Item A: Joint Meeting with Lane Transit District Board of Directors

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Planning & Development Planning MEMORANDUM City of Eugene 99 West 10th Avenue Eugene, Oregon 97401 (541) 682-5377 (541)682-5572 FAX www.eugene-or.gov Date: June 12, 2006 To: Mayor Piercy, Eugene City Council, and Lane Transit District Board of Directors From: Allen Lowe, Eugene Planning and Development Department Subject: Walnut Station Mixed Use Development Project The Walnut Station Mixed Use Development project was initiated in June 2005 to address changes that are occurring along the east end of Franklin Boulevard. The project is named for one of the ErnX station locations that will serve the area. The Walnut Station project was split into two distinct phases. Phase One, which has just ended, focused on the development of a vision and planning framework for the Walnut Station study area. Phase Two, scheduled to begin next month, will focus on plan development and implementation. The planning process employed over the past year included an extensive citizen involvement component that helped define a vision for the area. Several future scenarios (land use and transportation alternatives) were presented to area stakeholders in January and February following extensive discussions at public workshops, in property owner interviews, issues group sessions, and meetings with the Walnut Station Steering Committee. While the Phase One visioning process was intended to conclude with the selection of a "preferred alternative" that would provide a clear direction for future implementation work, the process fell somewhat short of that goal. On March 23, City staff and the project consultant met with the Planning Commission to review the elements of design that came out of the "preferred alternative" selection process. The Planning Commission noted that the Phase One process concluded with substantial agreement, by most stakeholders, on most of the elements of a plan for redevelopment of the area, but did not endorse a preferred alternative. They suggested, instead, that staff continue to seek agreement on the dozen or so design elements on which no agreement was reached during Phase One. Phase Two of the process will continue to seek agreement on a "preferred alternative" to guide planning for the area. In the meantime, the work that came out of Phase One of the process is being characterized as the "Emerging Vision" for the Walnut Station area. Following the meeting with the Planning Commission, the consultants, Urbsworks, prepared the final report on the Phase One project. The Walnut Station Phase One Report is included as Attachment D.l. In addition, a matrix that summarizes the issues that must be still be resolved before the Phase Two implementation plan can be developed is also attached. The matrix, entitled Walnut Station Emerging Vision - Issues to be Resolved in Phase Two is included as Attachment D.2.