City of Springfield

This document outlines the Economic Element of the Springfield 2030 Plan, detailing a 20-year strategy to address commercial and industrial land needs for the period 2010-2030. Key priorities include conducting economic opportunities analyses, forecasting employment growth, and inventorying buildable lands. The plan emphasizes the necessity of Urban Growth Boundary expansion to accommodate large employment sites, particularly for traded sector industries, and incorporates land use efficiency measures such as infill, redevelopment, and the promotion of mixed-use urban centers. The overarching goal is to guide future commercial and industrial development, foster the creation of higher-wage jobs, and enhance the region's economic capacity.

This document presents preliminary results for Springfield's Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) planning, encompassing an Economic Opportunities Analysis (EOA) and a Buildable Lands Inventory (BLI). It details the assessment of developable and redevelopable commercial and industrial lands, identifies key employment trends and growth opportunities from 2010 to 2030, and estimates long-term site needs. The document also includes recommendations for constraint assumptions and outlines the procedural steps for UGB expansion, emphasizing criteria for evaluating alternative boundary locations.

This document presents a comprehensive Housing Needs Analysis for the City of Springfield, evaluating the sufficiency of residential land within its Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) to accommodate projected housing needs for the 2010-2030 period. The analysis details population growth forecasts, inventories buildable residential lands, identifies specific housing needs by type and density, and compares land supply against demand. A key conclusion is a projected total residential land deficit of 344 gross acres across low, medium, and high-density residential designations, indicating a need for additional residential land to meet future growth.

This comment letter from 1000 Friends of Oregon addresses the proposed Springfield Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) amendment, specifically challenging the city's Commercial and Industrial Buildable Lands Inventory and Economic Opportunities Analysis. The organization's strategic priorities include advocating for a more accurate assessment of buildable land by correcting inventory omissions, reassessing excessive site size requirements, and promoting the re-designation of surplus industrial sites to meet commercial deficits. The letter aims to demonstrate that the city's stated need for UGB expansion is overstated, reduce unnecessary expansion, and guide Springfield towards more sustainable and cost-effective urban development, explicitly supporting the Mill Race expansion area over the Gateway area.

The City Council meeting focused on the Linda Lane property offers for purchase and future development considerations. Key discussions involved the status of the land, specifically the retention of 12 acres for a wetland bank and the designation of the remaining 23 acres as surplus. The council members and staff addressed public concerns regarding traffic infrastructure, ingress and egress for the proposed development, and adherence to city planning standards. Ultimately, the council authorized the city manager to execute a purchase and sale agreement for the property with Jasper Hills LLC.