CC Minutes - 11/10/03 WS - Laserfiche WebLink

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through 16, 2003, and would showcase the new library. He said a reception for delegates was scheduled for November 13 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and invited councilors to attend and assist in hosting the event. Mr. Poling commented that he had passed by Oakmont Park recently and even though it was raining, there were several families enjoying the facility. He wished the United States Marine Corps a happy 228th birthday and thanked all of the individuals and organizations involved in the Veterans Day Parade held November 9, 2003. He also thanked the veterans who had served in the armed forces over the years. Ms. Taylor remarked that the Wayne Morse Free Speech Plaza was nearing completion. She said the statue of Senator Morse was completed, but still in Mexico, and the fund to complete the plaza was still several thousand dollars short. She said that people could purchase pavers to help raise funds. Ms. Bettman echoed Mr. Poling's comments on the parade. She asked when the Missing in Action (MIA) flag was going to be raised on Skinner Butte and if there was going to be a service associated with the flag- raising. Mr. Taylor said he would provide councilors with that information. City Manager Dennis Taylor reported that, other than the fire at Centro LatinoAmericano, the Halloween weekend was relatively safe and event-free. He attributed that to the collaboration between the Eugene Police Department, the University of Oregon Department of Public Safety, and the University's Student Life organization, which provided a host of safe activities. He complimented those organizations and neighbor- hood residents for starting a new holiday tradition. Mayor Torrey announced that the Ken Kesey memorial in the Broadway Plaza would be unveiled on November 14, 2003, at 12:35 p.m. He said a Veterans Day event was planned on November 11, 2003, at the Veterans Hall at 11 a.m. B. WORK SESSION: Downtown Tools - Multiple-Unit Property Tax Exemption Richie Weinman, Urban Services Manager, presented an overview of the proposed expansion of the Multi- Unit Property Tax Exemption (MUPTE) boundary. He said the primary reason for expanding the boundary was to encourage new housing and compact urban growth as called for in numerous plans, policies, and adopted goals. He said that even with the MUPTE incentive, significant new housing development within the boundary area was unlikely to occur, but without the incentive it was almost a certainty that such development would not occur. He said staff recommended a boundary that included areas within walking distance of downtown that were already zoned for multiple-family housing and represented areas in which housing development was most likely to occur. Mr. Weinman said that staff had been unable to develop housing quality standards as requested by the council in July, 2003. He said that quality standards were highly subjective and housing developments were now required to meet Land Use Code standards, which were included in the agenda packet. He said that the type of housing suitable for one neighborhood might not be acceptable in another. Aesthetic standards were subjective and could vary dramatically by location and staff was unable to develop quality standards that were logical and reasonable. He stated that the council currently reviewed each application and could approve or disapprove; therefore, staff recommended, given the other protections in place in the code and the fact that additional regulations could retard the potential for new housing, that the existing council oversight MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 10, 2003 Page 2 Work Session