CC Minutes - 06/21/06 Work Session

Home Browse Search

B. WORK SESSION: River Road/Santa Clara Transition Project – Final Report Assistant City Manager Jim Carlson welcomed David Reed of David Reed and Associates, Rob Handy, chair of the River Road Community Organization (RRCO), and Jerry Finigan, chair of the Santa Clara Community Organization (RRCO). He said Mr. Reed would present the final report and noted that it purposely did not address annexation. Mayor Piercy welcomed the guests and thanked them for their hard work. Mr. Reed highlighted the report for the record. He underscored that the Transition Plan was not code for annexation. He pointed out that annexation was not the number one issue that people raised. He said the chief concerns of area residents were infill, density, and development that retained the character of a neighborhood. He reported that River Road/Santa Clara residents placed the highest priority on safe, healthy, child- and family-friendly neighborhoods. He thought that alone presented the opportunity for a continued dialogue between the City and River Road/Santa Clara residents. Mr. Reed related that the framework of the report included a vision statement for River Road/Santa Clara that reflected core values and beliefs held by residents, 10 goal statements recommended to implement the vision, and 11 strategies and 38 actions that provided specific direction for implementing the framework. He stressed that these elements were vetted at length by the task force. He noted that the City of Eugene responded to initial drafts of the framework with a 20-page report and had only rejected two strategies. He felt this had given early traction to the framework development process and represented a good faith commitment on the part of the City staff. Mr. Reed stated that he had a copy of the 1986 Urban Facilities Plan for the River Road/Santa Clara area, the first chapter of which addressed the sanitary sewer element. He called the plan “woefully outdated” as a policy document. He felt elements of the transition and heritage framework, the vision statement, the goals, and the strategies would provide an opportunity to amend the plan and establish new policy directions for guiding the direction of the future of River Road/Santa Clara. Mr. Reed conveyed his deep appreciation for the members of the transition team and the task force and all the citizens who had participated in the process. He also thanked staff from the River Road Park District, the Santa Clara Fire Protection District, the Lane Rural Fire and Rescue Department, and the City of Eugene. He extended a special thanks to councilors Papé and Ortiz for their help and the Mayor for her “kind words of encouragement.” Mr. Finigan related that he had helped to frame the 1986 plan and would not object to altering it. He called the Transition Project a “milestone” in the relationship between the former independent communities of River Road and Santa Clara and the City of Eugene. He said in the report one could see that the two communities joined other neighborhoods in their concern about how the City was attempting to increase density by infilling properties. He felt this was particularly true in Santa Clara where most growth was occurring. He averred that current policy exacerbated the problems Santa Clara had been experiencing for the last four decades, including stormwater issues and increases in traffic. He reported that in the outreach sessions it had become clear that people chose to live in the area because they loved the rural feel and open spaces, while being close to the services that “make life convenient.” There was growing alarm at the rapid disappearance of open space. He suggested that the City could “go a long way” in establishing trust with the communities by partnering with them in finding better strategies for community development. MINUTES—Eugene City Council June 21, 2006 Page 4 Work Session