Right now, a proposal is before the Eugene Planning Commission to modify our zoning code to... do next to nothing. Think Eugene should be doing something to address our housing crisis and making it easier to create safe, legal granny flats, backyard cottages, or garage apartments in Eugene? The Planning Commission is accepting written statements for the public record through March 13th at 5pm.
Email your comments to alissa.h.hansen@ci.eugene.or.us
Planning Commission will deliberate and make a recommendation to City Council on March 26th. A City Council public hearing on the subject will follow, currently scheduled for April 16th. The deadline for the City to act on this matter is July 1st.
Planning Commission Public Hearing was on March 6th; if you weren't able to make it, you can watch online and submit comments via email.
SB 1051, passed in the summer of 2017 by the state of Oregon, says that the city shall allow the development of at least one accessory dwelling unit for each detached single family home. Accessory Dwelling Units (AKA: Secondary Dwelling Units, Backyard Cottages, Granny Flats, Attic Apartments, etc.) are one way that Eugene residents can help address our housing shortage and create homes for our friends, family and neighbors. But while technically allowed in many places in Eugene, zoning codes and regulations restrict many homeowners from being able to create them if they so desire.
Staff's proposal makes a small technical fix that will have little to no impact on the ability of the vast majority of Eugene residents to help solve our housing crisis. It is unclear if this proposal will even put Eugene into compliance with the state law. They propose to consider the real changes needed to allow homeowners to help provide housing to their community as part of some unscheduled future process. We have an opportunity to do more, and we need to do more-- both to be in compliance with the law and to address our housing shortage.
Make your voice heard! Do you think that this is enough? And mark your calendars for the Council discussions...