La Center council selects mixed-use scenario and advances Timmon Landing, downtown subarea plans

La Center City Council on Oct. 23 voted to forward a preferred land-use alternative and to continue work on two subarea plans that city staff and consultants said would better balance housing and jobs capacity.

The council selected Scenario C, a mixed-use approach that applies a 50/50 residential-commercial split in a planned expansion north of the Junction Plan area, after a presentation by Alec, a WSP consultant. Under Scenario C the mixed-use expansion would provide residential at roughly 12 units per acre on half the new area and commercial employment capacity on the other half. Council members then instructed staff to submit that preferred scenario to Clark County for inclusion in the county—s environmental review.

City consultant Alec told the council the three scenarios were designed to meet the housing and employment allocations Clark County assigned the city. He said Scenario C produced the most balanced results among the three alternatives, estimating a total housing-capacity surplus of about 233 units and a surplus of about 30 units for households at 80% or less of area median income. On employment capacity, he said Scenario C produced an 18-job surplus compared with a jobs deficit under Scenario B.

In the same meeting, the council also voted to move forward with concept subarea plans for Timmon Landing and downtown La Center. Planner Scott Kyler presented the subarea concepts and summarized community and advisory-committee input; the concepts include a mixed-use corridor on Third and Pacific Highway, a transit hub on Pacific Highway, added higher-density housing north of a historic community center, and circulation changes including new roundabouts to serve Timmon Landing. The subarea plans, Kyler said, are intended to provide clearer guidance to developers and to identify infrastructure and environmental needs that will shape subsequent code and capital improvements.

Council discussion focused on whether the mixed-use density in Scenario C struck the right balance. One council member said Scenario C felt like the "communicative direction" the council had heard from the public and recommended the city prioritize keeping commercial development at the junction. Alec told the council the selected scenario and the other alternatives would all be included in the county—s analysis but that the county would recognize the city—s stated preference.

Next steps in the process include submitting the preferred scenario to Clark County for the county planning commission review, scheduled for Nov. 7, followed by a county council hearing (date to be announced). The comprehensive-plan update—s next draft — covering environment, climate and critical areas — will return to the city council tentatively on Dec. 11 for further review.

Votes at the meeting were voice approvals for the scenario selection and the subarea direction; the council recorded the motions as passed during the Oct. 23 meeting.