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MEMORANDUM <br /> April 24, 1995 <br /> TO: City Council - <br /> FROM: Neil Bjorklund, Planning and Development Department <br /> SUBJECT: West Eugene: Natural Resources Implementation Code Amendments <br /> (CA 92 -2) <br /> Introduction <br /> The West Eugene Wetlands Plan (WEWP) calls for the development and application of new <br /> zoning districts and subdistricts to protect water quality and natural resource values in west <br /> Eugene. The Plan includes outlines for these new districts in its appendices. These provisions <br /> are proposed to be applied only within the Urban Growth Boundary, and within the boundaries of <br /> the WEWP. Council will consider adoption inside the City Limits, and the Board of County <br /> Commissioners will consider adoption for the urban transition area. Application of these <br /> provisions to specific properties will occur as a subsequent action of the Hearings Official after <br /> final adoption of the amendments by the elected officials. <br /> This memo includes (1) a brief discussion of the background and processing of this item, (2) a <br /> brief overview of the provisions contained in the code amendments, (3) a brief discussion of <br /> differences between the ordinance approved by the Planning Commission and the attached <br /> ordinance, and (4) a discussion of the costs to the City of implementing these code amendments. <br /> Additional analysis and discussion is contained in previous staff reports to both the Eugene <br /> Planning Commission and the Lane County Planning Commission. The latter documents are on <br /> file in the Council office. <br /> Background and History <br /> The Natural Resources Implementation Code Amendments are a critical element in the <br /> implementation of the West Eugene Wetlands Program. The state and federal approvals for <br /> transferring state wetland permitting authority and streamlining the federal wetland permit <br /> process are conditioned upon adoption of these code amendments and application of them to <br /> appropriate tax lots in west Eugene. State law requires adoption of ordinances which establish <br /> setbacks from protected wetlands and waterways as a prerequisite for approval of a state - <br /> sanctioned Wetland Conservation Plan. Delay or failure to adopt and apply these provisions <br /> would delay or prohibit the transfer of wetland permitting authority to the city. <br />