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drawing he estimated the building to be 90 feet tall. He sought to delineate the stark difference in sizes <br />between the larger proposed building and surrounding buildings. <br /> <br />th <br />Mike Westervelt <br />, 853 East 20 Avenue, was extremely concerned regarding the proposed seven-story <br />building project. He said Alder Street was a significant bicycle route. He believed the project would create <br />“chaos and danger” for cyclists because the developer was choosing to build with the minimum setbacks, <br />which would reduce visibility. He strongly encouraged the council to revisit the future of the South <br />University Neighborhood. He read a letter from Bill Aspegren, a neighbor. Mr. Aspegren reiterated <br />concerns regarding bicyclist safety, the height of the building, and that only 40 parking spaces were planned. <br />He was not against steps to gain control of sprawl but believed that safety of bicycle routes must take <br />priority over “uncontrolled development.” He urged the council to ask the developer to scale down the <br />project. <br /> <br />st <br />Janet Heinonen <br />, 1012 East 21 Avenue, expressed concern that there would be nothing left to connect <br />Eugeneans with their historic roots. She averred that the City was “poised to lose” Civic Stadium and Mac <br />Court. She felt the prospect of a seven-story building “looming over” the University neighborhood was <br />depressing. She believed a “high-rise building for students” without any supervision threatened the <br />residential integrity of the existing neighborhood. She questioned the wisdom of the zoning in the area, <br />noting that zoning allowed up to a 12-story building across the street from R-1 homes. She said the R-3 <br />areas nearby were all characterized by three-story buildings. She thought the original zoning was in the <br />context of grandfathering-in group living residences, mostly fraternities and sororities. She urged the <br />council to address the zoning designation. She recalled the movement to preserve Hayward Field in the <br />1980s. <br /> <br />Marilyn Milne <br />, 2156 Harris Street, remarked that the University neighborhood would have a front row seat <br />for the Olympic Trials. She expressed appreciation for the grants the council provided for the neighborhood <br />groups in recognition of the congestion the trials would bring. She reiterated opposition for the “de facto <br />th <br />dormitory” planned for 19 Avenue and Alder Street. She believed that area of the neighborhood was <br />incorrectly zoned. She predicted Olympic Trials fans would come and go through construction of the <br />building and this could present safety issues. She thought the building, if it was constructed as planned, <br />would be a “big permanent mess” that people would later regret. She believed the City Council could take <br />action by directing the City Manager to have staff work with the area residents on a permanent solution and <br />planning a work session on four topics: a moratorium on the building until after the Infill Compatibility <br />Standards Committee finished its work, a land use code amendment that did not conflict with the Metro <br />Plan, the direction to the Planning Department and City Manager to bring the minor code amendment <br />process forward immediately, and expansion of the definition of infill to also include the number of residents <br />per household. <br /> <br />Linda Carnine <br />, 5455 Saratoga Street, opposed the WOPR and supported a resolution against it. She said <br />people were consumers who relied on producers. She averred that old growth forests were some of the best <br />producers in the world. She stated that clear-cutting damaged the McKenzie River and its tributaries. She <br />believed the area was a “jewel” and the cutting of tens of thousands of acres of old growth would be wrong. <br />She also wished to underscore the importance of habitat for other animals. <br /> <br />Drix <br />, Ward 3, said he was present because he loved the town. He felt the holes in the downtown area <br />presented a wonderful opportunity because they contained nothing at present. He thought they could be <br />filled with buildings, but said the town should think about what to put in them. He related that he had <br />attended a meeting of the Eugene Tree Foundation and had enjoyed meeting the people there. He noted that <br /> <br /> <br />MINUTES—Eugene City Council February 11, 2008 Page 4 <br /> Regular Meeting <br /> <br />