) is to leave the overlay district as it exists. Because both votes were so close, I can understand seeking a delay to provide time for more discussion, to seek better options, etc. The discussion and respect shown by the council is to be applauded. In this case, it certainly seems appropriate to continue the discussion on this important issue that affects not just the south Salem overlay zone but the entire direction of the city when it comes to implementing OurSalem.
In retrospect on last months vote on the overlay zones Councilor Phillips said, "I was not satisfied with that outcome." He indicated he believed change was coming one way or another, and we needed to grapple with that more completely. Councilors Nordyke, Nishioka, and Hoy opposed the reconsideration, but with Councilor Phillips and Mayor Hoy flipping votes, it passed. Councilor Nishioka proposed September 25th as the date to revisit the subject, and that passed unanimously.
Council was tired and cranky after the long session on the wage tax, and in response to a question by Councilor Phillips about the information report on airport solar, Mayor Hoy said with some indeterminate mixture of sincerity and sarcasm, "It's really cool and they're working on it."
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