Item 4A: Approval of City Council Minutes

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Fred Long , 810 Crest Drive, Eugene, said he was an assessed property owner, a member of the design team and a bicyclist who commuted to work and rode recreationally. He said that bicycle accessibility and safety was an important consideration during the design process and the Eugene Bicycle Coalition was involved throughout; recent concerns were expressed primarily by one individual and not based on accurate information. He said designated bike lanes were not well suited to streets in the neighborhood and increased street widths would mean increased car speeds. He urged support for narrower, safer streets. Desiree Rogers , 3131 Storey Boulevard, Eugene, said she was an assessed property owner. She was opposed to designing Crest Drive area roads like West Broadway or Willamette Street. She said the proposal for 18-foot street widths would calm traffic, allow for shared driveways and be consistent with traffic volume. Virginia Starling , 3302 Storey Boulevard, Eugene, remarked that concerns had been raised about school buses, emergency vehicles and garbage trucks traveling on Crest Drive area streets. She pointed out that those vehicles had been traversing the neighborhood's 18-foot streets without incident since the streets were built. She urged the council to leave the neighborhood as its residents wished. Laura Bailey , 2932 Friendly Street, Eugene, said her property would be assessed. She asserted that safety for all residents, pedestrians, emergency vehicles, school buses, commercial vehicles and bicycles was a primary consideration during the design process, along with preservation of the neighborhood character and environment. She said national experts recommended narrow streets for traffic calming and better pedestrian and bicycle safety. She asked the mayor and council to visit the neighborhood and experience the tranquil, rural environment. Frank Calciano , Crest Drive, Eugene, expressed concern with the cost of the project and said narrower street widths would represent a cost savings to the City and residents. He recommended 18-foot street widths and noted that there were neighborhoods throughout the community with narrow streets and the current design standards would present problems for them as well. He said approval of the Crest Drive neighborhood's request for 18-foot street widths could be an example to other neighborhoods facing similar design challenges. Hal Huestis , Friendly Street, Eugene, said his property would be assessed for the project. He pointed out that the proposed street designs for the neighborhood were all different to accommodate each street's unique features and issues and preserve neighborhood character. He said that all designs included a sidewalk on one side, solved draining issues and provided traffic calming. He urged support for 18-foot widths and the unique street designs. Meg Stewart Smith , 346 Crest Drive, Eugene, said her property would be assessed. She spoke to the spiritual values of the design team and how they were expressed in the physical aspect of the road design, particularly the 18-foot width. She hoped the council would support the neighborhood's design proposal. James Reed , Eugene, said he had been a member of the design team and thanked all of those involved in the process. He said technically a 20-foot roadbed would fit, but the issue was not what fit but what was best for the neighborhood. He indicated that livability and neighborhood character were factors in the context MINUTES—Eugene City Council October 15, 2007 Page 3 Public Hearing