CCMinutes - 09/27/04 Mtg - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

affordable housing over the past two decades. She said to the extent the City could help people in times of crisis and emergency and also create situations where people were in a position to purchase their first home or have security for their family, it should. She thanked Councilor Bettman for reading the proclamation and reiterated her commitment to continue to call on the state and federal partners to help the cities in the areas of fairness, equality, housing, jobs, and education. 2. PUBLIC FORUM Council President Bettman reviewed the rules of the Public Forum. Matthew Shuler, 890 West 36th Avenue, spoke regarding the recommendation to classify the Crest Drive corridor as a collector street. He appreciated the work City staff had put into this and felt the final result would be improved by the involvement of the neighbors. He averred the neighborhood was already well- served by a series of three strategically located collector streets which were adequate to handle the current and projected traffic counts. He felt the need for additional neighborhood traffic capacity was mitigated by the location of this area abutting the urban growth boundary (UGB). With no Eugene neighborhoods beyond to the south and the west, he asserted that adjacent neighborhoods to the north and east were separated and served by existing collectors and this made the designation of another collector in this area redundant. He also believed further development of the Ridgeline Trail system would preclude development in the surrounding area and that the Region 2050 study did not project growth in that direction. He said designation of a new collector and improvements in the infrastructure would encourage more cut-through traffic from the County. He felt the City and its residents should not be assessed for improvements that would only encourage more vehicles to leave existing collectors for perceived shortcuts through residential neighborhoods. He noted the council had decided not to convert a two-block segment of Willamette Street into a two-way street because of neighborhood testimony that it would negatively impact them. Continuing, Mr. Shuler stressed that, without the collector designation, the Crest corridor already received priority ice and snow removal and emergency vehicles were able to traverse every street in the area. He suggested that, if the goal was to increase connectivity and balance, it could best be prioritized through the Sundial Road connection and the 40th Avenue extension projects. He felt the need to repair existing roadways, create pedestrian amenities, and install some form of traffic calming could be accomplished within the existing street designation. Bruce Miller, PO Box 50968, provided testimony in writing. He suggested that Downtown Eugene, Incorporated (DE1) move its office into the Hilton Hotel. He called the number of businesses that had closed in downtown Eugene, which he estimated to be 150, ;;horrible." He thought some people should be removed from the Eugene Chamber of Commerce and DE1 because they were not doing their jobs. He felt most businesses in the downtown area were bringing in only enough income to make their payrolls. Lisa Warnes, 5020 Nectar Way, came as a representative of her neighborhood. She conveyed their deep concern regarding a 38-acre parcel that bordered Nectar Way, now owned by Joe Green. She explained that he was willing to sell it to the City for $600,000 and she hoped the City would consider purchasing it. She said the land was forested, with a large trail system, and numerous wildlife including Pileated woodpeckers, a sensitive species. She advocated for preservation of the area as it was valuable to everyone in the Eugene/Springfield area. MINUTES--Eugene City Council September 27, 2004 Page 2 Regular Session