CC Minutes - 09/28/09 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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meeting that morning the issue of form-based code prohibiting development of car-oriented business in the Walnut Station area, which would force residents to travel out of the neighborhood for those services. He said parking reductions of 50 to 75 percent on new development was also discussed and that would exacerbate parking problems that would arise with construction of the new arena and student housing. He said using eminent domain to seize property along the north and south sides of Franklin Boulevard for a multiway boulevard was always discussed and all of those issues were important to the public and should be televised. Richard Herman , Eugene, executive director of Metropolitan Affordable Housing, thanked the Allocation Subcommittee of the Housing Policy Board (HPB) and the board itself for selection of the Willakenzie Crossing affordable housing project. He said the review and selection process was very thorough and the questions being raised about the project had been addressed through that process. He said that 16 of the units in the project would include support services for those with developmental disabilities. He stated his organization’s commitment to working with neighbors and the Willakenzie Grange Hall and being sensitive to the historic significance of the grange. Design concepts honored the grange hall and the site and were responsive to neighbors’ concerns. Metropolitan Affordable Housing had been a good neighbor with all of its previous projects. He thanked the Mayor and council for their continued support of critically needed affordable housing. Kevin Matthews , Eugene, president of Friends of Eugene and Southeast Neighbors, said it was exciting to see the council engaged in the ECLA process. He hoped that the framework of collecting advisory committee comments within the next five days would not be misinterpreted as limiting future comments from the CAC. He said the consultant team was still in the process of working on accounting for actual mixed- use - commercial and residential - development and even though the CAC was not scheduled to meet again he hoped they would be able to review and comment on that work. Mayor Piercy closed the public forum and called for comments from the council. Councilor Clark thanked the students for sharing their experiences. He said there was no intent to limit future citizen input. He appreciated the comments regarding cleaning up downtown and intended to request a work session to discuss strategies. Councilor Zelenka thanked the students for being ambassadors from Eugene. He said the council was aware of the employee furlough situations; very difficult decisions had to be made to address the $12 million budget shortfall and it was a choice between impacting a few people deeply or affecting everyone a little bit. Councilor Poling thanked the students for representing the community so well. He said questions about the affordable housing project were raised at a recent Harlow neighborhood meeting and hoped those could be addressed when that agenda item was considered. He did not view the request for comments as limiting public input; it was an effort to obtain clarification on a very specific and complex issue. He understood the impact of budget cuts on employees, but current financial conditions required tough decisions. Councilor Ortiz applauded the students who visited Korea and their articulate descriptions of their experiences. She would support a request for a work session regarding how to address problems in downtown and was aware of the concerns of businesses in the area. She said other organizations were also experiencing financial problems and shared her family’s experience with budget cuts. She supported the City Manager’s difficult decisions. MINUTES—Eugene City Council September 28, 2009 Page 3