Planning staff releases EIS schedule and lays out downtown paid-parking milestones

Planning and economic development staff presented a 2024 recap and a work plan for 2025, including the release of a required environmental impact statement (EIS) for the comprehensive plan and a series of milestones tied to downtown paid parking.

Heather summarized 2024 accomplishments — 75 land-use permits, eight council-adopted ordinances (including the city's cannabis retail rules), a first annual housing report and two new interactive GIS tools for permits and zoning. She said the EIS will be released this week with a 30-day comment period ending Feb. 18; the planning commission and council will hold a joint meeting to consider comments and choose a preferred alternative, and the comprehensive-plan release is scheduled for April 11.

On downtown parking, Heather and Josh told council they will return next month to discuss procurement for enforcement and technology, signage design and potential parking agreements. Staff stressed the need to coordinate enforcement technology and sign design with larger street and downtown-improvement plans so investments are not prematurely duplicated. Heather also flagged the state and federal "best available science" process affecting critical areas: staff may delay that ordinance to allow further analysis and to reduce risk of appeals.

Council asked staff to solicit feedback from downtown business groups and to weigh how parking revenue could be used for shuttle services, leased parking and employee parking programs. Staff said the parking work will include public outreach and that items will return to council for decisions.