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<br />The $440,000 project is scheduled to start immediately after Labor Day and be completed by October 19.
<br />State and federal funds are the primary sources of funding for the project. Most of the bikeway work
<br />involves installing signs and pavement markings, which will not cause significant traffic impacts. The
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<br />portion of the route between 8 and 13 avenues was repaved earlier this summer and, at that time,
<br />crews installed two “speed tables” to help slow down traffic.
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<br />As part of this project, the intersection of 8 Avenue, Monroe Street and Blair Boulevard will be
<br />reconstructed, creating a much safer intersection for bicycles, pedestrians and vehicles. This work will
<br />require closing the southernmost section of Blair Boulevard and about 200 feet of Monroe Street north of
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<br />8 Avenue for several weeks. Local businesses in that area have been contacted, and motorists will be
<br />encouraged to use alternate routes to avoid construction-related detours and delays. A neighborhood
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<br />matching grant was awarded this year for additional landscaping, art and other amenities at 8 and
<br />Monroe for the new public space that this project will create.
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<br />The need for a bicycle-friendly route between south Eugene and the Willamette River has been identified
<br />since 1979. The Monroe-Friendly bikeway fulfills this need, offering an onstreet connection between the
<br />Fern Ridge Path and the Ruth Bascom Riverbank Trail and providing a north-south connection between
<br />southwest Eugene and the downtown area. For more information, contact John Bonham, project
<br />manager, at 682-5300 or john.j.bonham@ci.eugene.or.us.
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<br />Solar Showers at Eugene Service Station
<br />Folks who rely on the Eugene Service Station for shower facilities – and those who pay the utility bills --
<br />will see big changes this fall. Thanks to a $123,000 grant from the City of Eugene’s federal Community
<br />Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, the showers and ventilation system will be renovated, and a
<br />solar water-heating system installed.
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<br />Located behind the Bethel Public Safety Station in St. Vincent dePaul’s Lindholm Center on Hwy 99N,
<br />the Service Station is a day shelter for homeless adults. In addition to taking showers, they can do
<br />laundry, get a meal, receive mail and messages, use the phone, access the Internet, and find day-labor
<br />opportunities. Due to council’s action to increase the budget, the Service Station is open seven days a
<br />week, year round. On a typical day, the center serves between 250 and 350 people.
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<br />In July (an average month), 2,555 showers were taken at the Service Station, according to Manager,
<br />Roxann O’Brien. After 12 years of continuous operation, the facility is worse for the wear. Constant
<br />moisture has compromised the ceiling and created a haven for anything that can survive daily sanitizing.
<br />“This project is going to make the showers a lot nicer,” she said. During peak wintertime usage, the
<br />shower usage contributes to utility bills that averaged $1,700 for several months running. Installation of
<br />a solar water-heating system will help control costs while yielding an approximate $10,000 rebate from
<br />the Energy Trust of Oregon. In light of the City’s commitment to both sustainability and addressing
<br />homelessness, the solar aspect of this renovation was particularly attractive.
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<br />For more information please contact Bob Briscoe, Planning and Development Department, at 682-5446
<br />or Bob.Briscoe@ci.eugene.or.us
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<br />Summer Recreation Programs Wind Down
<br />This week, many of the City’s summer programs are coming to an end. The last day of recreation
<br />summer camps is Friday, August 24, including Fun For All, the free, drop-in playground program. Also
<br />on Friday, the last of the Summer Concerts in the Park will be held as Hip Hopera performs at 6:30 p.m.
<br />at Churchill Youth Sports Camp. The performance follows the culmination of the summer Skateboard
<br />Contest Series.
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<br />Other outside music opportunities are still available, however, as the Washburne Park Band and Classical
<br />Series continues on Sundays through September 2, with a special finale on Monday, September 3, at 6:30
<br />p.m. at Agate St. Park. The last of the 2007 Summer Movies in the Park, “The Incredibles,” will be shown (in
<br />Spanish) at 9 p.m. on Friday, August 24, at Petersen Barn Community Center. The summer Swim and Polo
<br />League wraps up August 26, as does the Free Shakespeare in the Park Performances at Amazon Park.
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<br />As one season gears down, another is gearing up, with registration already underway for fall Recreation
<br />programming that begins September 1. For information, contact Kathy Madison, 682-6342.
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<br />EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2
<br />August 24, 2007
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