Blue River Complete Community Plan – Draft

April 26, 2024

Final Draft Needs Your Input

Lane County staffers unveil a final draft Community Plan for Blue River!

The Purpose of the Plan

The Community Plan aims to promote compact, small-town development patterns with an active and convenient pedestrian environment along a mixed-use Blue River Drive, higher density development near Lane Transit District bus stops and the McKenzie River Community School, and mixed-use lands located within the community boundary. The changes brought on by this Community Plan are intended to help people meet their daily needs by the mode of their choice, with a particular emphasis on walking, biking, and transit. It also aims to reflect the vision and goals of the members of the community. The Blue River Complete Community Plan and implementing measures could serve as a model for other unincorporated communities in Lane County.

In Summary,

the goal is to create a vibrant, sustainable and walkable community.

The new proposed zoning changes are a game changer for the town, which in the last few decades has seen significant decline. Outdated land use laws have been a significant factor in unincorporated rural towns in Oregon according to many property owners.

Since I have been in Blue River (over 20 years), we at McKenzie Community Partnership (formerly the Blue River Community Development Corporation) have been pushing the county to address outdated rural lane county development codes – always to be told that here was no funding.

The destruction of Blue River in the Holiday Farm Fire of 2020, provided motivation from the state and the county to provide aid to our community. State funds helped pay for county planners and other experts to help adress our Land Use issues in a meaningful way. Land use planning is a complicated and slow process, frustrating many fire victims.

Community Feedback and the Process

This draft proposal has been prepared for additional community feedback before the actual plan details are written and then submitted for our county commissioners to vote on.

There is a community meeting on April 30th, 2024 from 6-8pm at the McKenzie High School (new gym). You are invited to join the presentation win person. If you cannot attend, there will be a virtual presentation online. We will announce post the virtual presentation on this website (McKenzieCommunity.org) when it is made available.

Taylor Carsley, Senior Planner for Lane County says:

After the Community feedback is collected, any necessary edits will be made and the full adoption package will be prepared. The adoption package will include the Blue River Complete Community Plan, amendments to the Rural Comprehensive Plan, zoning amendments, findings of fact, a draft ordinance, and possibly other material.

Once the adoption package is drafted, the process will be:

Staff present the adoption package to the Lane County Planning Commission at a Work Session, and then hold a Public Hearing in order to hear public comments

The Lane County Planning Commission makes a recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners

Staff present the adoption package to the Board of County Commissioners along with the Planning Commission recommendation

A Public Hearing is held at the Board in order to hear public comments

The Board of County Commissioners deliberates and makes a final decision

The goal is to hold the Public Hearing before the Lane County Planning Commission mid-late summer 2024.

Plan Highlights:

Commercial

New Flex zoning for commercially zoned lots included the entire downtown area (it was previously a mix of commercial and residential). This change was made to save people from having to go through the slow and expensive rezoning process to use their property in this area.

Parking requirements have been eliminated – property owners can build as many as they need/want

Blue River Drive Overlay

Guidance for building better in the downtown core.

Downtown lots facing Blue River Drive may be required to have commercial on ground floor with option for housing on upper floors.

Setbacks have been reduced

Residential

New Residential 1 acre minimum (instead of 2) – Benefits more housing.

Larger lots in the community boundary may be able to subdivide their property into additional home lots if they want to.
ADUs can be building the community boundary on 1 acre lots (in rural lane county the min lots size is 2 acres.

Other Improvements

Addition of Parks & Recreation Zoning

Brings Blue River Park into community boundary
Puts Forest Glen boat ramp into Park & Recreation Zoning

Improvements to Blue River Drive and the addition of walking paths.

This includes adding street parking in the downtown core, sidewalks and possibly trees and lighting.

I personally am advocating for lighting that is bird friendly and won’t provide light where it’s not wanted ( aka light pollution). Solutions may include downward lighting, warm tones, on timer and/or dimmers.