09/09/1987 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Vernon Gleaves, 975 Oak, said the City of Springfield terminated the Farwest Rebar Company lease in the Booth-Kelly Center and the company must vacate the e site by March 31, 1987, or pay $1,000 each day. He said company officials indicate they need six months to plan and build a new facility. The facil i ty will be constructed east of Henderson Street if the street is vacated. If it is not vacated, other options will have to be considered. Responding to Ms. Marino's September 9, 1987, letter, Mr. Farthing said a secondary emergency access would be for emergency vehicles only. It would not be for residents. He said Farwest Steel officials have discussed the widening of 22nd Avenue with Lane County officials who have indicated that Lane County funds might be used. Mr. Farthing said a bicycle/pedestrian access at Henderson Street would defeat the purpose of the vacation. He said Farwest Steel officials will work with residents to provide a bicycle/pedestrian access at some other point but a crossing over the railroad tracks would be needed. There being no other requests to add to the record or to rebut what had been added, Mayor Obie closed the record. Mr. Rutan said the pertinent issues concern potential emergency vehicular access and potential pedestrian access to two blocks. He noted that Farwest Steel owns the property on both sides of the railroad tracks and both sides of the vacation request. He said City policies and the Glenwood Refinement Plan indicate the area will be developed industrially and the vacation request conforms to City policies and the refinement plan. He sa i d the a rea is in transition and approval of the request would continue specific land use e actions the City has taken. Discussing the two issues, Mr. Rutan said the PUC adamantly opposes any at- grade vehicular crossing in the area and an above-grade vehicular crossing would be extremely expensive. Therefore, some other way must be found if emergency vehicular access is provided. He said the City should not create a bicycle/pedestrian access at Henderson because it is not legal to cross the railroad tracks there. He said the Risk Management Division probably would not want the City to sustain a street that leads to an illegal railroad crossing. He said some kind of bicycle/pedestrian access might be created at Harrison Street for less than $100,000. He recommended the council approve the request and address access problems at another time. Ms. Schue said approval or denial of the vacation request will have no effect on emergency vehicular access. She said the area will become industrial but 25 families live there now and she is concerned about them. She said the pedestrian access at Henderson is informal but it is used. She would like to leave it that way. She said denial of the request probably would not impact the plans of Farwest Rebar Company very much because the staff recommended the council retain a utility easement where the street is now. She said the company is excavating for the new building now. Ms. Schue said the vacation request is premature. It will be more appropriate when the transition in the area is complete. She said it might be appropriate e MINUTES--Eugene City Council September 9, 1987 Page 5