Planning commission recommends rezoning near Legacy Oaks to high-density

The Independence Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of legislative amendment LA-2025-02, a map change that would rezone a parcel adjacent to the Legacy Oaks apartment complex from medium-density residential to high-density residential and formally recognize the existing multifamily use on an adjacent 15-acre parcel.

City planner Bridal Evander presented the staff report, saying, "This is a rezone of 19.398 Or Sloan Glen Club Road from medium density residential to high density residential." Evander told commissioners the proposal would formally make the existing Legacy Oaks apartments a conforming use and would rezone roughly 3.96 acres immediately south of that complex to allow new multifamily development. Evander said Legacy Oaks includes about 15 acres with 196 units in 18 buildings and that the rezoning implements recommendations from the city’s housing needs analysis and housing production strategy.

Evander described how the proposal was evaluated against state and local planning criteria, identifying Goal 10 (housing) and Goal 12 (transportation) of the Oregon Statewide Planning Goals and the city comprehensive plan as the guiding standards. He said the city’s Transportation Planning Rule analysis found that multifamily units typically generate fewer peak‑hour trips per unit than single‑family units and concluded the map change would not overburden the local transportation system; staff also noted recent Safe Routes to School improvements at a nearby intersection. Evander recommended approval.

Commissioners questioned transportation and driveway spacing issues, including whether there would be sufficient right-of-way to add a future turn lane on Gun Club Road and how pedestrian access to nearby schools is measured. Evander said the city’s transportation system plan had not identified a left-turn lane need at the location and that any actual development of the rezoned parcel would trigger either a transportation impact letter or a transportation impact analysis as required, with additional public notice for subsequent development phases.

The staff report noted one written public comment from the Fair Housing Council of Oregon in support of the rezoning. No other members of the public offered testimony at the hearing. Chair Chappell closed the public hearing and a motion to forward a recommendation of approval to the Independence City Council was moved and seconded; the motion passed on a voice vote with commissioners answering "Aye," and no opposition recorded in the transcript.

The commission’s action forwards the complete record, including testimony and staff analysis, to the City Council for final decision under the Type 4 legislative procedure described in the staff report. The city planner and commissioners noted that any future site development will require project‑level review, applicable traffic analysis, and required public notice.

Background: staff said the rezoning is intended to implement findings from the city’s housing needs analysis and housing production strategy by providing more land zoned for higher‑density housing. Evander pointed to proximity to Ash Creek College and Central High School (about a half mile, as measured on the city’s pedestrian routes) and to existing physical constraints (a floodplain to the west) that inform the site selection and buffering.