12/16/1985 Meeting (2) - Laserfiche WebLink

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Ms. Brody said the Planning Commission recommended the project construction e include provision for the Amazon/Fern Ridge Bikeway, and mitigation and protection for the wetlands. She said the commission received testimony from the Citizen Advisory Committee which favored Alternative #1 with an elevated section in the east. Dorothy Anderson, President of the Planning Commission, said the Planning Commission recommended an elevated section in the eastern part of the highway to mitigate the impacts of the project on local circulation and areas in that industrial area. The commission did not recommend the 5th/7th couplet because the Environmental Impact Statement indicated the impacts would be bad. Answering a question from Mayor Obie, Dorothy Anderson said the possibility of moving the alignment of Alternative #1 north was not included in the testimony of the Citizen Advisory Committee. She said the Planning Commission tried to find a perfect alignment and finally decided there isn't one. Answering questions from Ms. Wooten and Mayor Obie, Mr. Gleason and Public Works Director Chris Andersen reviewed the process for getting the project approved so that an election can be held in March of 1986. They said voters must be presented a specific alignment and the election must be designated 34 days in advance. The alignment presented to the voters must be recommended by ODOT because, if it is different, another election will have to be held. The 6th/7th extension will use Federal funds which will be administered by the State. Federal law requires an Environmental Impact Statement to ensure that the environmental impacts of the project were considered before an alignment was chosen. ODOT cannot recommend an alignment until the draft EIS has been e reviewed and all comments and testimony have been analyzed and responded to. Ms. Wooten said the council was told there will be flexibility in the design of the 6th/7th extension. She wondered if the councilors will be included in the design phase as they were when 6th and 7th avenues were widened. Answering questions about the difference between the design phase of a project and the alignment phase, Ms. Andersen said the alignment phase indicates the location of affected properties. Mr. Gleason said the alignment is concep- tual. An agreement on an alignment must be made before the design phase of a project can begin. The full impact of a project is realized during the design phase. Then, specific impacts on specific properties are considered and right-of-way acquisition begins. ODOT will spend $2 million on the design phase of the 6th/7th extension. The City will be involved and impacts can be mitigated then. The 6th/7th widening project was different because the right-of-way already existed. Reviewing the process, Ms. Schue said a draft Environmental Impact Statement was prepared by ODOT. ODOT would like a recommendation from the City Council before it holds a public hearing on the project. After the hearing, ODOT will prepare a final Environmental Impact Statement for a specific route. Eugene voters can then be asked to approve the route. If that procedure is not followed, there could be trouble with the Federal regulations. Answering questions from Mr. Hansen, Ms. Andersen said the draft Environmental Impact Statement identifies environmental impacts in a broad area and in the specific alignments identified by the Citizen Advisory Committee and the e staff. Those alignments are Alternatives 1, 2, and 2A. Other alignments MINUTES--Eugene City Council December 16, 1985 Page 4