CC Minutes - 04/11/05 Mtg - Laserfiche WebLink

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Chuck Meeker, 309 River Avenue - 333 River Avenue, owner of Clemens Marina, said the project, as designed, was ~way out of control." He referred to comments by Ms. Cahill in which she had indicated that River Avenue was classified as a major collector street, with traffic volumes in the mid-range of the major collector standards on the west end. He reiterated that the street was. 8 miles long. He thought the traffic count numbers dropped dramatically once one drove past the post office. He questioned the wisdom of spending that kind of money on the entire road, given the dearth of traffic on the east end of it. He noted, as a point of information, that McKenzie View Drive, a 6.1 mile road with 82 driveways and 15 guardrails, had been replaced for $827,000. It seemed to him foolish to spend $2.2 million on a road that was only .8 miles long. Daniel Hill, 863 Mint Meadow Way, Springfield, said he owned two businesses, one of which was located on River Avenue. He agreed that improvements such as curbs and gutters were needed. He noted that stormwater drainage had always been a problem on the avenue. He stated that he was an avid runner who traversed the river bike path several times per week, traveling from one of his businesses to the other. He related that in eight years, he had seen two or three pedestrians along the avenue. Regarding a connection from the bicycle path to River Road, he opined that Owosso Drive already provided a quiet connection. He predicted that greatly improving River Avenue would encourage drivers to speed. He said some drivers already drove 50 miles per hour and more as they traveled from River Road to the Beltline Road. He asked the council to please reconsider the project and seek to reduce its scope and costs. Mayor Piercy closed the public hearing. Councilor Kelly asked staff to respond to a piece of written testimony that suggested an alternate design for bicycle access other than on-street bike lanes. Councilor Ortiz thanked those who testified. She asked that the public hearing be extended until 5 p.m. on April 12 in order for the River Road Community Organization to submit a statement following its meeting, held concurrently with the council meeting. Councilor Poling, seconded by Councilor Bettman, moved to keep the public record open until 5 p.m. on April 12. Roll call vote; the motion passed unanimously, 8:0. Councilor Poling asked what the plans were for the River Avenue underpass if access to Beltline Road was closed off. He also asked what the cost difference would be to conduct the work at night. He commented that there were many similarities between testimony on the River Avenue improvements and recent testimony on improvements that had been planned for the Crest Drive/Storey Boulevard area. He averred there must be a better way to design the project. Councilor Bettman asked, if this was an access to Beltline Road, why did ODOT not have an interest in some of the right-of-way and why was it not participating financially in the project. She observed that there was no desire on the part of the property owners to move forward and wondered if there was an ability to place a moratorium on any development that would increase intensity. She also wished to know if the Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission would be assessed. City Manager Taylor indicated he would look into that and provide the answers on April 20. MINUTES--Eugene City Council April 11, 2005 Page 14 Regular Session