01/23/1984 Meeting (2) - Laserfiche WebLink

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~ into question all the fundamental land use decisions made by the council through the Metropolitan Plan. He said the four-lane option should be supported, reflecting the recommendations of the Design Review Committee. Harold Chapman, 51 Chapman Drive, stated that he submitted a letter to the City Council on the issue. He stated that those who oppose the widening to four lanes are attempting to save the trees at the wrong time, at the wrong place, and for the wrong reasons. Referring to a letter to the editor in the January 23 edition of the Register-Guard which expressed concern over the potential loss of nesting sites for birds, Mr. Chapman stated that he was able to find only one nest in the 6th and 7th avenue trees. He said the City Council should not feel guilty about removing nesting sites when the Lane County Planning Commission has recently proposed zoning the largest Blue Heron rookery in Oregon for sand and gravel. He encouraged those present who were concerned about nesting sites to voice their sentiments to the Lane County Commissioners. e Herbert R. Herzberg, 3757 Wilshire Lane, representing the Lane/Coos/Curry/Douglas Building and Construction Trades Council, said he supports the 6th/7th Widening Project. He said those in the building trades feel that holding back on the project will greatly hamper the city in bringing new industry into the West Eugene area. He said poor access between 1-5 and the West Eugene area would adversely affect economic development. In regard to concerns raised on funding and repaving of the streets, Mr. Herzberg stated that four lanes would increase traffic flow and would decrease pollution. He said 6th and 7th avenues need new curbs and the crowns make truck traffic difficult to handle. He said the Trades Council would have opposed the project if the Roosevelt Expressway had been constructed. He said the city should not pass up the chance of obtaining gasoline tax dollars. John H. Burris, 2251 Brittany Drive, stated that the previous speakers have addressed most of his concerns. He opposes any three-lane sections within the project for safety reasons, stating that the tapering down from four to three lanes would be dangerous, especially at night or during inclement weather. He said the opporunity for State and Federal funding should not be lost. Suzanne Boyd, 3429 Stark Street, representing the League of Women Voters of Central Lane County, stated that the League supports Alternative B for the 6th/7th Couplet as part of the T-2000 Plan. She said the need for improvement has been obvious to commuters for some time and the League based its support on the following: no need for additional right-of-way; access across 6th and 7th avenues will remain the same; and the improvement will decrease the accident rate on 6th and 7th avenues. - Jim Hale, 4064 Meredith Court, supported the build alternative. He believed that the trees were an important resource for the community, but he felt the four-lane weave option would be a concession to that issue. He stated that it was more important to gain access to the West Eugene Industrial Area and to the State Highway Fund. He said he does not want to see the project slip beyond the acceptible time frame and thereby lose the funding. As a member of MAPAC, he stated that the list of projects for which State funding is required is long and that Eugene must act to maintain its visibility. He believed that more people would support the widening project if they fully understood the implications of disapproving the project. MINUTES--Eugene City Council January 23, 1984 Page 10