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Sue Prichard <br />, 2671 Emerald Street, said she had represented School District 4J in its sale of the site and <br />several other surplus district properties. She supported the application as a good and appropriate project for <br />the area. She had received calls from 47 neighborhood residents interested in the property; three wanted the <br />school to remain in place or hoped the school would be purchased to be used as a city park, and the <br />remaining calls were interested in a quality commercial development that allowed people to go shopping <br />without driving into Eugene. People wanted to see the school commemorated in some way. She had also <br />received many calls from potential developers who wanted to buy land to meet the demand for commercial <br />land lacking in Santa Clara and Eugene generally, and with a desire to buy a sufficiently large piece of land <br />to allow for the creation of a neighborhood center to serve the neighborhood. She thought the plan being <br />proposed satisfied many desires and it would be well-planned and walkable. Ms. Prichard thought the <br />project was the right project for the site. <br /> <br />Lindsey Eichner <br />, 2860 Federal Place, supported the application. She said the proposed development would <br />provide close-in urban services that would allow her family to walk or bicycle rather than drive to reach a <br />restaurant and other services. She like the proposed plan because she thought it provided the neighborhood <br />with a sense of community with amenities such as the community plaza and the space provided for a farmers <br />market. She thought the concepts being contemplated would be a benefit to her and her friends who lived in <br />the area. <br /> <br />Lowell Eichner <br />, 2728 Calla Street, said there had been five new housing developments in his immediate <br />neighborhood. Santa Clara Square was built in 1983 and since that time not much commercial development <br />had happened. He believed the proposed development would be attractive and would provide many <br />opportunities for businesses and jobs. The development would also include housing and he thought such <br />housing was needed in the area. He characterized the area in question as somewhat run down and thought <br />the development would improve the appearance of the area. <br /> <br />Will Eicchen <br />, 406 Meredith Court, supported the applications. He had reviewed the plans and was pleased <br />to see the site would not be another grocery store or strip mall, but instead a mixed-use development with <br />stores of limited size. The plans represented a quality development with reasonable access, a good level of <br />parking, and wide pedestrian walkways that created a good neighbor feel. He thought the development <br />would be an asset to the Santa Clara community. <br /> <br />Rick Satre <br />, Satre & Associates, representing the applicant, said the applicant was seeking approval to <br />construct a mixed-use development that the applicant believed would contribute to both the Santa Clara area <br />and the community in general. He expressed appreciation to staff for its assistance and to the Planning <br />Commission for its favorable support. Mr. Satre emphasized that the applicant had worked closely with <br />staff and reached out to the neighborhood organization for its input. The applicant had presented the <br />emerging design vision to the community organization in January and the graphics shown that night were <br />included in Attachment M in the packet. He entered copies of the comments received from neighbors <br />presented that evening into the record. Mr. Satre characterized the proposed development as “C-2 Lite.” <br /> <br />Jerry Finnegan <br />, 1250 Irvington Drive, said the Santa Clara community organization had not taken a <br />position on the issue as its membership was split. He said that the property owner had come to three <br />meetings to listen to residents’ ideas. The residents wanted the heritage of the area preserved. The property <br />owner had subsequently met with the residents to discuss how to achieve what the residents would like to <br />see. Mr. Finnegan said the plans included many of the architectural features of the old school, and the <br />owner recently incorporated the farmer’s market concept. He did not think another developer would have <br /> <br /> <br />MINUTES—Eugene City Council February 19, 2008 Page 3 <br /> Public Hearing <br /> <br />