09/12/1988 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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. OLCO on the first and last issues, but said the issue regarding information from new inventories should be addressed by the City Attorney's Office. Responding to a question from Mr. Holmer, Mr. Jacobson said copies of the OLCO letter were available at this time. Mayor Obie opened the public hearing. Brian Simonitch, 208 East 2nd Avenue, said he was a resident of a historic district but had not received notice of the hearing. He spoke in favor of adoption of the ordinance and said the basic issue involves balancing property ri ghts. Mr. Simonitch believed there had been unwarranted demolition in the past and he urged care in preserving Eugene's history. Ross Sutherland, 300 Frederick Court, identified himself as a graduate student in the areas of interior architecture and historic preservation. He spoke in favor of the designation of interiors. Mr. Sutherland said very few interiors would be affected by this section of the proposed ordinance. He cited the Hult Center as an example of a building that would deserve future designation on the basis of its interior rather than its exterior. He pointed out several businesses whose success he attributed to their location in historic buildings with historic interiors. Mr. Sutherland said the proposed ordinance balances aesthetic concerns with financial reality. He asked for the council's support of the proposed ordinance which he said would be a model for other cities. - Nancy Nathanson, 2865 Taylor, spoke as the vice president of the Eugene Planning Commission. She reviewed the highlights of the commission's discussions of the proposed ordinance. Removing the commission from the appeal process was regarded positively because of the commission's lack of technical expertise and direct responsibility to the voters. Ms. Nathanson said the composition of the board relates to the issue of fairness. After discussing whether expertise creates bias, the commission suggested minor wording changes and reached agreement with the task team's recommendation in this section. The commission concluded that special skill is needed to determine the historic quality of a building. The suggested addition of a developer to the board has been incorporated into the draft before the council. Because the decisions of the board are quasi-judicial, it would be required to make findings to support its decisions. If there is real or perceived unfairness in the board's action, recourse is to the City Counci 1. In the area of interior designations, the Planning Commission suggested that interior features must be those that are attached to the structure itself, interiors may only be designated if the exterior of the building is designated as a landmark, and the public must have access to view the designated interiors. These suggestions have all been incorporated into the draft under consideration. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council September 12, 1988 Page 3