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

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(UGB) to allow for the proposed land swap and development of a larger park. Speaking for herself, she urged close consideration of the proposal because she felt the McDougal land swap was a precedent-setting issue. She thought the council should consider how it would affect future development of the Santa Clara area and the surrounding community. She felt the goals of the Parks and Open Space Division could be achieved in other ways. She agreed with Ed Singer that Eugene would grow, but averred that a growth plan should look to preserve Class 1 soils to feed the increasing population. Majeska Seese-Green, PO Box 1214, president of the Whiteaker Community Council, spoke on behalf of the Railroad Pollution Coalition (RPC). She conveyed its support for the amendment brought forward by Councilor Ortiz that proposed to exclude properties now owned by the railroad from the application for an enterprise zone. She alleged that a number of properties that were within the railyard boundary were now included in the proposed zone and asked that the boundary be adjusted to remove any rail-owned and other railyard-related properties. She indicated that the coalition believed the intent of the amendment had been the exclusion of all of the properties within the Eugene railyard. She urged that planning be done for the railyard and surrounding neighborhoods before industrial or any other type of development was actively promoted in the area. She stressed the importance of planning in order to avoid diminishment of the health and livability of surrounding neighborhoods. She suggested that Northwest Container Services was poised to develop one or more parcels in the vicinity. She conveyed the neighborhood's concern that the new facility was considered to be a potential spur to additional distribution and trucking facilities in the same vicinity. She predicted this would initiate further growth that would thwart comprehensive planning. She opposed providing tax waivers to such development. Linda Swisher, 3285 Bell Avenue, stated that the RPC represented four neighborhood associations and other community groups concerned about Eugene's railyard. She acknowledged the ambiguities in how the railyard was defined. She related that RPC had found little justification in the definition of railroad property boundaries provided by staff. She alleged that staff had bisected some properties while leaving others out altogether. She said the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) had little information and no maps showing railyard tax lots. She asserted that the DEQ admitted it did not know the "justification for how the boundary of the yard" was depicted on their maps. She averred that the DEQ environmental contamination site investigation database listed seven tax lots as within the Eugene railyard site, described in a letter submitted to the council. The RPC believed that, at a minimum, the seven lots should be included as part of the railyard exclusion from the enterprise zone. Additionally, she said Appendix L ofthe enterprise zone application failed to mention that comprehensive planning had not been done for the rail-related areas of the zone. She noted that the application mentioned Eugene's active neighborhoods program. She pointed out that the member neighborhood groups in the RPC had not received information on the enterprise zone and that participating neighborhood groups would be asked to sign advisory letters to the State in opposition to the enterprise zone. Nadia Sindi, 3950 Goodpasture Island Loop, urged the council to take a stand against torture. She said she had been born in the Middle East in a country that did not respect human rights. She came to this country for freedom and she wanted to be proud to be American. She stated that she dealt with many Arab- American and Muslim issues, especially since the tragic events of September 11,2001. George Gessert, 86070 Cougar Lane, commented that it was unfortunate that the council had to discuss the resolution against torture, especially given the number of pressing local issues. He said it was apparent that President George W. Bush approved of the use of torture, making this clear to the world through his appointments and his defense of Donald Rumsfield. He pointed out that the majority of the members of both MINUTES--Eugene City Council April 11, 2005 Page 4 Regular Session