Mixed use gets trial

By AARON CORVIN

Viewed as a return to thoughtful urban planning by some, and too impractical by others, the mixed-use zone will get its first public hearing in Corvallis this week. The nine-member citizen planning commission will judge proposals to add two mixed-use zones to the city's development code at a public hearing to be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the meeting room of the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library, 645 N.W. Monroe Ave. At a glance, the mixed-use zones may appear to be inconsequential scribbles on a map. But they carry citywide implications for the future of growth in Corvallis. For property owners, the zones would produce more architectural freedom and creative opportunities in developing residential and commercial projects in the city. For residents, the zones would create the potential for more affordable housing and for a lifestyle that is not dependent on owning an automobile. The mixed-use zones that the planning commission will debate Wednesday are not new to urban planning in Corvallis. Indeed, Corvallis has become one of a handful of cities in Oregon where planners are testing the merits of mixed-use development. Communities that have adopted mixed-use zoning to get a handle on growth include Eugene, Gresham, Hillsboro and Bend. Plans for west and south Corvallis aim to use lots, and even larger areas, to mix several types of development: stores, offices and apartments. The result, planners hope, will be a reduction in automobile traffic and urban sprawl, and restoration of a sense of community. "You really can't build progressive densities in the city under the single use zoning we have now," said Gary Feuerstein, president of Endex Engineering, a local structural and architectural design firm. Feuerstein has Championed the city's efforts to include mixed-use zoning in its development code. He and two partners want to develop a mixed-use project along Washington Street downtown. But they can't under the city's present zoning laws. "We envision same real nice trees along Washington Street and a plaza fronted by multi-storied buildings,"he said. Two different zones The planning commission will debate adding two different zones to the city's land development code. The first would allow the introduction of some residential and industrial uses in areas designated as commercial properties. The second would allow some residential and commercial uses in areas set aside for industrial purposes. One of the major requirements for both of those zones is that they must be located within a quarter mile of existing or planned buss service. In deciding whether to add mixed-use zones to the city's land development code, the commission will be handing advice to the City Council. The council will have the final say over whether to approve the zones. But the planning commission meeting is residents' first opportunity to speak their minds about mixed-use development. Roadblocks to mixed-use zoning loom despite what appears to be local support for that kind of development. A survey conducted last spring found 66 percent of people questioned thought Corvallis should have mixed-use neighborhoods, while 29 percent felt residential and commercial mess should be kept separate. But residents in the Willamette Valley don't appear to desire at least one ingredient of mixed-use zoning: a lifestyle less dependent on the automobile. According to studies by state and university planners, the daily number of miles traveled by car nearly doubled from 22.6 million in 1970 to 42.5 Million in 1990. That trend is expected to continue, with the valley adding 18.5 million more vehicle miles traveled during the next 15 years. While optimistic, local planners are also cautious in their approach to mixed-use zoning. It's no coincidence that a mixed-use zone that would allow the introduction of commercial uses into existing neighborhoods is missing among the current proposals. Linda Sarnoff, the city's planning division manager, said the city wants a more thorough airing of concerns about mixed-use development before making any additional zoning changes. The city wants to preserve the character of existing neighborhoods, Sarnoff said. "We want to (be) cautious."