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HANSEN Alissa H From:Kari Parsons <parsons.kari@gmail.com> Sent:Tuesday, May 29, 2018 11:23 AM To:HANSEN Alissa H Subject:Testimony for City Council on Parking Waiver at Edison Dear City Councilors, My name is Kari Parsons and I am the chair of SENSe (Sustainable Eugene Neighborhoods and Schools). We are a group of South University and Fairmount neighbors, Edison parents, and other interested individuals that formed in 2012 to support the continued operation of a neighborhood elementary school at the Edison site. We are currently working to have Edison Elementary included on the next 4J facilities bond. When 4J's proposal for a future Edison renovation included a costly and unnecessary parking garage in order to meet City of Eugene parking standards, SENSe worked to get community feedback on the proposal. We canvassed nearly 100 homes surrounding the school, We fielded an online survey of neighbors (64 responses), Edison parents (139 responses), and teachers and staff (21 responses) The response was nearly unanimous: waive on-site parking requirements and solve any parking needs with on-street solutions. The rationales cited for this overwhelming support for retaining Edison's on-street parking arrangement were as follows: Edison has worked for all these years without on-site parking A garage would be much more detrimental to the neighborhood than current on-street parking: It would create traffic bottlenecks rather than the current multiple access points that distribute parking and o traffic around the school. It would create a safety risk, allowing for cross-sidewalk auto traffic. o It would create a security risk, becoming an attractive nuisance when not actively in use. o Edison's layout and siting encourages walking and biking which supports the city's sustainability goals, as well as support's public health and children's educational success. Neighbors are not negatively impacted by parents and staff using street parking. It is a waste of taxpayer money to build a garage that is unneeded and unwanted. In sum, the current parking codes simply do not function in the way they were intended in this specific situation. SENSe believes it is counterproductive for a nearly 100-year-old neighborhood school, located so that many kids and parents can walk, to meet standards developed to suit post-war, car-oriented land use patterns. To do so is directly opposed to all efforts to make our city more walkable, livable, and sustainable. We hope that you will agree with the Planning Commission's unanimous support to waive on-site parking requirements at Edison Elementary in the event of a remodel. Thank you for your service to the community. Sincerely, Kari Parsons 2215 University Street 1 *´¤ ΐΐǾ ΑΏΐΗǾ -¤¤³¨¦ ȟ )³¤¬ Ζ