Roseburg Approves Zoning Change for High Density Apartment
Roseburg City Council approved amending a portion of the city’s zoning map on Monday to allow NeighborWorks Umpqua to pursue building a 70-unit apartment building on the south side of downtown. The city block contained within Lane Avenue, Main Street, Mosher Avenue, and Jackson Street is currently zoned as C3 - General Commercial but council approved changing it to Central Business District. NeighborWorks Umpqua owns two apartment buildings and a parking lot on that block and asked the city to approve changing the zoning. The plan is to demolish one building and build a new one with underground parking and 70 units. General Commercial would limit the plan to only 28 units instead of the 70 the nonprofit would need to make adding housing in that lot feasible. The city had a public hearing during the regularly scheduled city council meeting last night where people and organizations with a vested interest in the change could present their case. Erica Mills from NeighborWorks Umpqua and Victoria Hokanson who owns and manages the Hokanson’s Guest House Bed & Breakfast on Jackson Street spoke, along with two representatives for the hired architecture firm for the project, Studio C. Hokanson asked the council to consider whether the city wants or needs a building that could potentially be larger than any other building downtown. “It’s only good for the City of Roseburg to develop that and make it useful,” Hokanson said. “This whole process is in its infancy in the zone change and I again want to say, I am not opposed to development of that property, I just want it done right.” Councilor Bob Cotterell reiterated that neither Neighborworks Umpqua or the architect Studio C know yet just how large the building would be. “We absolutely have the best of intentions and the interest of Roseburg - the downtown community and Roseburg as a whole - at heart,” Mills said. Community Development Director Stuart Cowie said NeighborWorks Umpqua has demonstrated that they can provide adequate parking for 70 units on that lot, but needed the zoning change to explore the options further. This is the first step for NeighborWorks Umpqua for this project to increase housing in Roseburg. Before they can seek funding or finalize plans, they have to have the zoning changed.