CC Minutes - 03/13/06 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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downtowns were attractive because parking was unnecessary. He stated that he worked at Sundance Natural Foods and he wondered if he should fear for his job should Whole Foods Grocery open in Eugene. He worried for the other smaller community stores. He likened the proposed parking garage to subsidizing “our own loss of soul.” He felt Whole Foods should foot the bill if is wanted more parking. Zachary Vishanoff , Patterson Street, suspected that the reason a parking garage was being proposed for the downtown area was that the area was the second choice for a University of Oregon basketball arena. He opposed a Whole Foods Grocery moving into Eugene. He thought the no-bid contract tied into the Government Service Administration. th Virginia M. Lo , 1855 East 28 Avenue, brought a letter signed by seven faculty and staff from the Department of Computer Science of the University of Oregon opposing the project. She called the downtown an “important asset for all of us.” She opined that the need for a new parking garage was dubious. She opposed the no-bid contract. She felt the parking garage was a public subsidy for a corporation from Texas that could hurt the local food industry. She did not like that the proposed parking garage used public money to close the opportunity for a greenway. She did not feel there had been enough time to consider the issues given that the public hearing had been scheduled two days prior to the vote. She asked the council to slow down. th Madeline Smith , 594 West 11 Avenue, said it was difficult to “figure out what to do.” She wished to make Eugene a place that was a showcase of alternative energy technology, “permatopia organic farming practices,” and the rational rationing of all resources. George T. Boehnke , 2040 Willamette Street, likened urban renewal funds to manure: if you did not spread it around, nothing grew. He said the City of Eugene used urban renewal funds to purchase a library. He stated that the 90 businesses that had moved from downtown Eugene never came back. He thought that the parking garage was for the federal courthouse. He exhorted the City Council and staff to “own up to it” and ask the United States government for the funds to build the garage. Gary Wildish , 2424 Quince Street, hoped that the council understood that the no-bid contract was exactly what the City of Eugene did routinely in the selection of an architect or an engineer. He said this process had been used for many years and it had been found that a better project could be delivered at a lower cost and timelier manner using this method. He averred that contractors understood costs. He stated that Lease Crutcher Lewis used a number of subcontractors and every craft working on the project would be required to submit a bid. He thought the team concept was very viable. Terry Connolly , 1401 Willamette Street, spoke on behalf of the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce. He reminded the council that a great deal of staff time, Planning Commission time, and council time had gone into the adoption of the Downtown Plan. He said policies need to be more than documents on a shelf. He called this project a chance to take another step forward in implementing the Downtown Plan. He read a portion of the plan aloud which emphasized the importance of being flexible and committed to responding to opportunities. He said the project was in line with the goals and policies of the plan. Danelle Zeghbib , 1618 Villard Street, stated that she was a student of architecture and a graduate teaching fellow in the environmental studies department. She said it seemed like the Whole Foods Grocery might be a step in the direction of having a more vibrant downtown but if the City could afford to finance a parking structure then it should be able to support a sustainable economy and the promotion of environmental sustainability. She felt that by funding a new parking structure, the City was sending a message that MINUTES—Eugene City Council -- March 13, 2006 Page 21 City Council Meeting