CCMinutes - 12/06/04 WS - Laserfiche WebLink

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rehabilitate the building or seek removal of the historic designation. Responding to a follow-up question from Mayor Torrey, Mr. Schoening said that to this point, the City had been dealing with willing sellers. The City had not yet approached the property owners affected by the Patterson Street underpass. If the council adopted the supplemental budget and the agreement with McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center was completed, the City would begin discussion with those property owners. Mayor Torrey said regardless of what happened on the Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB) site, planning for access to the site was extremely important, and he hoped the council would support the proposal. He did not think EWEB's location on the site represented the property's highest and best use. Mayor Torrey called for council questions and comments. Mr. Kelly commended the staff materials. He acknowledged the complexity of the issue and suggested that the hospital relocation could help both EWEB and the community accomplish their long-term goals. He expressed appreciation for the McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center's willingness to make the investment, and liked that the funding for the access was tied to revenues from the hospital. He emphasized the importance of pedestrian and bicycle access through the area. Mr. Kelly agreed with the mayor that the funding represented a planning opportunity. He believed it premature to suggest what, if anything, the City would do in terms of construction if the hospital did not locate on the site, as the access might not be suitable for another use on the site. Mr. Kelly asked for a memorandum on the status of the triangle next to the courthouse property. City Manager Taylor pointed out that the fate of the property in question was dependent to some degree on the alignment of the road. The eventual location of the steam plant was another complicating factor. Mr. Kelly said a paragraph or two would be sufficient. Ms. Bettman agreed with the mayor's comments and agreed with Mr. Kelly that the subject was very complex. However, she emphasized the council's goal of having a downtown hospital so that Eugene had life-saving emergency services for the highest concentration of the City's population without the need for a bridge crossing. She appreciated the efforts of all those who had brought the proposal forward, especially the council because of its continuing support. Ms. Bettman highlighted issues of concern to her, including whether the riparian area would be transferred or purchased, and its location. She asked if there was a buffer from the river's edge, and if it was measured from the top of the riverbank or the river's edge. She suggested that area might be protected already because of the Willamette Greenway. City Manager Taylor said the riparian area was not protected by setbacks in the area that the EWEB headquarters were currently located. The City's examination would focus on which edge to purchase. He believed that the property would be purchased, although it could be protected with a conservation easement. Ms. Bettman supported buying the widest possible easement. Ms. Bettman expressed appreciation for the vote of the EWEB commissioners in support of the sale of the property, and acknowledged they still needed to do due diligence. She thought the City's actions facilitated making the sale an easier transaction. She supported the proposal. Mr. Meisner also commended the staff materials, and thanked McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center and EWEB for their efforts as well. He acknowledged that the EWEB commissioners were in a difficult position given the many unknowns. He appreciated the hospital's willingness to advance the needed money, and agreed it was difficult to do a site plan without more information about access to the site. MINUTES--Eugene City Council December 6, 2004 Page 4 Work Session