03/27/1972 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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boundaries by realtors. He said it 'Would be diffioult for the State High'Way Commission to study alternate routes beoause of the large oommitment in terms of monetary oosts~ but that the State has not disoussed social oost. This is the oost the City 'WiZZ have to bear~ he said~ so the City should have some report on alternate routes sinoe the State olaims they 'Will not. ~- Mr. Mohr said 'What the Council needs to know is 'What the Defense Council is proposing so far as making the multidisplinary -team's report to the Federal Commissioner of Roads~ and how to avoid the State's making a oase to the Commissioner. ii Mr. Aldave replied that before the oontraot is signed with the State on oon - struotion of Highway 126 it should be knawn that this is the appropriate route and whether there are alternatives. He said the Council has the authority to withhold oonsent and make known what is wanted~ giving the citizens some right to disouss alternatives to what has been planned sinoe 1950. Mayor Anderson denied the inferenoe that there wiZZ not be proper publio hear- ing on this issue~ saying preliminary disoussions make it obvious a publio hearing wiU be held before any oontraot is signed. If there are findings in faot whioh are not oorreot or there is bias involved~ that wiU be -brought out in publio hearing. He said what reaUy is being done is foUawing a format adopted by the Federal government and making looal expertise input as effeotive as possible to go into a statement whioh oan be utilized. This oannot be done if a oommittee is appointed without faots with whioh to work and without 00- operation with the State Highway Department. The Highway Department is now busy with projeots in the Portland area so it oould be a matter of some months before they get to this projeot. He said he feels it 'Would be a grave mis- take to go ahead with a studY on the looal level without the State's help. Mrs. Beal asked if State Highway Department doownen'ts are publio doouments. Manager said he would asswne they are available to any citizen~ especiaUy to a oommittee appointed by the city of Eugene~ unless there maS some legal matter involved. Mrs. Beal oommented on the Planning Commission hearings and the amount of publio interest expressed in the idea of having an impaot study. She said beoause of the amount of work and being understaffed it 'Would seem the State would weloome the help of a oommunity organization suoh'as this. She agreed with merrbers of the Defense Council that no time should be lost in appointing the team~ that if they find they need information they surely would have the oo-operation of other agencies. Otto Potioha said he doesn't think' the initial assignment of the impaot studY oommittee was for a broad overview of ESA'ES. He said he feels it is impossible to make any studY with regard to the seotion of Highway 126 under disoussion 'Without taking other links into oonsideration. He said he sensed that the looal oommittee would be for input to the State team~ whereas it reaUy should be a group aoting in an advisory oapacity to the Planning Commission and Council. He also cited oosts to the City in terms of moving people from the right-of-way area~ the "cigar-shaped" pieoe of land left bei;;ween the traoks and the road~ the renewal task and loss of property ta:x;es~ eto. These are the items~ he asid~ the impaot study oommittee 'Was to oonsider. . Mayor Anderson said there has not been sufficient oontaot with the State be- oause of their work elsewhere to be able to work out these details. When that has been done then the Council may want to alter the oomposition of the looal oommittee so far as disciplines are oonoerned. It is stiU an issue of timing and whether the Council's judgment is oorreot in establishing liaison with the Highway Department before errbarking on the City's study. . Counoi Zman Hershner said he has the impression merrbers of the Defense Counoi l have the idea that an impaot study made by the State would be aooomplished so rapidly the City's oommittee would not have time 'to aot. He said there is no intent to bypass a looal study, that he would favor not taking any further aotion until there is more information on makeup of the State team. Councilman WiUiarns said there is no reason to appoint the looal oommittee until the State'is readY to 'Work~ then this oommittee would work 'With the State~ be cu.uare of what the State is doing and make reoommendationS to the Council if it is felt the State is not taking the proper aotion. He said they must work together in order to funetion intelligently. . Manager said in oonversation with Tom Edwards~ State High'Way Engineer, about the State's position at this time~ he was told the State is busy with impaot studies in the Portland area and has not made any deterrnincrtion whether staff wiU be' used or a oonsulting firm, but they would weloome any looal oommittee to 'Work with the people making the study. State representatives wiU oome to Eugene "-.) ,..-",) (J,C" 3/27/72 - 8