07/08/1985 Meeting (2) - Laserfiche WebLink

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Riverfront Park may produce unusual toxic wastes and, Mr. Silvermoon said, e that issue has not been addressed. He also did not believe the community needs economic development which fosters war industries. Susan Sowards, 1843 Moss, said only people who are intimately involved in planning the Riverfront Park have testified in favor of it. She said the council is the only elected body that will consider the Riverfront Park. She urged the council to slow down the adoption process. She was surprised that the Tax Increment Committee was formed before the study was adopted, that the board of directors of the non-profit corporation had met before the membership was publicized, and that the meetings of the non-profit corporation are not covered by the open meetings law. Ms. Sowards said the Riverfront Park will affect University people and council consideration of the Riverfront Park Study is taking place when many Univer- sity people are away. Ms. Sowards is satisfied with the current zoning of the riverfront property. She recommended that other areas be studied for industrial development. She recommended a ban on classified research in the Riverfront Park similar to the current ban for the campus. She said it protects academi c freedom. Research in the Riverfront Park should maximize educational benefits and be shared. The classified research issue is both a moral and academic freedom one, she said. She discussed the history of the ban on the University of Oregon campus and the ban at the University of Michigan. e Ms. Sowards said the Riverfront Park is not the key to job creation in the area. High tech jobs are low paid, non-union, and hazardous to workers, she sa i d. The industries sometimes pollute the environment and soon move to the third wor1 d. Ted Gies, 2557 Kincaid, opposed the removal of blackberries along the river bank because natural vegetation will not replace blackberries. Mr. Gies wondered if the unemployed peopl e in Eugene will get jobs created by the Riverfront Park. He said many economic development projects bring new people to an area. He suggested the City guarantee a given percentage of the jobs will go to people who 1 ive in Eugene when the study is adopted. Mr. Gies said small businesses not related to military research should be encouraged. He suggested low-light solar research and the development of worker-owned businesses. He opposed classified military research in the park. Mayor Obie closed the public hearing. Responding to the public testimony, Ms. Decker read the fifth paragraph in the introduction to the study and said it indicate the intent of the council in directing the study. The statement states that the development will diversify the area's economy by providing an opportunity to develop an industrial area that supports and utilizes the research activities of the University of Oregon. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council July 8, 1985 Page 5