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E. Chapter 3: Building on Successful Strategies e Ms. Bascom referred to the first strategy listed in the "Site Planning" section of Chapter 3: "Explore the potential for creating a wider variety of high quality industrial sites through redesignation or reconfiguration of existing industrial property." She asked whether CCED considered--or whether this strategy was intended to address--the issue of increasing the amount of industrial property in the city. Mayor Obie said this was an issue for the committee to consider when it meets again. Ms. Ehrman referred to the second strategy listed in the "Site Planning" section of Chapter 3: "Prepare an airport vicinity refinement plan, including analysis of the feasibility, practicality, and compatibility of commercial and i ndustri a 1 development." She said there is a 1 ready di sagreement and concern about whether expanding the Urban Renewal District will work against the efforts to develop the downtown core intensely; she suggested that this strategy will raise the same issue to an even greater extent. Mr. Rutan said a refinement plan is needed to study and address just the type of issue raised by Ms. Ehrman. He sa i d the City has a long way to go (currently there is no road or sewer system in the airport area) to have significant development around the airport like the type of development that surrounds other metropolitan airports. He said this cannot occur in a vacuum; that is why a refinement plan is needed. Ms. Wooten said that she had reservations about the strategy also; however, if one takes a long-term view, pressure for development in the airport area will occur. Ms. Ehrman agreed, but said she was concerned that implementing the e strategy at this time might be premature. Mr. Rutan said he did not think it would be premature, because the refinement plan process is quite lengthy (five to ten years from the beginning of the process until a refinement plan's policies actually begin to be implemented). Mayor Obie said the plan should address and the public should discuss whether the City should be in the development business. He said the Metro Partnership has been tryi ng to get significant developers interested in developing property in the area and has been unable to do so. Ms. Wooten agreed that this issue should be addressed directly in the plan and should be the subject of public discussion. She added that the second strategy in Chapter 4 (page 20) addressed thi smatter somewhat by recommending that the creation of a nonprofit economic development corporation be explored. Mr. Miller said he was not sure how the strategies in the "Special Events" section of Chapter 3 and the plan1s goals and objectives are integrated. He said the strategies address local events; however, he said he liked the idea of promoting special events of national caliber. Mr. Holmer said this is addressed in Chapter 4. Mr. Miller said an important issue is that the City does not have unlimited funds; therefore, decisions have to be made regarding whether promoting local events is the most cost-effective way to further economic development. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council October 26, 1987 Page 6