Agenda Packet 2-19-19 Work Session

Home Browse Search

MovingAhead 2018 Outreach Summary 61 Those tenants located on and facing Oak St. will be forced to relocate, either temporarily or permanently, due to the partial taking of the structure itself and reduction of leasable office space. Beyond the lost income from the loss of office space, the property will face the very real threat of losing tenants as a result of the increased noise, pollution, and other general problems associated with a bus stop of this nature, likely resulting in increased tenant turnover and unmarketability of the office spaces and property as a whole. Notably, several of the offices on my client 's property are occupied by psychologists and medical care professionals, whose businesses in particular would be significantly disturbed by the increased noise and trespass associated with a bus stop of this nature. All of these costs will be included in my client 's ultimate demand and inevitable lawsuit associated with LTD's attempted taking. Moreover, the placement of a bus stop of this nature on the south side of 18th Ave. will create a serious hindrance on the ability of motorists traveling down Oak St. to turn left onto 18th Ave., a major artery of the downtown area. Motorists will have to contend with an increase in pedestrians crossing 18th Ave., as well as contending with EMX buses departing the station heading north on Oak St. This has the very real possibility of creating serious traffic delays throughout the day for anyone heading from South Eugene to the downtown area. Fortunately, several alternative options exist in the immediate area. These alternative options would not only cost LTD significantly less than the proposed bus stop location, but would also have a drastically reduced impact on the area its businesses. For instance, just across 18th Ave. next to the Safeway, a bus stop already exists. Even if expansion of this stop were necessary, the impact on the surrounding businesses would be significantly less. The Safeway building is a brick warehouse with no windows looking directly onto the bus stop. Furthermore, both Safeway and Hirons Rx would likely welcome this bus stop as it would drive an increase in foot traffic and make it easier for many of its customers to access their respective businesses. Alternatively, directly across from the Safeway is a Les Schwab Tire Center. Any required partial taking of the Les Schwab property as a result of the construction of this bus stop would simply result in the taking of parking spaces, not offices or commercial space. As such, the partial taking on the Les Schwab property would cost LTD significantly less than the partial taking of an existing structure, and would not result in reduction of business as it would if placed at 74 E. 18th Ave. A third option available to LTD is to place the proposed bus stop at 1710 Oak St., a small shopping center just north of the Les Schwab Tire Center. Much like the creation of a bus stop at the Les Schwab Tire Center, the shopping center would likely lose at most a small amount of on- site parking, while gaining valuable foot traffic and access to those customers who do not have motor vehicles. As with the other two alternative sites for the stop, the placement of a stop at 1710 Oak St. would come with significantly less costs to LTD, while resulting in a gain for February 19, 2019, Work Session - Item 1