CC Minutes - 12/078/98 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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Gordon Wylie, 313 South Garden Way, stated that he had not signed a remonstrance regarding the proposed improvements to Garden Way because he had been informed that it was not the appropriate time to do so, but that it was a possibility he would join his neighbors in doing so. He said he did not believe that any urgency regarding improving Garden Way was warranted, and that the best solution could be found through holding a public hearing regarding the issues involved. He said he wanted to work with the City and develop the most equitable plan for street improvement. David Chase, 158 Garden Way, requested that Item 3E be removed from the Consent Calendar. He said that he lived in a home first owned by his grandfather, where his father had grown up. He described his family situation and stated that he did not feel he could afford the estimated cost of the assessment on his home for the proposed road improvements and that it made him feel disinherited and disenfranchised. He said more time was needed to evaluate and understand the proposed project. He suggested that the council correct inequities which existed in the policy of assessing property abutting street improvements because it created a demoralized community. Eben Fodor, 394 East 32nd Avenue, stated that he represented a group of Garden Way residents. He said he believed there were inconsistent remonstrance filing requirements in the City Code and City Charter. He described the inconsistency. He asked that Item 3E be removed from the Consent Calendar, that staff be directed to meet with Garden Way area residents to discuss street improvements, that remonstrance provisions of the City Code be brought into conformance with those in the City Charter, and that the council undertake revision of City assessment policy. Tom Mitchell, 3355 North Delta #45, stated that he was a resident of Lakewood Mobile Home Park and strongly supported the Delta Highway improvement project. He said he was concerned about safety issues related to the highway because its use would increase with new developments being planned for Ayres Road. Jean Robinson, 275 South Garde Way, reviewed the history of her family's property ownership on Garden Way. She emphasized the variety of century-old trees in the area which were planted by her grandfather. She said she believed additional high-density development would soon take place on property to the west of Garden Way and that consideration should be given to construction of a new road in that area. Ivy Dunlap, 3460 Oxbow Way, requested that Item 3E be removed from the Consent Calendar of the meeting. She said that she was a graduate student at the University of Oregon and that she realized improvements to Garden Way were needed, but that the schematic design proposed was "at car scale, not human scale." She said additional consideration should be given to placement of the street and to make it more pedestrian-friendly. She said she did not believe the proposed assessments for the improvements had been developed equitably. Jerry Thompson, 110 South Garden Way, stated that he was opposed to the proposed improvements to Garden Way and that he believed only the developer of new residences in the area supported it. He said he believed it was time to change assessment policies of the City. He said that he believed new apartments in the area should be required to pay for street improvements because it was their development which created a need for the improvements. Mayor Torrey determined no other persons wished to speak and closed the Public Forum. MINUTES--Eugene City Council December 7, 1998 Page 3 7:30 p.m.