07/27/1981 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

The project was further aided by the professional observations and comments of . an advisory committee representing City Planning and Housing and Community Conservation staff, representatives from the West University Neighborhood Association, and the University of Oregon. The area through which the canal would be built is a zone of mixed urban uses: regional and community retail; business, professional, and residential support services; and housing that would be primarily multiple-family. This will function as an interface between the Central Business District, which is the region1s commercial core, and an older residential area, the West University Neighborhood. As the economy becomes more service-oriented, people move closer to the downtown area, and retail activity increases to meet the needs of downtown residents and employees which will cause the commercial core to expand both upward and outward. This should be expected to cause the study area to capture a sizea~le share of the region's projected employment and population growth. Although the results are still in a preliminary form, there are several initial conclusions that can be reported which should provide some direction for future decisions about the canal. He said the canal has the potential for stimulating the increased opportunities for downtown living through a process of eliminating low-income housing and replacing this former housing type with medium- and high-density development along the path of the canal. The construction of the canal and induced development could help to refocus the location of new housing construction in the area which 'f/ould have otherwise been confined to areas outside the proposed canal area. The canal may also serve to focus commercial development and encourage redevelopment southeast of downtown. Within the canal construct ion area, commerc i a 1 deve 1 op:nent may be as much as 50 percent greater than without the canal. The extent to which the public is involved in, for . exampl€, financing schemes and design standards, will be a major factor in the success or failure of the project to meet public housing and commercial redevel- opment needs. Whether tne preliminary findinqs will follow the pattern of development or not, additional information is needed in the areas of market analysis; the potential demand for housing, retail, and office space adjacent to the canal, and whether it would be a relocation of development that would have otherwise occurred elsewhere in downtown or in Eugene; and development mecha- nisms--the role the public sector could and shoula play to encourage development consistent with public policies, the potentials of various financing sche:nes, the advantages and disadv,antages of a special development district, community development corporation, design review committee, etc., might have. Public hearing was opened. Commissioner Jerry Rust, 2410 :V1adison, stated that the Lane County Cornlnissioners are 1n favor of the Emerald Canal project. He distributed materials to the council. Various benefits to the public from the project would be: flood control, improvement of water quality, and improvement of environlnental health. Commissioner Rust indicated that a memo had been received from John Stoner, Lane County Environmental Health IVlanager, \oJho stated that mosquito-producing areas would be reduced, rodent areas would be eliminateJ, and stagnant and organic waste in the channel would be elimil1dteJ. He said other benefits would be irrigation, recreation, urban development including housing opportunities, and a potential for hydroelectric generation that is being sought by several agencies including Lane County. Lane County standas behind this project and . will try to assist in the development of a joint commissioh with appropriate ~INUTES--Eugene City Council July 27, 1981 Page 6