12/02/1991 Meeting (2) - Laserfiche WebLink

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e VIII. PUBLIC HEARING: ORDINANCE CONCERNING AN ALLEY VACATION REQUEST (UNIVERSITY OF OREGON, AV 91-2) City Manager Mike Gleason introduced the topic. Jean Hahn, Planning and Development Department, presented the staff report. She said the alley vaca- tion has been requested by the University of Oregon (U of 0) to vacate the north-south alley between 15th and 17th avenues and Columbia and Moss streets. The U of 0 has requested the vacation in order to allow for the redesign and expansion of the Bean parking lot. She said the U of 0 has requested that the council reduce the assessment figure of $34,700, set by Public Works staff, for the area to be vacated. The $34,700 assessment fig- ure already represents a reduction for the retention of an easement within the area to be vacated. Sample motions were distributed to the council regarding scenarios for ap- proving a reduction of the assessment figure. The motions outlined the fol- lowing rationale for meriting a reduction in the assessment figure: 1) the alley has never been improved and, as such, the public has not incurred any cost to improve the alley; 2) the area to be vacated would continue to pro- vide public access to the interior of the block; 3) the vacation would assist the U of 0 in its efforts to respond to the City's request for additional parking in the campus area; and 4) since the vacation involves the transfer of ownership of property from one public agency to another, a reduced assess- ment would be appropriate. Ms. Hahn said staff reviewed past street and alley vacations within the last five years and found that assessment' figures e have varied greatly. She said staff recommends that the council determine the appropriate assessment figure and approve this request. She said that U of 0 staff was present to answer questions. Responding to a question from Mr. Nicholson, Ms. Hahn said that a revocable permit was granted to the U of 0 for work within the public right-of-way after the U of 0 submitted the alley vacation application. She explained that if the alley vacation request was denied, the U of 0 may be required to incur the expense of reversing all work performed under the revocable permit. She said she understood that the initial work did not prohibit public access to the alley. Mr. Nicholson expressed concern about the City's procedure to grant revocable permits before land use applications are approved by the council. Mr. Boles said he was not aware that council policy included a position that the transfer of property between one public agency to another merited a re- duced assessment. Mr. Gleason clarified that this was based on the council's past practice in vacation requests by public agencies. Ms. Bascom felt that the council had an opportunity in the case of this request to exhibit good faith with a public agency. Mayor Miller opened the public hearing. He asked those testifying to limit their comments to three minutes. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council December 2, 1991 Page 6