Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

lots of college. All right.

All right. All right. Well, it's nice to see so much enthusiasm and energy here. Sometimes we come in and not even acknowledge one another. Good. Maybe it's summer, right? So, I guess I'm calling to order the July 15, 2020 meeting of the Salem Planning Commission as big gaps up here. Bang started. All right. And um got to go read the call to order here. The roll call. Commissioner F here. Commissioner Fryback here. Commissioner Heler here. Commissioner Laura Midkiff. Commissioner Rhodess here. Commissioner Slater here. Commissioner Tev here. Commissioner Vier Rendell here. We have quum.

All right. Our first thing is to see if there's anyone with public comments. Given the room is completely empty, I'm going to move out and ask if we have a motion to approve the minutes. I move to approve the minutes from the July 1st, 2025 meeting of Salem Planning Commission. Right. Good. Vice President F. Get a second. Second. Thank you. Any questions or discussions on the motion for the minutes? Hearing none, Jennifer, call the role for us. Commissioner F. I. Commissioner Fryback. Hi. Commissioner Heler. Abstain. Commissioner Lar Midk. Hi. Commissioner Slater. I. Commissioner Rhodess. I. Commissioner Tev. Hi.

Commissioner Vandal. Hi. All right. Motion passes. We have no resolutions, no action items. I am going to add an item on the special orders of business which is to discuss the Salem airport. All right. If there's less there's any objections to that conversation. No. All right. In that case, I think Mr. Brown, you have the floor. Do we need to read the criteria here? Now for continuous. Now for continuence. Correct.

Oh, okay. I guess this is the actual public hearing, so I will open it now. as continued with the last hearing uh without with the last planning commission hearing uh the comprehensive plan neighborhood plan change and zone change case CPC NPC and ZC25-01 was continued due to the notice hearing signs not being posted within the required 10 days before the hearing. Um as the hearing was continued, the notice signs were left in place u fulfilling that notice period. So, we met the legal requirements.

Met the legal requirements. Um, and as such, staff recommend that the planning commission approve with conditions that the minor comprehensive plan, neighborhood plan change, and zone change from industrial IND to IC industrial commercial and I for the zoning IBC industrial business campus to IC industrial commercial. Thank you. And since I guess there's no additional no additional testimony, no additional testimony has been provided um at this time. The record we're dealing with is the record that we had. Okay. Um in that case, I'm closing the public hearing.

Normally, we would go through and say the applicant go through all the dates again, but nobody's here. So, there's questions of staff. Oh, okay. So, while the record is open, do we have any questions for staff? Oh, I read that application. It was very clearcut. I don't have any questions late. [Music] So then I will close the public hearing. I will now close the public hearing. Thanks. Great. Um, is there any other is there any discussion? Well, staff, we need a motion. Thank you, Vice President B.

All right. I move that we um accept staff's recommendation and approve uh case number CPC NPC CPC25-1. Thank you. I have a second. Second from Commissioner RHS. I saw her. So the second from Commissioner RH. Is there any discussion on the motion? Said I don't really have anything. I thought it was very clearcut, straightforward. Is that how other people read that? So, are we ready to vote then? All right, Jennifer, we could call the role yet again. Commissioner F. Hi, Commissioner Friedback. Hi, Commissioner Heler.

Commissioner Laura Midkiff, hi. Commissioner Rhodess, Commissioner Slater. Hi, Commissioner T. Hi, Commissioner Vindell. Hi.

All right, motion passes. All right. Thank you. Then move on to the special orders of business discussion at the airport. So I wanted to put that on there for a couple reasons. One reason is that uh this body serves as the primary advisory to the city council. So our mandate there is quite broad. Although a lot of our time is spent on land use, there is no means restricted to a land use conversation. And the second reason is because the airport sits on 751 acres of property um and that is currently used for the airport. But um given that that we have a history of failed civil aviation here um I thought it might be a worthwhile conversation to see if maybe there are alternative uses for the airport land especially given that we have a housing crisis and I've heard continuously that flat developed land is at a premium around here. So, I thought that this might be a good time to decide whether or not we want to suggest to the city council that they explore alternative uses for the airport. I personally would consider recommending that we um that we recommend the city council engage a consultant to consider and deliberate over whether or not the airport land would be better used as a uh kind of large scale mixeduse development or a cluster of different types of developments as opposed to continuing on the path of trying to recruit a new air service. But I could be just me. I think that's a great idea. And I also think I read recently that one of the two runways is falling into disrepair. So there's even options maybe more credit for all of it, but some of it um the cost for repair that runway might be more expensive than we're going to be able to justify. So I think this is a a

prime opportunity to at least initiate that discussion. Um because as you said there is a lot of things. Um and we do have a big housing crisis that we are u continually bringing up. We don't know how to fix other thoughts, please.

Um, I would say the main purpose of our airport is not commercial service. We have hundreds of flights a day that are for private business. So, CEOs and people that run businesses, Salem, um, wineries, etc. use our airport to access their business. bring in a lot of tourism dollars in airport fees. City does have a consultant. Let's work an airport master plan update. I don't really know any more about it than that because it's not really I don't think it's going to affect land use necessarily, but it's about like the use of the of the and impacts on that. So it might be uh a good idea to ask for airport staff presentation through the airport what what actually goes on there money they make I think they make money but maybe um and then what the master covering conversation I think that would be a good first step I would be wary of going too far down the path of So designating that area for uh you know different types of housing without too much of a deep dive so that we don't find ourselves kind of creating you know uh outskirts type housing for different populations and you know I think like the affordable housing conversation comes up frequently and you know it's not necessarily in high commercial airport, but you know there is a lot of noise that goes along with being next to the airport and kind of industrial space. So I think just making sure that we understand all of the surrounding factors and that we don't create unintended consequences from saying well have this available land we should turn it into housing for example

something to consider. Yeah. Um I know the know the city council was commissioned a report or at least were taking part in a study about PAS at the airport site otherwise known as scalable informative video on that a few months ago potassium. Um and it's basically talks about how these chemicals are you know once you consume them or you're in an area that has them they become part of you and you various types of cancers and stuff and I know this area has a history of being industrial use and I know cities like Portland have again they're northwest industrial area they have identified areas in their city that will continue to be used as an industrial. I know Salem kind of wanting to bring good manufacturing jobs or other kinds of employment to the city that's not, you know, government or health care or other things. We want to expand our reach and I think um the airport property is a is a good spot for that. I know there's a lot of pollution going on, you know, flights and stuff. a little hesitant on housing in an area like that. I know that we can proceed like infill other kinds of developments are housing goals but I'm not going to like industrial area that could have ground and possibly place to walk. Um still a little bit there. So, and and are you apprehensive because you think the airport will still be in operation where you pull around an

existing airport?

Yeah, I mean I don't see us ever getting rid of an airport. I think it's a valuable us to have but to look has an airport all kinds of different towns coast airports you know almost everywhere has an airport and I feel like it's important to have as a city especially I mean you know was meeting the airport present to the city council they talked about how our airport's like an operations base like in case there's the Cascade earthquake. That's where all of the supplies and I see the equipment distributed. They just aren't going to be as good as they are now. So I I think it's hard to consider that there's going to be around. I think that you know you don't need two properties but it'd be good to preserve the land around industrial or something that can job grow. you know, give our residents kind of a buffer from the previous goals that may be at the airport.

Thank you. Um, my understanding is that Redmond is actually the base for um Cascadia response. Yeah, I was thinking like for like get supplies from Sum down landslides. So I don't I don't see a single other comments.

Um I would say with your conversation about pollution, we had the airport there. We have residential that's just right across the road there and they do experience that already. So is the airport in the best location to facilitate question or as they're having to look at you're doing the right way is that is that really

does Lisa do you know the master plan is addressing these questions that yes

other box Um I I think I'm always generally interested in finding more creative space. So that conversation the only thing I would add is that the state also uses it quite a lot as the military in addition to commercial use it a lot uses it several city and is a back so that general inspiration I think I also know that some major private Uh, I would I'm pro exploring. I would say let's not prescribe something for council to decide on when council. Um and then I'd also be interested in what if the neighborhood association's been involved in the recent development of the airport and what they had to say.

Lisa, is there a neighborhood association that wait? Yes, that neighborhood association. I think it's funny.

Other thoughts? I know the airport is relatively low. Uh, a little portion of it is and there are some back buttons.

Okay. I think uh I I read the most recent updated master plan and it falls for the use of one extended runway. So the plan is to eliminate one runway and length of the existing runway but I don't other comments I think one just a couple responses to try that um one of the things that I've been frustrated here which has been around since what 1950 something before you started.

Okay. All right. All right. um is that they've been trying to market that space for light industrial and airport related activity in Sydney for over 50 years now. Um and there's still a significant amount of rentable land that they're trying to lease and they haven't been able to do that. Um and we are competing with Corvalis which has OSU there an aviation facility and we also compete to some extent with Eugene Air which has a much bigger. So um I think those are some of the considerations and as you said every city has an airport practically and everyone's tried to recruit the same sort of airport related like industrial manufacturing work.

So I'm not sure that a we have a competitive advantage or at least we haven't over the past 50 years at a competitive advantage. I'm not sure to what extent the market is going to change dramatically that would allow us to take advantage of those IV spaces for that kind of work. Um so I guess that's that would be kind of one of my thoughts. Uh so I guess uh I heard a couple things. One is to be aware of the fact that there's already some considerable investment and a great deal of private sector use of the airport. Is that that be a summary release of comments? State state and private sector use. Do we know the volume of state use? I know the state they're playing.

I I used to know. I don't know. Okay. Okay. Um, I guess one question that we can ask um, and the National Guard too, right? So, leaving us the helicopters with a lot of actual planes doing it's a very very busy airport. I don't know if that's like state. I think there's a lot of private some of it just for recreation but then it would be great if we as a John [Music]

maybe a an adjacent conversation that could be worth having is and this is you know a complete just musing so I'm not I don't have any information on this concept but uh you know maybe we explore the possibility of land swaps to recapture some properties that are more approximate within the downtown area and immediate radius outside of downtown. And maybe there are some properties that would be better suited out in white industrial areas like car dealerships and things like that that are, you know, really on prime real estate for mixed use and housing purpose. Maybe there's a something outside the percentage that spot.

I mean, the city owns the property at the airport, but we have private ownership of things like car dealerships within downtown or not downtown. So, immediately outside of downtown and potentially there's some sort of deal It doesn't really matter if you're parking cars out there, but we could have mixed housing on very large piece capacity. That's right.

Sure. Okay. Other other comments. So, one of the things that um I think makes this conversation a little bit hard is because as you said, you know, we have a significant investment in the airport already. Lots of people think of it as just for big town airport. That's what big towns have. And there's nothing really tough to say. But here's what an alternative looks like. Whether it's more light industrial, whether it's land swap, whether it's something of housing and light industrial or you know some 50 acres you can have housing by industrial things in that space. Um and I feel like without exploring or even trying to assign a value to what that alternative space can look like, we're just stuck with the facts of here the board does and we have no counterfacts to real conversation about it. So I don't know what the potential of 750 acres, not all of which can be developed, right? What a different kind of mix of land use might be and what kind of revenue it might generate. First, if it's if it's anything but what's there now, we're probably going to get a tax benefit out of that. It'll be private ownership as opposed to public ownership. Um, I think the fact it's on Mission Street is an advantage because it's a central corridor and it's not a pleasant place to walk right now park because we've got an airport. Um, it might also generate some additional um development where we hit the Kmart other areas. So I that is possibly even like a generator for additional space around that neighborhood. Um, but my larger question isn't exactly so much should we should we recommend replacing the airport? We should not recommend replacing here. The question is should we recommend the city council explore alternative uses so we can have a question around value choices is in the long term over the next 50 years is it better that's you know privately owned housing and like

manufacturing and other things the economy state the payroll tax is tax issues that a better use or is it a better use to keep it where it's at with or without additional service and I think I think it's a good question to ask now because it's people's minds because we don't have the commercial service anymore and I think there's a feeling like well if we don't have the commercial service then you know what's the value of the airport and maybe it just needs to be quantified and if we quantify the value of the airport um in terms of what it provides both politically but also financially maybe that's helpful um and some of that concern will go away but again we can't actually compare it against something else then it's just I would call I'll just have like a a hat and therefore a habit that benefits some people quantifying what the alternatives are. So that's a little bit where I'm coming from is that that in order to make a long-term and smart thoughtful decision about the airport space, we need to have some alternative ideas and kind of value them so that we can make a final comparison. That that's a little bit where I'm at now. seems like a good time especially some sort of master planning process and we haven't invested another 20 $30 million into the airport for a new runway and all the other materials that go in it. But I'm happy to have a longer conversation and I'm happy to get John in. I just I think the problem is again just sitting here listening to all the wonderful things the airport does but then not having any conversation about what else could be done to the 750 acres leaves us in a position of saying well let's sprinkle this we're done instead of saying maybe this could be a lot better I need more facts about the airport usage to start with and then then we can expand to other uses I'm not

Yeah, expanding to what it does. Other thoughts there's

I don't think they're starting the test. Is it primarily related to the fire station there or is it just like the whole I think it's related to I think it's the understanding you know a tower yet I mean tanks in terms of fuel tanks If you're tapping it hard, then you're fine. You know,

it's mated. It's mated. Well, we can reach out to then if you volunteer to do that. Sure. And we can just pick up this conversation next time. but went after his presentation to discuss. Okay, does that sound good? Okay, well good. I appreciate your talk about this. So, we'll move on then. This gets us to Well, we're already Oh, information reports. Yes. So, I can tell you the wetlands committee is waiting on um the wetland report and the meetings, the technical advisor meetings.

Yes. So there's nothing that we should have done that we have not done yet which means we're on schedule. Yes. And how is the uh scheduling for the um varian inventory? You're waiting for the mayor too. That's for the technical assistance committee. Okay. And how about this? Let's see if we can cover Okay. Okay. not ready to but also continuing to wait.

She's not full time, you know,

that makes sense.

So that's where the um wetlands committee. And interestingly, I learned that um the North Santam Watershed Council received an extremely large Noah grant that will be used to remove fish passages all up and down the North San including in Salem. Barriers. What? Barriers, not fish barriers. Yes. The opposite. non nonpassage structures is what is what they will be attempting to remove here. Uh including two in Salem which is all dam and one by the penitentiary. So that's very exciting. It's a Noah grant has actually been dispersed.

Oh okay. Actually even better. So that's a little bit of good news. How much is it? I think5 to10 million. And it's for the it's for the um complete engineering drawings for all removals. So what that means is that once their project is done, they'll be able to turn to each city and say here's the complete drawing for everything you need to do and then the cities assuming they want to do it will have the appropriates once they actually build it. But they will have all the engineering drawings for it. So excited and information I know is active.

Yes. Uh however, don't use this yet. We didn't meet the last week. I was in New York City. So I got to experience other kinds of quarantine. I think one the biggest takeaway that I had um from that whole trip, you know, was a biggest city in the country, many people. Uh didn't hear I think I heard like crazy racing things with their cars on any street that I saw beard like the Brooklyn and Staten Islands almost every burrow. None of that. Come back here in Salem with my window open. It was all nice. So I think I think that was pretty incredible. you know, we still stayed in a hotel overnight, Midtown Manhattan, all super quiet at night, but not here in Salem. So, I I thought that was pretty interesting. And that just just people get around completely differently over there in walking down the street in Queens. There were single stair buildings on the other side of the street. Lots of beautiful trees and uh a bunch of school buses were driving by. They're all full kids that were just getting out of summer camp. They started to drop their kids off. It's really fun to see parents pick their kids up off the school bus and they walk home. Maybe they, you know, wait bus stop, take the bus back home. There's this one one dad and this little girl were sitting down at the bus stop waiting for the bus to come and he was trying to teach her how to tie her shoes, but she wasn't not paying attention. And it gives me I think I think can get there to similar transportation subways.

But better bus service so parents can pick their kids up from the bus. But that was really nice and

thank Oh, also plug for the tenant museum. anybody's ever heard of it. It's a very very cool museum in lower Manhattan. They've got an entire apartment building that was built like the late 1800s and you can book a tour of any one of the apartments in that apartment building. They've got the apartment set up um so you can experience the life of the residents that were living there during a specific time period. So I tutored two apartments. um one family that was living there in 1890 and then another Chinese building. So any other updates? No. [Music] Everyone's favorite part of being planning. Um we have three presentations coming up. So we have right we asked you to come back to talk about the health strategy we're working on that came out of that um and then Robin to talk about process improvement and they studies on September 16

I think so excuse me excuse me September 16. Um and then Mark is going to talk about transportation gas project and happy to do that and maybe September 2nd or maybe so on that date don't have any cases scheduled No.

Um so we would cancel or not. Our next dates are um August 5th and then obviously um and will not be here on the 19th but will be happy. Um we are working on a new location. We reached out to chariots. The room is not available on our normal meeting um dates or whatever. Um it's only available one of those regular. So I'm trying to get a schedule of just all the regular meetings of what these are available and then I come back with an email say it Wednesday or two Wednesdays or one. I hope start.

Yeah. stuff out. We don't know though. Um and so we haven't got the okay, but we got that that might work. Trying to figure out um about that and we will uh we decided we will start doing hybrid meetings ago. So our next meeting that we have um and Jen and I will try to just zoom and then holding the commissioners to come and meet.

Yes. Yes. He said I meeting commissioners at the last meeting. So I don't think council has a late hybrid meeting. It's just they're they want to be there and so they're most hearing any commissioners were not.

So that was going to kind of be my question. Is there some should we be here and if we aren't should we let someone know ahead of time? Absolutely. You should let us know ahead of time. Um the opportunity to kill you to show up. And I mean maybe as a commission kind of your own rules about that you know somebody's always on Zoom. Is that fine? Do you have a do you want to ask you know normally if you're going to be absent you ask the president or I don't know how much to ask tell you you have the ability to say that's an excuse to absent so I think that should

option that is actually yeah stay tuned about the location I was supposed to remind you now the end of the meeting I was supposed to remind everybody to talk slightly louder sorry Jen okay especially commissionerback get picked up really well so in front of the mic rail off as your copy or maybe turn for this. So if you have your head down or I think it's harder for the the mic but looking up the top

I we just want to make sure you know people can hear conversation pardon. So we will keep you posted about the location if we do secure a location if not time for whatever next meeting is to our agenda. Well if it's a hearing our notice goes out 20 days in advance. So we have to move on. So here we go. That's kind of our view. So yeah, back to August meetings. And if you want to have both, we can just it probably should.

There's still enough lead time to get a case for the August. Not for the August. for August 5th for the 19th for the May. Okay. So then we could comfortably cancel the August 5th meeting. Any I would like any objections. No. No. So cancelled. All right. Then if we don't have any cases for the 19 now they'll make items

and your your letter for the annual report. Is it still time? Yeah. Well, you know, I I'll tell you, I I I I read the whole report. Yes. It was it was very well written and um extolled our value to a great extent. I was almost merit of the work that I had done over the past year. Uh and I wasn't quite sure what to say other than staff did a really good job of making us look good. So, and I didn't quite know how to word that, but I could go take I'll go take a shot.

So, you don't have to. Okay. I didn't have it and said commissioner brings president didn't I say like HLC the chairs always do they kind of write a this is what the commission's been talking about this past year this is what's important to us or this is what we want to do looking they do more um like kind of outside of the commission projects out pieces and various needs they just very eager to take on many volunteer kind of activities they write a newsletter four times a year kind of like soc Um yeah, so you know they list events and so it's it's totally up to you want to but um we do have to get our report to council before August 1. No sorry

I got that message. Can I ask for more? Sure. All right. That's I heard you got free food at work, so I'm asking maybe for the second. Anything else? Anything for the good of the order, Richard? All right. How about that?