02/25/1991 Meeting (2) - Laserfiche WebLink

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e sphere which will be inviting to the younger population. He commented on the need to make public rest room facilities available in the downtown area. David Counter, 2696 Moon Mountain Drive, co-owner of Cafe Zenon, said that accessibility and visibility for vehicular traffic are essential components to the success of downtown business. Larry Giustina, 2090 Wood Acres Drive, testified as a downtown property owner in support of the proposal. He voiced concern with the economic future of downtown and said that improved mall access would improve the demand for services in Eugene. Greg Malkasian, 2161 Prestwich Place, identified himself as a partner in the retail clothing outlet Town and Travel and testified in support of improved access and visibility on the mall. He said that the current mall is a detri- ment to downtown and urged the council to approve the plan. Tim Scherer, 84984 Appletree Drive, spoke as a downtown business owner in favor of the conceptual design. He spoke about the "critical mass" of people that is required for viable downtown retail and concurred with the need for improved access to the mall. The plan proposal for street opening is a com- promise which will allow automobile and pedestrian traffic to co-exist peace- fully. e Amedee Smith, 2515 Lincoln Street, advocated opening Willamette Street to automobile traffic and said that the original Urban Renewal Plan which estab- lished the mall was a mistake. Rosalie Gunter, 51 West Broadway, acknowledged that the proposed design would not provide the complete solution to problems downtown and encouraged the council to put the design proposal before the voters. David Butler, 5275 Nectar Way, spoke in favor of the design plan as a reason- able path to accommodate many diverse needs downtown. He described the plan as a unique compromise that would provide for downtown as the focal point of Eugene. The concept will help return downtown to its historic status as a commercially viable area of Eugene. Russ Brink, 2278 Corinthian Court, voiced his support for the plan. He pointed out that downtown design is one component of a comprehensive revital- ization plan and encouraged the council to implement the downtown design proposal. Gene Swan, 99 East Broadway, identified himself as President of Downtown Eugene, Inc., and voiced his support for the plan. He encouraged the council to recognize that private investment in downtown will naturally follow public investment. An informal survey revealed that 81 percent of DEI members sup- port the plan. Margaret Byrne, 552 E 39th Place, spoke as a long-time Eugene resident in favor of opening Eugene's arterials to automobile access. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council February 25, 1991 Page 4