Item 2A: Approval of City Council Minutes

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Ms. Taylor said she was disturbed about building a massive parking lot and if the patrol facility were downtown it would be easier to use public transportation. She suggested that officers could drive their patrol vehicles home. She liked the idea of using the federal building if the space could be purchased or leased on a long-term basis. She asked how a new building would be more linked to the river than the current City Hall. Mr. Cohen said the intent was to begin developing 8th Avenue as a great street and a connection between the park blocks and the river. Mr. Clark concurred with the importance of encouraging alternate modes of transportation, but was pleased that the police facility would have adequate vehicle parking, as that was an integral part of effective police functions. He did not believe that individual transportation modes would ever be eliminated and should be accommodated in future plans. He said that consolidation was a major consideration and would support use of the federal building as a transition tool. He hoped that some element of the city hall building could face east to represent facing the future. Mayor Piercy agreed that the architecture should reflect Northwest design, but it should not be expensive or difficult to maintain. She urged that the parking lot site across 8th Avenue be considered in the great street concept. She noted that patrol vehicles were shared from shift to shift and it would not be feasible for officers to take vehicles home. Ms. Bettman thought it was a mistake to equate use of wood as a design element with the problems associated with the exterior of the current building. She cited many examples in which wood was used as a structural or design element effectively. She objected to surface parking that was not underground or embedded in the building because that was an inefficient use of land. Mr. Zelenka agreed with Ms. Bettman's remarks about use of wood as a design element. He liked the concept of using the lobby area as a multi-purpose public use space in option 1a. He was interested in how the parking lot property across 8th Avenue would be integrated into the great street concept and linkage to the river. He wanted to provide police with a patrol facility that met their needs in the least expensive way, which was why it would be located outside of the downtown area and include surface parking; structured or underground parking was several times more expensive. Mr. Penwell said that parking associated with the patrol facility would be a subject for further discussion at the March 2008 meeting. Ms. Teninty determined that councilors preferred design option 1 and asked for any additional feedback for the design team to consider. Mayor Piercy observed that buildings were always more attractive at night when they were lighted and hoped to see daylight design drawings at the next work session. Mr. Macy determined there was agreement with the placement of the council chamber in the design and asked for other comments on chamber design. Ms. Bettman said she would prefer more wood accents, but did not feel there needed to be a water feature visible from the chamber. She wanted a simple, utilitarian space that was comfortable and provided good acoustics. MINUTES—Eugene City Council December 12, 2007 Page 5 Work Session