01/28/1974 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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" - -----. 1 . -.-_. -_____~. , Councilman Hershner favored establishment of a subcommittee to work with j staff. He said that his support of that procedure did not necessarily indi- cate that he thought a tree cutting ordinance was needed. Councilman Keller ; agreed, saying too many factors were involved to make a decision now on i whether an ordinance is needed. He wondered about costs and manpower involved : in enforcement, distinguishing between small parcels of property and large acreages, etc. - I Councilman Wood said legal and administrative problems were recognized when : the draft was prepared and there was no intent to "ramrod" the ordinance ; through. He agreed that appointment of a subcommittee to work wi th staff : was the appropriate procedure. I I Councilwoman Campbell noted recommendation for a tree ordinance in the South ! Hills report and hoped that would be taken into consideration. Councilwoman Beal wondered whether the committee could be asked to consider 'also protection and maintenance of parking strip trees. She felt it a re- :lated subject and thought the City should take the responsibility, even if ~on the basis of billing costs to the owners of abutting properties. Council- man Wood said similar concerns were considered in preparation of the ordinance.; : Vote was taken on the motion as stated. Motion carried unanimously. 'Council President Williams appointed Councilmen Murray, Wood, and Keller as members of the subcommittee to work with staff on the tree cutting ordinance. . Edna Shirey, 3217 Whitten Drive, speaking for the Crest Drive Citizens Association, read letters from that Association and from the Laurel Hill citizens group, requesting a mora- torium on extensive tree cutting. They felt the moratorium would give the Council sub- committee on tree preservation time to thoroughly study the issue and possibly present guidelines which may become official City policy. They were opposed to indiscriminate cutting of trees not only in the South Hills are but in the entire City, and asked that the moratorium be effective until an ordinance was adopted. 1356 Nancy Cole, 225 West 35th Place, and Ruth Miller, 195 West 35th Place, supported the r~- quest for moratorium. Their concerns were with a present clearing operation near their homes which they felt was destroying the livability of the area. Tom Slocum, 1957 Potter Street, urged further study before adoption of an ordinance which would prohibit proper management of lax>ge stands of trees. He called attention to forest management practices of selective cutting and hoped regulations would not be adopted which would prohibit that. 1406 Mrs. Shirey said the Crest Drive group was not advocating the prohibition of all tree cut- ting. They were concerned with the results of indiscriminate cutting without proper plan- ning with regard to replanting, soil erosion, and undergrowth destruction in yarding operations. ". Councilman Wood supported the moratorium. He commented on the apparent breach of agreement in which the clear cutting operation in the South Hills area was to be discontinued. He re- ported on his inspection of the area and said there seemed to have been some'trees which could have been preserved. He felt the intent of the subcommittee in presenting the ordinance was not to prevent cutting of trees in the Eugene area, rather to evaluate areas where cut- ting was to occur with regard to slope, soil conditions, erosion possibilities, etc. Mayor Anderson thought the question of moratorium should be discussed in committee, thereby giving time for legal opinion and further discussion after no~ice to the public., It was introduction of a new subject, he said, and deserved legal advice and further discussion by Council before proceeding. Councilwoman Beal agreed that further discussion would result in better legislation. However, the moratorium would meet the emergency in the South Hills area where clear cutting would have a tremendous effect on the entire area. Answering the Mayor, Stan Long, assistant city attorney, said an opinion could be ready for the Council at its January 30 committee meeting. However, a moratorium ordinance could not be prepared in that length of time because of research necessary to prepare proper legisla- tion. Also, it would have to be subject to public notice, hearings, etc. Councilman Williams commented on his discussion with Fred Braatz, responsible for the clear cutting operation in the South HillS, and the agreement that no cutting would take place beyond the three and a half to four acres outside the ridge line study. Manager described the cutting which had taken place and said the misunderstanding and alleged breach of agree- ment was probably because of conversation with one of the owners that no further cuttirig would occur. '4t. ....;..: 2; 1/28/74 - 14