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there. He wondered why people were finding ways to oppose a project that was in perfect harmony with the Downtown Plan. He found it ironic that most of the opponents to the project were in support of smart growth principles and were anti-sprawl. He called the project a “poster child for smart growth.” He said there was a documented need for parking in the proposed area and the City would never get another garage in such a strategic location and at a better price. He felt this was an opportunity to say ‘yes’ to exactly the kind of development that Eugene’s downtown vision and plan called for. He added that in the late 1960s Eugene had said ‘no’ to Nordstrom’s and the store had gone to Salem. Alex Brokaw , 1123 Barber Drive, asked the council to trust Planning staff. She said they had studied and researched the proposal. She felt that should this project fell apart as a result of the “actions of a vocal minority” then it was very possible other plans for revitalizing downtown Eugene would go down the drain. She urged the council to “stay the course” and vote for downtown Eugene’s future. Ruth Duemler , 1745 Fircrest Drive, opposed the parking garage project. She predicted that the cost of gasoline would increase to $10 a gallon in ten years. She felt it was short-sighted to focus spending on a parking garage and suggested that the money would be better spent on the library. She predicted a future with small neighborhood grocery stores that supported small local farms. She supported the idea of extending the park blocks to the river. She imagined that Eugene residents would adjust to a healthier lifestyle that involved more walking and bicycling. th Michael Coughlin , 860 West 38 Avenue, stated that he was a downtown building owner and co-owner of the only privately held garage downtown. He indicated that the parking garage was over 100 percent full. He had reviewed the Downtown Plan over the past few weeks and agreed there was a need for parking in the downtown area. He urged the council to move ahead with the Whole Foods Grocery project as it was an opportunity that should not be passed up. He thought if this got away from the City, the whole plan would “crumble.” He acknowledged that there were a lot of different viewpoints and praised the council for assimilating the information. He commented that the Giustina family had “done right” by Eugene and had done a wonderful job of developing properties. He felt they deserved the City’s backing. Roger Kaldahl , 975 Lewis Avenue, #8, spoke on behalf of the Laborers Union Local 121, which represented more than 200 construction craft laborers in the Eugene market. He said the Union supported moving forward with the development and allowing Lease Crutcher Lewis to perform the construction of the parking structure. He stated that the working relationship Lease Crutcher Lewis had with Local 121 allowed them to complete past projects safely, on time, and with the highest quality assurances. He thought because of the working relationships between the developer and contractor, and the ways and means with which Lease Crutcher Lewis conducted business, the cost savings to the City and taxpayers would be considerable. He said they used a trained and qualified workforce as well as utilizing a State-approved apprenticeship program to ensure that professional craftsmen continue to excel. Kathy Ging , PO Box 11245, said Eugene should take a cue from Cuba which had over 1,000 food kiosks that sold food grown inside and around the urban areas. She predicted Whole Foods Grocery would erode the profit margins of struggling local natural food markets. She asserted that Whole Foods made 12 flavors of hummus under its brand name and this would take away from some of the local, independent companies that make those products. She suggested that the City spend $45,000 to conduct a study of the feasibility of a 100,000 to 150,000 square foot covered space for parking and year-round marketing of farmers’ goods. She asserted that an indoor space would allow the farmers to build greenhouses and grow foods year-round. She predicted that farmers could grow 20 percent of Eugene’s food under those circumstances. She alleged MINUTES—Eugene City Council -- March 13, 2006 Page 18 City Council Meeting