10/23/1989 Meeting (2) - Laserfiche WebLink

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e treatment should be considered. In addition, Mr. Saul maintained that because no final decision has been reached on the update of the sign code, it is too early to base decisions on the proposal to discontinue extending the Highway-Oriented District east of Henderson Avenue. He argued that the Highway-Oriented District is presently applied to properties designated for industrial use in the Metro Plan and zoned accordingly. Mr. Saul informed the council that during the past year, Mr. Vik has been approached by the City of Eugene Public Works Department with a request to place a sign on the property advertising the City of Eugene. For a private individual to place such a sign, the Highway-Oriented District would be required and Mr. Saul said the City should abide by the same standards that it applies to individuals. Randy Thwing, 975 Oak Street, Suite 650, asked the council not to base its decision on proposed changes to the sign code and to look at the facts and circumstances in the code as it presently exists. He said the appropriate designation is highway-oriented because the property is adjacent to and abuts a parcel with the same qualities that has that designation and because the code provides that signs in the Highway-Oriented District be oriented to traffic traveling at higher speeds than those on local or collector streets. David Boswell, Hilton Hotel Director of Sales and Marketing, spoke on behalf of Spencer Whitted and requested that the property be designated so as to allow construction of a billboard to advertise the Eugene Hilton and the City Conference Center. Mr, Boswell commented that many travelers on Interstate 5 bypass Eugene because there is a lack of signs directing them to downtown. e Shelley Dement, 446 Charnelton, concurred with Mr. Boswell's comments and pointed out that the Hilton has been on a waiting list for two years for billboard space in this area. There being no additional requests to speak, Mayor Miller closed the public hearing. Responding to questions, Marsha Miller, Building and Permit Division, explained that the ability to have a billboard is the main difference between industrial and highway-oriented sign districts. Any sign over 200 square feet in size is considered a billboard. As the council's representative on the Community Sign Advisory Committee, Mr. Rutan confirmed that the property in question was one of the sites proposed for a billboard-sized sign advertising Eugene. Regarding the Hilton Hotel's request for a sign, Mr. Gleason explained that billboard sites are subscribed on a waiting-list basis. State regulations require a certain distance between signs. Mr. Boles referred to written testimony received from Mike Holman and asked about the issue of access on 22nd Avenue. Ms. Czerniak explained that the portion of 22nd Avenue east of Henderson Avenue is included in this annexation proposal. The portion on the other side of Henderson Avenue is already within the city limits and is scheduled for improvements in FY92. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council October 23, 1989 Page 3