06/24/1974 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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Bob Guldin,' 860 Lawrence Street, read a petition signed by people living within the proposed neighborhood area requesting the Council not to recognize the group as speaking for th at neighborhood because it represented only business interests and there~cwas no real effort to involve people living in the neighborhood. He said that despite the fact . that the area is zoned for commercial uses there were several single- and multiple- family residences and those people were concerned with what the Association was doing. He said there were serious questions about whether the Downtown Wests ide group met qualifications set out in the city's police on recognition - geographical area, history of the group, availability of membership to a total and diverse area.' He noted the area covered approximately three blocks by seven blocks and wondered if that size would make an appropriate unit for the planning staff and Commission to deal with. He said it was originally part of the larger Quality Project group until the business people felt they should pullout, and that the history of its development as a group should be examined to see whether they really did speak for the people in that neighborhood. He noted that the 1990~Plan designated the area for medium density residential (so that planning for commercial uses would not appear to be a "cut and dried" thing. Mr. Guldin hoped the Counc~l ~ould no~ recogniz: the group as the ~fficial neighborhood organization, saying he d:dn ~ feel :t wouldflt the general requlrements of the city's neighborhood organlzatlon pOllGY. Others favoring 'Mr. Guldin's view and asking Council not' to !3.pprove the proposed charter (1067) were Nancy Tuuk, 814 Lawrence; Alen Setzer, 860 Lawrence; and Jerry Litz, 961 Lawrence. There being no further testimony, the pUBlic hearing was closed. Councilman McDonald was of the opinion that as long as the membership in this group was ~ open to tenants as well as property owners, and charged no dues or fee for voting rights, there would be no reason not to recognize them as the neighborhood organization. He recognized that it was an unusual area so far 'as zoning ,and'uses were concerned. Councilman Keller saw the problem of two organizations representing the wests ide area (~60) and the unique characteristic of the smaller neighborhood. However, he thought that as ,long as residents of the commercial area had notice of the group's meeting it was up to them t.o participate and in that way express their opinions with regard to what was happenlng to that area. ~ouncilman Wood said there was no doubt the Downtown Westside group was one of special (~~77) ln~erests. He n~t~d concern that there would be precedent in recognizing this charter WhlCh could preclpltate r:quests for separate charters from other special interest groups who felt theJT,"wer~"~ot.bel?g?~ar.din,t~e g:r'oup in wh~ch~hey were. participating. Also, the conc:rn ~xp:s-e_ss~d,J)_~ci3,'1:l8~" ~~,;._~e~' !:epr.~s~~t.e~..was, a transi tio.nal,one .~: .He'G0uldn' t see ~ythln~ wrong Wl th allowlng a cliartei'>""f'Or 'atratrs'i9:'-rori""a-l ai>ea ,~v~n=topee;pr;- with ~artlcular lntersts" calling at~ention to. the fact that any neighborhood group was advisory ln nature. . He felt the assumI'tl~n. was belng made that whatever position a neighborhood group took that woul<il.. b.e ~he I'osHlOnadopted by the Council. He felt the co'nflict between the two westslde',gpoupswoilld"create a healthy atmosphere for mak. d . . " . th ubI. . ' ... : "" , lng eC1Slons e"" ~ ln . e p " lC good --:- ~osJ:-:=Ions or both groups would be adequately expressed in Council's ' d:liber~tlons,on posltlon lt would take. He wondered if there had been any staff con- . ~nderatlon of reco~izing the general area surrounding the downtown business section, as one group re~resentlng small business or commercial interests rather than thinking of those areas J1n terms of west, south, north, etc. Randi Reinhard-::', planning department, said that the Eugene Downtown Association had been (1214) approached about taking membership from this area and areas to the east and south of d;wntown, but the Association preferred not to actively solicit membership from those areas. The interests of the downtown commercial areas seemed somewhat different from those sur- rounding it because of mixture of residential uses with commercial in the neighborlng locat locations. She felt smaller groups such as the Downtown Westside Association should be able to work within the larger groups as a subgroup having common interests, rather than splitting off. With regard to the notification process, Ms. Reinhardt explained that there Has time for only one mailing before the meeting of th,is group and normally two or three meetings were necessary before addresses taken from computers were straightened out to ensure receipt of notice by all" those interested. Councilman' Wood asked whether any of the people signing the petition presented by Mr. Guldin (1249) had "attended meetings of the Wests ide Quality project prior to establishment of the new group. Ms. Rein~ard ~ad no kno-;ledge in. that regard, she said, since the split came before _" she started worklng wlth the nelghborhood groups. ~ Councilman McDonald wondered if any' or 'the hiiinness people east or Charnel ton ,p~id into (1255) the free parking district.' Manager answered that the district was bounded by Charnel ton Street on the west. Mr. McDonald further expressed his opinion that the group should be recognized in view of their meeting criteria set by the neighborhood 'organization policy. He ,fe It the Council was in better legal position -if each charter was resognized as . presented, if the prganization criteria was met. - 6/24/72 - 8 216