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planting strips was too extreme and pushed the concrete footprint into existing front yards. She pointed out <br />that there was a bicycle path with separate traffic lanes and eight access points two blocks south of Elmira <br />Road. She related that residents would also lose their on-street parking unless they paid $650 per parking <br />bay. She underscored that the majority of residents opposed the design as currently proposed. She opined <br />that staff had not listened to the residents. <br /> <br />Wes Palmer <br />, 3320 Elmira Road, and his wife strongly opposed redoing the road. He averred that removing <br />the mature trees would take away the appeal of their street. He said the mature landscaping had contributed <br />to their decision to buy their house. He stated that the planting strips and bicycle lanes would take away the <br />available parking. He related that even if they paid for a parking bay in front of their home they would still <br />be losing parking capacity. He felt the mature trees gave the street a feeling of separation from the nearby <br />industrial areas and property values would be lowered by their removal. He asked the councilors to help the <br />neighbors maintain the unique appeal of their neighborhood. He added that the assessment represented <br />approximately one-third of his annual income. He believed this was true for many of his neighbors. He felt <br />it would be a burden in the face of a potential depression. His wife noted that one of their neighbors had <br />been so opposed to the plan that he moved. <br /> <br />Thomas Young <br />, 3324 Elmira Road, said he had attended two meetings with City staff. He felt the staff had <br />not listened “at all.” He did not feel he should have to pay for something he did not want in the first place. <br />He was not against having road improvements but he believed current plans represented taking the <br />maximum road allowance. He averred that the economic situation had changed and most of the residents <br />were on fixed incomes. <br /> <br />Laura Gillpatrick <br />, 2350 N. Terry Street, #75 said, while she did not reside on Elmira Road, she was a <br />member of the Active Bethel Citizens (ABC) steering committee. She related that the steering committee <br />had voted to support the Elmira Road petition. She had spoken with many Bethel residents. She felt that <br />continuing the discussion would empower residents. <br /> <br />Kim Crieger-Goodwin <br />, P.O. Box 2421, spoke in support of the expansion of the boundary of the Multiple <br />Unit Property Tax Exemption (MUPTE) into the Trainsong neighborhood. She explained that she was a <br />real estate agent; she had sold real estate and managed apartment rentals for 13 years. She related that her <br />family had purchased a property on Aberdeen Street in the Trainsong neighborhood approximately ten years <br />earlier. She said they wanted to create energy efficient, clean, livable multi-family dwellings with open <br />space and garden space. She noted that it was an area with very few parks. She averred that the area’s <br />potential for redevelopment was low as it would only support lower-priced rentals. She asserted that it was <br />very difficult to break even on a project like that even if it was using federal support. She said the property <br />her family owned was zoned R-4, residential. She related that quantity would help such a project break even <br />but she did not believe high density development was practical given how much of the land would be taken <br />up by parking and the building footprint. She wanted to develop something that would not be substandard <br />housing. <br /> <br />Carol Berg-Caldwell <br />, 2510 Augusta Street, said her commentary in the Register Guard on the previous <br />day primarily sought to commend the Eugene Police Department (EPD), the University of Oregon’s <br />Department of Public Safety (DPS), and student groups for the successful pre-Halloween planning that had <br />resulted in “far less tumult.” She recapped her commentary. She suggested that revenues from the <br />approximately 248 citations for alcohol-related offenses issued on Halloween be allocated to youth drug and <br />alcohol rehabilitation services. She also reiterated her concern that the police were not receiving adequate <br />access to counseling. She felt the “psychic toll” on police due to what they witnessed in their work “must be <br />immense.” She believed the City could avoid a certain amount of litigation if the police were less impacted <br />by their work. She closed her comments by congratulating the Mayor on her reelection and commending <br />MINUTES—Eugene City Council November 10, 2008 Page 3 <br /> Regular Meeting <br /> <br />