City Council Newsletter - 12/20/07

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interested in learning more about the program is encouraged to contact Deputy Fire Marshal Sandra Johnston at 682-5420. City’s Recreation Guide Offers Activities for All The City of Eugene’s newest Recreation Guide that will soon begin arriving in mailboxes contains activities, classes and programs for all ages. This guide combines winter and spring seasons, including activities occurring from January 1 through May 31, in aquatics, child care, outdoor adventures, adaptive recreation, team athletics, arts, youth and family, spring break camps, and adult programs. Among the hundreds of offerings are: a class in tape sculpture, a new art movement, for youth age 8-12; a free fly fishing festival for all ages; a springboard diving class for ages 8 and up; a course on GPS (Global Positioning Systems) for ages 18 and up; a line dance class for adults and seniors, and an adapted scuba diving class for people with physical disabilities. Some of the returning programs are Kid City Adventures day care and RecZone after-school care, activities for no-school days, teen leadership programs, alpine ski adventures, land and water fitness classes for all ages, and a series of talks on topics of interest to adults age 55 and up. The Recreation Guide is also available at any Eugene community center, swimming pool, Downtown or . For information, contact Kathy Madison at branch libraries and online at www.eugene-or.gov/rec 682-6342. Planning Commission to Consider Water Quality Overlay Zone This week, notices of an upcoming Eugene Planning Commission public hearing were sent to owners of approximately 614 properties that would be affected by a proposal to protect water quality in certain local waterways. On January 15, 2008, the commission will hold a public hearing to consider the proposal to establish a Water Quality Overlay Zone and apply the overlay to properties within Eugene city limits that contain or are adjacent to waterways identified as important to protect for their water quality functions, and are otherwise unprotected. The proposal also includes provisions for applying the overlay zone to identified properties currently located outside the Eugene city limits but inside the urban growth boundary, if and when the owner chooses to annex to the city. At the heart of the effort is the recognition that waterways provide significant benefits and that land development practices can have water quality impacts. The proposal also responds to federal Clean Water Act provisions that require Eugene to bring any “water quality impaired” waterways into compliance with state and federal water quality regulations. The Willamette River, Amazon Creek, Amazon Diversion Channel, A3 Channel and Willow Creek are all listed as “water quality impaired” waterways on the Environmental Protection Agency’s 303(d) list. Local plans and policies also seek to protect waterways for their water quality benefits including treatment capabilities. The current proposal is a revision to one initially presented to property owners, interested persons and the general public in June 2006. Significant revisions were made as a result of issues raised during initial public outreach. The current proposal would apply Water Quality Waterway protections only to the original waterways of concern that are not otherwise protected by Goal 5 natural resource protections. Proposed setback widths for water quality have been adjusted to be comparable to existing Goal 5 natural resource setback widths. The outcome of the Water Quality Protected Waterways proposal would be a system of waterways that are protected from further water quality degradation caused by uses and development activities within and adjacent to them. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2 January 10, 2008