06/02/1987 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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III. DOWNTOWN DIRECTION: CITY COUNCIL, EUGENE RENEWAL AGENCY, AND COMMISSION ROLES e Mayor Obie said tonight's discussion would include roles, relationships, and responsibilities related to downtown. He noted that a one-hour work session on the Urban Renewal Plan was scheduled for June 24. Development Director Abe Farkas added that Phase II of tonight's discussion was scheduled for July 8. Ms. Wooten expressed concern that those meetings would not allow enough time for discussion. Ms. Ehrman agreed, adding that she thought a work session needed to be devoted only to the possible reopening of downtown Willamette Street to traffic. Mr. Gleason said additional meetings were possible. Ms. Schue asked when council decisions on Willamette Street were planned. Mr. Farkas said a public hearing on the status of downtown Willamette Street was scheduled for July 13 and deliberation time after that was flexible. Councilors agreed to devote two hours, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on June 24 to the plan and design of downtown. Ms. Bascom asked when the council would be asked to consider two-way traffic on Willamette Street from 13th to 20th Avenues. Planning Director Susan Brody said the council would receive a recommendation about that in the Central Area Transportation Study. She added that the City Council would hold a public hearing on that study June 8 and a work session was planned for the following weeks. e . Mr. Farkas presented the staff report. He noted that staff on April 27 had presented a proposal for the City Council as Urban Renewal Agency and had agreed to provide further information about relationships in other cities and about roles, responsibilities, and priorities. He reviewed the agenda for tonight's topic, adding that the Downtown and Planning Commissions recently had acted on the Urban Renewal Plan and that their recommendations soon would be sent to councilors. Mr. Farkas reviewed downtown goals and priorities that the council had approved in the Downtown Plan, including: 1) encouraging development as an intense urban center, emphasizing density and variety; 2) creating a strong economic base for jobs and building construction and occupancy; 3) focusing on downtown as a regional center, with a variety of functions; and 4) supporting public improvements to accommodate access and circulation. Mr. Farkas showed the boundaries of the Downtown Plan, extending south to 13th Avenue, west to Lincoln Street, north to 4th Avenue, and east to the riverfront area. He said tools in the Downtown Plan area included historic preservation tax credits, the Downtown Development District, which had been created primarily to promote parking and marketing for downtown, and the Urban Renewal Authority, which was a primary focus tonight. Elaine Stewart, of the Development Department, reviewed information on roles and responsibilities. She said staff had surveyed six cities about operation of Urban Renewal Agencies. Those cities included Eugene, Portland, Salem, and Tualatin, Oregon; Spokane, Washington; and Ventura, California. She said two e MINUTES--Eugene City Council Dinner/Work Session June 2, 1987 Page 8