Valley Investments
The request to partition the one lot into two, which with the zoning of R-1 will allow the applicant to either sell it, or build another single family home if it is approved. The applicant is requesting to create a new lot on the northern side of the existing house (turning the large backyard into a lot). They propose to pave the access way back to the new lot. Although typically this isn't required until a building permit for a home is applied for. The new lot is proposed as a "flag lot" which allows for less street frontage (area of the lot along a street) than a standard lot. The minimum is 15 feet for a flag lot as opposed to 50 feet for a standard lot. This allows someone to create a pole access to a lot that is a minimum of 15' wide. The flag lot minimum lot area is 6000 square feet not counting the access pole. Two most common areas of concern with flag lots are:
> -Compatibility with the neighborhood (sometimes large new homes are built in areas with typically older and smaller dwellings) this may not necessarily fit into what people feel is the character of their neighborhood.
> -Privacy (neighbors directly adjacent to the property may now have a home with windows looking into their back yard or driveways where they weren't before)
> The city has a current effort underway to address some of these issues http://www.eugene-or.gov/portal/server.pt?space=CommunityPage&cached=true&parentname=CommunityPage&parentid=0&in_hi_userid=2&control=SetCommunity&CommunityID=228&PageID=1783
Other aspects of a land division such as this.
> -Affordable housing - In general having more land available for building (especially smaller infill lots) helps keep the housing market reasonable.
> -Infill v. sprawl - Infill development such as this helps increase density within the Urban Growth Boundary lessening the pressure to expand it thereby preserving natural resources.
> -Efficient use of services - Infill development usually makes use of existing infrastructure which is an efficient use of resources.
Below are a couple of links to the flag lot development standards and partition requirements. At this point the partition file is available only in hard copy at 99 W. 10th. PDF format can be provided upon request.
> Flag lot development standards (EC 9.2775)- http://www.eugene-or.gov/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_2_5848_319_0_43/http%3B/cesrv501/lf7citycode9/docview.aspx?id=25802&page=111
> Partition standards - http://www.eugene-or.gov/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_2_5848_319_0_43/http;/cesrv501/lf7citycode9/docview.aspx?id=25802&page=464
