08/03/1987 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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Ms. May described a series of decisions by Lane County Commissioners and State officials. She said the County Commissioners originally had voted to keep the e Henderson crossing open, but a later decision by State officials had favored closing the Henderson crossing, a lthough no fatalities or accidents had occurred in that area. Ms. May said a stopgate crossing had been installed on 19th Avenue, a site that she said had received no public attention but was on the way to UPS. She said the County Commissioners had reversed their vote and agreed to the closure after being told that a crossing would cost $80,000. She noted, however, that funds had been spent on a crossing that she said was of no concern to residents, but only to UPS. She said no public hearing had been held on the 19th Avenue crossing, which was located about 60 feet from the Henderson crossing, and she thought it was clear that the decision had been made on the behalf of Farwest Steel. Ms. May said she thought the area was destined to be industrial, but her main concern was that decisions were being made in a "policy vacuum" because the area was not incorporated. She said decisions were being made in a way that was piecemeal and premature. Ms. May said 70 to 80 percent of the residential property in the area was owner-occupied. She noted that two accesses already had been lost: at Judkins Point, which she said had not been posted or made the subject of a hearing; and Henderson Avenue. She said access had been provided at 22nd Avenue, but she said that had not been agreed to and was unsatisfactory because of its curves, its seven percent grade, and its possible blockage by accident. Ms. May said a planning committee had looked at several alternative crossings, e but they all would be more expensive than keeping Henderson open with a gate and some sort of bicycle and pedestrian access, which she said had been promised in 1975 when Henderson had been closed. Ms. May said she felt that if Eugene wanted to acqui re the area as an industrial park, it should buy residents' property. She said the vacation would reduce residential value. She said the area had one ingress/egress, which often was blocked; she also said it had no bus line and no bicycle access without a crossing at Henderson. She suggested that the area be incorporated and purchased for an industrial area, rather than dealing with it in a piecemeal fashion. David Moore, pastor of Temple Church of Christ on 21st Avenue, spoke in opposition to the request. He said his three children, in order to catch the school bus, either had to cross the tracks to get to 17th Avenue or had to use 22nd Avenue, which was narrow, crooked, and steep. He noted that Farwest Steel and Pape Cat both operated large trucks in the area, and he said several close calls had occurred between trucks and small chil dren. He said both sides of 22nd Avenue were high, steep cliffs. Mr. Moore said children also crossed the railroad tracks in order to get to Sunday School at the church. He said closing the crossing would result in a lack of access to the church and the school bus. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council August 3, 1987 Page 6