CC Minutes - 05/09/05 Mtg - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Dan Herbert, 1913 Potter Street, noted that he was a member of the Eugene Redevelopment Advisory Committee (ERAC), though he was speaking for himself at this meeting. He recalled Councilor Bettman's comments that the forthcoming search for a new Planning Director might offer an opportunity to reexamine the relationship between planning and development, and that one division could be for planning and the other arm could be for permits, information, and development. He agreed with the general sense of the suggested division, but thought it should be taken further and the development division should be allowed some autonomy. He suggested that the agency could support public/private partnerships for development projects throughout the City. He averred that such partnerships had been used successfully in more than 50 cities worldwide to revitalize downtown areas. He cited the City of Portland as a prime example. He underscored that he was not seeking action so much as he was hoping to stimulate some thinking about this approach. He closed by stating that the Brookings Institution recently published a research brief entitled, Turning Around Downtown and suggesting that the council read it. He said now was the right time to begin rethinking reorganization of the planning in the city of Eugene as future population growth would inevitably increase pressure for development. He reminded the council that library bonds would be paid in 2008. Ruth Phelps, 5445 Donald Street, stated that she was a trustee for the Eugene Garden Club. She conveyed the club's approval for the paving of the alley behind the building but averred the cost was too high. She related that the Garden Club had been deemed comparable to a general office and said the club was challenging this designation. She explained that parking was limited, the club did not even have a telephone on-site, and the meetings were only bi-monthly. She highlighted the benefits to the community the club provided, such as the educational presentations to the public held at one meeting per month, and that the Audubon Society met at its building. She underscored that all of the groups utilizing the building were nonprofit. Lee Rademacher, 4174 Lancaster Drive, read a statement written by Ellen Hyman, member of the Santa Clara Citizens for Sensible Parks and Open Spaces (SCCSPOS). He related that she likened the debate between the City and citizens of Santa Clara regarding the potential land swap to the battle between David and Goliath. He conveyed her assertion that the citizens of Santa Clara were battling to keep Class 1 lands from being paved over. He said the people were coming together to preserve the land and to remind the City Council that this was an opportunity not to be squandered. Regarding the telephone survey of area residents on the land swap, Mr. Rademacher averred that questions were leading and not intended to achieve unbiased results. He quoted someone's comments on having been surveyed. Mr. Rademacher reiterated that most people were not opposed to parks, but they were opposed to having a land swap that would pave the way for 1,000 new homes to be built on farmland. He related that the Santa Clara Community Organization recently voted 70:4 in support of building more parks, but without the land swap. Maggie Yokum, 4174 Lancaster Drive, said that she had been surveyed regarding her feelings on the Santa Clara area land swap on March 16. She stated her opposition to the proposal. She maintained that the survey was not neutral and cited several specific examples. She felt she was receiving a sales pitch and not being asked her true feelings about the situation. She asked the City Council to view the information gleaned from the survey with some skepticism. She reiterated that the Santa Clara Neighborhood Organization voted overwhelmingly to oppose the land trade. MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 9, 2005 Page 2 Regular Session