04/08/1985 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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M E M 0 RAN 0 U M e April 3, 1985 TO: Mayor and City Council FROM: Departments of Development, Planning, and Public Works SUBJECT: PROPOSED OPENING OF WILLAMETTE STREET FROM 10TH TO 11TH AVENUES TO VEHICULAR TRAFFIC AND REMOVAL OF THE PEDESTRIAN COVER AT 10TH AND WILLAMETTE: PUBLIC HEARING--URBAN RENEWAL PLAN MODIFICATION, REDESIGNATION OF AREA FOR STREET USE, PROJECT DESIGN APPROVAL e The Downtown Plan, adopted by the City Council on October 31, 1985, provided policy direction for the reopening of Willamette Street between 10th and 11th avenues. A staff task team--composed of representatives of several City departments, the Eugene Downtown Association, Lane Community College, and Lane Transit District--studied the proposed improvements, developed design cri- teria, and prepared a preliminary design proposal. That preliminary design was reviewed by the Downtown Commission on February 26 and referred to the boards of EDA, LTD, and LCC for review and comment. Staff presentations to those groups took place on March 7 and 13 (EDA), March 12 (LTD), and March 13 (LCC). The EDA Board of Directors was wholly supportive of the project and the proposed design; the LTD Board continues to express concern over the potentially adverse impact that the opening of Willamette Street could have on efficient passenger transfers between transit loading stations located on either side of Willamette Street along 10th Avenue; and the LCC Board was supportive of the original proposed design. The matter was reviewed by the Planning Commission in a work session format on March 25, and was the subject of a public hearing and further review by the Downtown Commission on March 27. The action taken by the Downtown Commission following its public hearing was to recommend to the Planning Commission and City Council the modification of the Central Eugene Project Urban Renewal Plan to accommodate the reopening of Willamette Street to vehicular traffic between 10th to 11th avenues and the removal of the pedestrian cover in that vicinity; the redesignation of that portion of the pedestrian mall as a street; and the approval of a specific design for the project (a plan view of which is appended to the staff background memorandum, Attachment A, Map A, under separate cover). In terms of specific design modifications, the Downtown Commission recommended the deletion of the widened "sidewalk bulge" along the east side of Willamette Street near 11th Avenue (adjacent to the LCC Downtown Center). The commission felt that the sidewalk widening earlier proposed for that location would serve as a visual and pyschological obstacle to the flow of vehicular traffic onto Willamette Street from 11th Avenue. The Downtown Commission further directed that effort be made to plant additional street trees at appropriate locations in sidewalk areas on each side of the reopened street. -