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The South Riverside Neighbor-hood takes up about 400 acres of land. ().

- Bill Rautenstrauch

The Observer

The next time you're driving along Island Avenue, near the line that divides La Grande from Island City, look to the empty, open fields to the north, toward Mount Emily.

Then ask yourself: What will that area be like in 20 or 30 years?

Local planners have been asking themselves the same question. They know that development in what they're calling the South Riverside Neighborhood is coming. And they know it will have to be managed.

"It's important to have a vision in place if urbanization of this land occurs," Tom Webster, a consultant hired under a grant to study the situation, said at a recent joint work session of the La Grande and Island City city councils.

Webster's Portland company, Otak, is nearing completion of its South Riverside Neighborhood Plan, a conceptual and not necessarily binding document that offers zoning, transportation and design solutions for the area.

After Webster submits a final draft at the end of June, La Grande and Island City will hold more work sessions, meet with area property owners, try to resolve concerns and consider joint adoption of the plan.

There are disagreements to be worked out. The adopted version may be quite different from the proposed one.

"This is kind of a work in progress," Webster said. "We'll give you our best recommendations and from there it's up to you."

The South Riverside Neighborhood takes up about 400 acres of land, the rough boundaries being Island Avenue (Highway 82) to the south, the Grande Ronde River to the north, and Interstate 84 to the west. The area narrows and stretches out to McAlister Road in Island City to the east.

According to a report submitted during the work session, potential, near-term development of 60 acres near the intersection of Island Avenue and Walton Road was the impetus for the plan. That piece is owned by local contractor and developer Mike Becker.

"There was some rumbling about development in the area, and that's how this got started," said Webster. "But we're not just looking at the Becker property. We want to take a look at a bigger picture in a 20-year time frame."

Rumors about Becker's plans for the property have circulated for a long time, but Becker spokesman Brian Cole said this week no projects are currently in the works.

"There are no specific plans right now, no developments we're negotiating. The plan is being formulated to allow for the possibility," Cole said.

Becker's 60 acres is part of a 144-acre primary study area, land that has been absorbed into the UGBs of Island City and La Grande.

A secondary area, about 256 acres, is included in the neighborhood plan because of its geographic location and the opportunities it presents for master planning, Webster said. Otak calls it an area of influence.

Last year, When Otak and the cities first began talking to area residents, they encountered particularly strong resistance from those living around Riddle and West roads to the east.

People there say they want to preserve their neighborhood's uncrowded, rural nature. Many say they don't want the area included in the plan.

La Grande City Planner Mike Boquist said that because the Riddle-West Road area falls within the area of influence and not the primary study area, no big changes are being suggested there.

The master planning for the primary study area includes zoning recommendations that may prove to be a sticking point in upcoming deliberations.

Otak proposes creation of Mixed Use Employment, Mixed Use Commercial and Mixed Use Residential zones.

The zones would apply to primary study area lands in both Island City and La Grande. They would replace the La Grande and Island city zoning ordinances in effect now.

Mixed use zones, said Webster, will allow development interests to adapt to market conditions.

"To say it's a mixed use zone allows flexibility," he said. "If there's an uptick in one sector or another, we want you to be able to respond to it."

Permitted uses in the Mixed Use Employment Zone would include light industrial, commercial and office, in addition to single-family, attached and low-density multi-family residential, and institutional and civic uses. The zone would fall into the eastern portion of the primary study area.

Mixed Use Commercial uses would include commercial, retail, offices and medical offices, attached and multi-family residential, and civic uses. The MUC zone would be in the west end.

The Mixed Use Residential Zone, along the river, would be predominately residential, with some neighborhood retail uses permitted.

The zoning code would include design standards covering commercial, residential and industrial uses.

The standards address issues such as building orientation, site layout, setbacks, building heights, architectural design standards and pedestrian amenities.

The zoning scheme doesn't have unanimous support. Doug Ross of the La Grande Planning Commission was one expressing doubt during the joint work session.

"Mixed uses cause problems," he said. "You always get someone who doesn't want a metal-roofed building next to his investment."

Island City Mayor Dale DeLong said Monday he thinks the plan, including zoning, needs a lot of fine tuning.

"We don't wholly agree with what's been presented. That's why there will be more work sessions," he said.

On transportation and connectivity issues, the plan proposes creation of a new public railroad crossing in the neighborhood's east end, and construction of a network of streets in the primary study area. Construction of the street network calls for the filling in of one of three quarry ponds in the primary study area.

A collector street running parallel to Island Avenue is important to the plan, Webster said.

"It's critical. It will reduce local trips on Island Avenue and support more diverse development over time," he said.

The neighborhood plan also provides for open space, anchored by a greenway along the river and the existing quarry ponds. A public park is also suggested.

Since beginning work on the plan, Otak has interviewed neighborhood residents in public open houses.

It has also held work sessions with city and Union County staff, the Oregon Department of Transportation, Union Pacific Railroad and Becker.

"Community outreach has been extensive and a lot of people have participated really well," said Webster.

Dates have not been set for future meetings.