DEVELOPMENT & PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT NEWSLETTER - WINTER 2022
From the Director
Welcome to the Winter edition of the Development and Public Works newsletter. 2022 promises to be another very busy year with federal recovery dollars allocated to Springfield, new state and federal infrastructure funding opportunities, significant state legislation mandating plan and zoning amendments. We're also focused on greenhouse gas reduction scenario planning, required housing production strategy work, and strong capital project delivery program to name a few of the opportunities we are gearing up to meet. Another robust development year is also anticipated on the heels of last year’s record-breaking residential permits. Keep an eye out for public hearings at the City Council for both the Development Code Update and the Main Street Safety Facility Plan this spring with adoption slated for summer.

In this issue of our quarterly newsletter, you can find out more about the wrap-up of the Street Bond project, recent national awards for the City and Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission, and some interesting projects in Operations including a wastewater lateral repair, among other great information.

- Tom Boyatt, DPW Community Development Division Director
Community Development
Development Code Update Project
In December 2018, we kicked off the Development Code Update Project with the purpose to change the Springfield Development Code to support efficient, timely, and clear development review. The updated Development Code will support Springfield’s economic development priorities and will honor Springfield’s hometown feel now and in the future.

The Springfield Development Code is the main document that implements local, state, and federal land use, transportation, and environmental laws applicable in Springfield. The Springfield City Council recognizes that the Development Code is difficult to use, understand, and implement. Resolving the complexities and outdated nature of the code will help achieve the economic and housing goals for our community. The Council directed staff to complete a full Development Code Update which started in 2019 and is anticipated to conclude by the end of 2023.

Current Status
On February 23, 2022, the Springfield Planning Commission concluded their deliberations following a formal public hearing process on the Project for Phase 1 – Housing, and Phase 2 – Employment Lands. The Phase 1 Housing portion of the code update includes incorporating all the new state law requirements for allowing middle housing. Below is a quick chart that highlights some of what is changing and what is not changing.
The Planning Commission passed an order recommending approval of the code changes to the Springfield City Council. The recommendation includes all the minimum standards for middle housing as specified by the state and allowing more flexibility in some areas for middle housing such as allowing detached dwellings units as duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes. This flexibility goes beyond the state minimums and is intended to help encourage more opportunities for homeownership as well as make it easier to maintain existing homes while providing opportunities to allow infill development. Additional conversation will likely happen over the coming year or two to further discuss additional changes.

The Council and the Lane County Board of Commissioners will hold a joint public hearing this April, specific date to be determined, to make the final decision on the proposed changes. Learn more and view project fact sheets at https://bit.ly/DevCodeUpdate.
GO Bond – Ahead of Schedule, One Project Remains
This past year, four projects funded through a general obligation bond were completed, including street repairs to Olympic Street, Mohawk Boulevard, 42nd Street, Thurston Road, and Highbanks Road. These projects were all funded through the Springfield voter-approved five-year, $10 million general obligation bond to fund street repairs on a list of priority commercial streets. The surface of these streets was milled down several inches and a new asphalt surface was applied. Sidewalk ramps were improved to Americans with Disabilities Act standards. Maintenance access hole covers were reconstructed, and striping was added to complete each project.
 
These GO Bond Projects are ahead of schedule and on track to be completed two years before the required deadline. Centennial Boulevard is the final bond project and is currently posted for contractors to submit their bids. Once a contractor is selected the project will go to construction with completion scheduled for 2023. This project consists of pavement preservation of approximately 2,600 feet of Centennial Boulevard from Aspen Street east to Prescott Street. The project also includes re-design and reconstruction of non-compliant ADA facilities to meet current standards. We'll post updates to the project page and TripCheck.com including traffic impacts during construction.
Environmental Services
City of Springfield & MWMC Receive National Awards
The City of Springfield and Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission (MWMC), the regional wastewater partnership serving the Eugene-Springfield area for which Springfield provides administration, were honored to be recognized with awards from the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) earlier this month.

Environmental Services Supervisor Todd Miller received an individual National Environmental Achievement Award (NEAA) for his exemplary environmental leadership and service to the MWMC, City of Springfield, and City of Eugene, as well as the Pacific Northwest region and beyond. Todd oversees planning level efforts associated with the MWMC's Capital Improvements Program, as well as several regional sustainability initiatives, such as poplar harvests on the MWMC Biocycle Farm, recycled water, and riparian restoration projects. He was one of only three national recipients of the individual Environment Award.
The City of Springfield received an NEAA award in the Public Information & Education Video category for our Capacity, Management, Operations, and Maintenance (CMOM) video. Click the button below to view the video.
Additionally, the MWMC received an NEAA award in the Public Information & Education eMedia category for the Community Partnership for Clean Water video and digital campaign. Click the button below to view the video.
Lead Communications Coordinator Loralyn Spiro and Communications Coordinator April Miller accepted the awards on behalf of the City of Springfield Development & Public Works Department and the MWMC. Numerous City of Eugene and Lane County staff members, along with other partners, also contributed to the MWMC’s partnership video, and the MWMC extends their gratitude to those collaborators.

To learn more about the MWMC and the work they do on a regional basis to clean water and protect the environment, visit mwmcpartners.org. To learn more about the City of Springfield’s efforts to protect our local waterways, visit springfield-or.gov/city/development-public-works/.
Your Dog Could Be Our Next Calendar Dog
In March, the City of Springfield’s Stormwater Team will be hosting a dog photo contest and selecting 12 Springfield pooches to photograph and feature in our Canines for Clean Water 2023 Calendar. All Springfield dogs are encouraged to enter! To join in the fun, keep an eye out at the end of March for when and how to enter the 2023 Calendar Contest!

Details will be posted on the City of Springfield’s Facebook page, and on our website at bit.ly/caninecal. Every year since 2012, this glossy, 12-month calendar has celebrated Springfield’s best friends and reminded us all to #scoopthepoop to keep bacteria out of our rivers and streams. The calendar is distributed for FREE to Springfield residents in November.  
Discover Habits That Help Habitats
Clean water is fundamental to everyday life in Springfield. It’s part of how we live, play, and do business. Our waterways contain pollutants resulting from everyday actions that may seem small but add up when multiplied across the city. This pollution is easily preventable. 

To keep water and waterways clean, the City’s environmental experts on the Stormwater Team have collected Springfield's top areas of concern in one easy brochure. It has a table that identifies pollution causes and how to keep water clean.
Find it in your March bill from Springfield Utility Board, or view it online using the button below.

Operations
Increasing Our Urban Canopy
During his 2022 State of the City Address Mayor Sean Van Gordon shared his long-term goal of increasing our urban canopy. The Operations Division is responsible for managing our City trees. This includes trimming, maintaining and planting trees throughout the City. Last year 25 trees were planted in Springfield and already this year 35 trees have been planted with more planned in the near future.
 
Some of these trees are being planted on Centennial Boulevard between Pioneer Parkway and 5th Street to replace paperbark birch trees that were removed last year. The birch trees were dying after sustaining storm damage, an infiltration of the bronze birch borer (a native beetle), and root rot.
 
Additional trees were planted in other City right-of-ways on 69th Street, north of Main Street and on Centennial Blvd near Mill Street. These trees not only add to the beauty of our community but also increase our urban canopy and help reduce hot summer temperatures and air pollution.
Unique Projects
Our technicians from the Operations Division of Development and Public Works occasionally encounter unusual projects. Recently our stormwater and wastewater team came across a couple of projects that took some creative problem solving to get the job done.
 
For example, a wastewater line accessed through private property had backed up and created a problem. This led our crew to find a tangled nest of roots growing down into a maintenance access hole. The roots had grown under the asphalt and followed the path of least resistance into the wastewater system. The crew had to find a way to remove the roots without letting them fall into the pipe below. They tried lifting them altogether with heavy equipment, but this method didn’t work because the roots were too heavy. They ended up cutting the top section of roots piece by piece, securing each segment and pulling it up. Once the roots had been cleared enough to gain entry, a technician was lowered into the hole to cut and remove the rest of the roots. One of our longtime techs said they haven’t seen anything like this in their 30-year career.
Another project requiring a bit of innovation was a failing wastewater line our technicians had been dealing with at S A and S 5th Street. This pipe had deteriorated over time and was at risk of failure, so it had to be replaced. The failing pipe runs across S A Street which posed a construction problem because of the effect it would have on traffic. Our engineer designed the replacement line to connect to the mainline on S 5th street instead. Crews tore up the street and sidewalk, and dug into the ground to locate the pipe and make the necessary connections. With the new pipe in place, wastewater was flowing smoothly. Then the sidewalk was replaced, and our streets team came in to repair the road.

Click the image below to see what it took to get the job done.
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