Item 2D: Resolution Approving Extension of Historic Tax Benefits

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the well connected pedestrian and bike friendly streets and alleys, the various individual and unique interpretations of building styles (especially those that typify and speak to the craftsmanship and keen aesthetic sense of past builders and architects), the well cared for front yard gardens, the heritage street trees that reach out over the neighborhood streets like the pillars and arches a gothic cathedral, and the nearby shops, restaurants, parks, schools (oops, those have all recently disappeared), public spaces, outdoor cafes and other places ideal for social interaction, all within easy walking distance. It is obvious why residents in these neighborhoods would choose to walk or bike to destinations year round. Our urban environment is what surrounds us in our daily lives. The urban environment is mainly a built environment and can divided into three categories: private, public and semi-public spaces. Private spaces are the insides of our homes and area of our backyards. Public spaces are city streets, sidewalks, parks and public buildings (like the library and city hall). Semi-public spaces consist of store window displays, front yard gardens, the facades and front porches of houses and buildings. Semi-public spaces should be a concern to everyone. Even though semi-public spaces are privately owned, they are evocative features of our shared surroundings. Their presence affects us aiL They can make our environment richer or poorer by contributing or taking away from our sense of place. Those aspects which enrich our environment with beauty or historic significance need to be protected. In terms of community values and their influence, semi-public spaces belong to everyone. It is well recognized builders of houses structures before WWH were working with a sense design and aesthetics that the overwhelming majority oftoday's builders remodelers do not possess. fine arts and the appreciation fine art have over disappeared from the school curriculum and also from our values. Three consecutive generations of Americans have now come of age during that time period, most of whom never had the opportunity to develop an aesthetic appreciation or vocabulary for architecture or music. Beginning with do-it-'yourself remodeling of the 1950s, picking up pace during the Renewal" debacle of the late 60s and early 70s and accelerating up through the last two decades, degradation and demolition of Eugene's historic structures have been occurring at an alarming rate. a sense place usually happens incrementally, one small piece at a time, often without widespread public reaction. my brief 16 years of living in Eugene, I have witnessed degradation of the historic fabric in the older central city neighborhoods. of sensitivity to aesthetics and historic preservation is rampant. Remodelers and rarely seek on what the appropriate methods and are for preserving the historic character and charm of buildings. Much of the remodeling is driven by investors buying up properties in historic neighborhoods with the sole purpose of maximizing the return on their investments by maximizing square footage and minimizing maintenance: replacing or paving over front gardens to create parking,