Ordinance No. 20258 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

~ST EU~NE PARKC~AY ~FIED P~ECT--C%~',I$!STEN~ VQTH THE STAT~DE P~NING ~L$ MD TP, ANSP(XRTATION ~NNING RULE The Southern and Southern (Modified) Alternatives would result in significant adverse impacts to threatened and endangered species~ While the Southern Alternative would not displace any T&E species, would be located within 50 metem of over 235 Kincaid's Lupine plants~ High-speed traffic along the fatuity would pose a substantial threat to the federally proposed endangered Fender's blue butteffiy~ which is attracted to the Lupine as a host plant for the butterfly larvae~ ~lae Southern (Modified) Altemative would displace 19 plants of Willamette Daisy and 12 clumps of White-topped Aster. Becaus? other alternatives have significantly reduced potential adverse impacts to T&E species in comparison to the Southern alternatives, the Southern Alternative and Southern (Modified) Alternative are not reasonable alternatives~ The protection of T&E species is a paramount consideration, as reflected bo~ by the applicable federal and state endangered species legislation and by the decision m reconsider alternatives m the Approved Design that would reduce overall adverse environmental impacts~ Where other alternatives are available with significantly less adverse impacts to T&E species, these alternatives become unreasonable. The Southern alternatives also are not reasonable because of the substantial damage they would do to the implementation and ~ntegfity of the West Eugene WetIan& Plan and to developing industrial businesses in the affected area, and because of their yew high and continually growing costs. Placing these impacts ~n perspective requires some background discussion of the WEW£. The West Eugene ~dands Plan was developed following discover), and inventory of a concentration of wetlands in western Eugene ~n the late 1980s. Those wetlands coincided with areas that had been designated by the City of Eugene and acknowledged by LCDC for industrial development. At the time of the wetl~ds d~scovery, industrial investment and development already was proceeding. By then, the City akeady had expended over $12,000,000 in infras~cture to the West Eugene area to support such development. ?rivate inves'tmem included over $900~000 by Spectra Physics for wetland mitigation to develop ks industrial property in this areafis It became clear to the affected governments, regulatory agencies and property owners that the conflicts needed to be addressed ~n a ~ve and timely manner to achieve certainty in the planning process, protect wetlands, and to provide greater security ~br the C~ty and developers in making investment decisions. The resuk was a study culminating with the adoption of the WEWP in 1992. Today, the WEWP provides the basis for wetlands management in the West Eugene area. The plan was developed to balance the City's acknowledged need for economic development with the protection and restoration ora wetland and waterway system, as well ~ to protect natural diversity. The plan ~ncludes goals and policies for protection, enhancement, mitigation and development~ The WEWP ~dentifies approximately 1,307 acres of wetlands in the West Eugene area. Through the coordination effo~ between the City of Eugene, Lane County, LCOG and affected state and federal agencies~ 1,109 of these acres have been designated for protection or restoration, while 288 wetland acres'remain available for development The 1,307 acres ~nclude about 600 acres initially designated for industrial use, of which 485 acres now are identified for protection or restoration. .Over $7 m~llion of federal funding h~ been invested in the implementation of the ~rEWP to datefis In addition to the ~deral funding, there h~ been considerable invesWnent from private property omers located in the area west of Beltline Highway, north of West 1 lth Avenu~, and south of the 65 S~ The Nature Conserva~m¥ Report No 2 (September/October 1993). The Spectra Physics site is now o~upied by PSC 66 ©n August 26, !t999~ dudng a tour of the West Eugene weUands area hosted by LCOG, Senator Gordon Sre~h pledged an i~es~nt ~o ~p[e~n~ ~he ~t4/P~ Also the ~dera[ Envimnmenta~ Protection Agen~ contributed $50;~ 10 flhe deveBp~n! of the ~ to Use ~asa nationa~ ~se Study in how wet~and pmtem~on and e~mOmic development both mn ~ a~mmodated ~n an u~an environment EXHIBIT O-1 - F~ND~NGS 38