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

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Zachary Vishanoff, Patterson Street, alleged that the survey was part of "smart growth marketing." He asked what the City budgeted for such marketing in a year. He said he had witnessed bias similar to what had been described in the previous testimony. He cited an article in The Oregon Daily EmeraM. He felt that the Parks and Open Space Division staff had a pattern of interpreting data "the way they want" and "taking liberties" with neighborhoods. He felt that neighborhood groups were often at odds with City staff. Mr. Vishanoff asserted that his neighborhood had been "stonewalled" by the alley project. He alleged that he had heard a Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB) employee state that money for the upkeep for alleys was diverted to the Riverfront Research Park roads. Mr. Vishanoff wished to add to his Budget Committee testimony by listing more endorsees of the resolution in regard to the basketball arena, including student cooperatives, the ASUO president and others. Lisa Warnes, 5020 Nectar Way, submitted her testimony in writing. She announced that the East Fork Amazon Headwater Preservation Society (EFAHPS), formerly known as Nectar-Dillard Forest, formed an alliance with the SCCSPOS. They opposed the "McDougal" land swap for the following reasons: 1) Opposition to it was overwhelming; 2) It set a bad precedent to move the urban growth boundary (UGB) to accommodate developers; 3) The 197-acre site that the proposed 900+ homes and commercial complexes was located on prime Class 1 agricultural soil; 4) The schools were already over-crowded and under-funded; and 5) It would cause traffic problems to worsen. While she acknowledged that growth would occur, she averred paving over prime agricultural and forested land was bad planning, short-sighted, irresponsible, and motivated by profit. She asked the council to consider that as more growth was encouraged, it should be done in a sustainable manner. She underscored that the air quality of the Willamette Valley already fell below State and federal standards for air quality as the valley did not ventilate well. She questioned whether the City was prepared to accommodate new people and whether there would be jobs available for them. She wondered if staff was researching "smart growth." In closing, Ms. Warnes said she thought the survey seemed to be designed for a particular outcome, one not founded in the best interests of the citizens as a whole. Kate Perle, 4740 Wendover Street, shared a copy of the telephone survey the City sponsored to gain public input on the Santa Clara parks proposal. She related that the SCCSPOS was "astonished" at how the survey seemed to be designed to sway the respondents' answers by telling only part of the story or through "actual misinformation." Copies of the survey were provided to the council with suggested edits to indicate where the committee thought the survey "had gone wrong." She read some of the questions aloud and commented on portions of those she thought were leading. Steve Pethick, 987 Almaden Street, said he participated in the Chambers Node Revisited (CNR) project. He expressed appreciation for the work of Senior Planner Allen Lowe and consultants to develop design standards that sought to protect what he called a "wonderful working example of a compact pedestrian- friendly neighborhood." He shared that his wife, Pamela, and he both enjoyed the neighborhood and hoped that it would remain a safe and attractive place to raise their children. He related that they volunteered to help contribute to the success of the CNR process and had joined the Chambers Area Families for Healthy Neighborhoods (CAFHN) group. He conveyed his pride in the group's accomplishments over the past months which included the formation of an organization that enlisted the participation of more than 30 MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 9, 2005 Page 3 Regular Session