11/06/1989 Meeting (2) - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

e low-income housing and Mr. Wolfe said this should be addressed in a revised plan. He regarded as mythical the allegation that urban renewal pays for itself through property improvements. Calling such a statement a distortion of the truth, Mr. Wolfe called for disclosure by the City Manager1s Office of how taxpayers in fact bear a financial burden imposed by urban renewal. Dick Hansen, 2744 Tomahawk Lane, described the original Urban Renewal Plan as an effort to retain retail in the downtown area. He said that while downtown has lost some department stores, Eugene has more speciality stores in its downtown area than many other communities its size. Mr. Hansen urged the council to delay its consideration of expansion of the Urban Renewal District and move forward with extension of the plan within the existing boundaries. Mr. Hansen described Mr. Gleason's role as being to look for innovative solutions and the council1s to judge them. He strongly recommended the opening of Broadway, Olive, and Willamette streets and a specific sunset date for the plan. W. Whittington, 795 West 26th Avenue, identified himself as a long-time Eugene resident and described how assessed valuation and taxation of his property had increased over the past 45 years. He advocated developing a "Suburban Renewal" plan to benefit common citizens and suggested that such a plan might encourage River Road residents to support annexation. Brad Perkins, 1590 Mill Street, opposed expansion of the Urban Renewal District boundary as proposed and urged voter referral. He saw no blight in e the proposed expansion area, so failed to see how it would qualify for urban renewa 1 . Mr. Perkins said urban renewal has prevented diversity in the downtown area because it created an access problem. He advocated a return of private enterprise downtown. Mr. Perkins considered the creation of the downtown mall a visionary plan of the 1960s that was not successful. He said that urban renewal and tax increment financing could be used to create housing, historic preservation, and mixed use as part of the Emerald Canal project. David Zupan, 972 West 4th Avenue, questioned the idea of opening the downtown mall to automobile traffic in light of what he considered overwhelming public opposition expressed at earlier meetings. Mr. Zupan encouraged the council to investigate the Boulder, Colorado mall as a model of what can be created in a downtown area and advised councilors to think clearly as they plan for the future of Eugene. There being no further requests to speak, Council President Bascom closed the public hearing. Mr. Bennett asked the council to consider the recommendation he made earlier to separate the issues of the plan's extension and expansion from individual projects. Ms. Schue concurred with Mr. Bennett's suggestion. Mr. Holmer agreed that the plan should be addressed first, but he said it would be impossible to consider the plan without considering whether it e MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 6, 1989 Page 12