Ordinance No. 20258 - Laserfiche WebLink

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W~ST EUGENE PARKWAY MODIFIED P~ECr~C.~'3NSISTENCY WITH THE STATE:WIDE PLA~NING GOALS A~D TP~NSPORTATIOH PLAHNING RULE Economic Dislocations Re number and scale of economic dislocations is an appropriate consideration in determining an alternative's reasonableness to accommodate the identified need. Generally, when the dislocations are relatiYely few in number or small in scale, the mere fact that dislocations occur would not render an akemative "unreasonable~' However, when the number or scale of dislocations is of such magnitude as to result insubstantial public inconvenience or harm, then the alternative creating this impact may ~ unre~onable. As used in this paragraph, economic dislocations include not only d~rect loss of land or relocation of homes or businesses, but also loss of access, loss in investment, loss of parking spaces, and similar adverse economic impacts. Protecting Natum~ Resoumes and Biologically Sensitive Areas Consistent with Fedem~ and State Environmental Object,yes Were k not for ~e significant adverse ~mpacts of~e Approved Design on h~gh value wetlands and threatened and endangered species,70 the C~ty of Eugene ~d Lane Coun~ would not now be considering comprehensive plan mendments to relocate the WEP. Instead~ they could rely on the 1986 exception and ~e~r plans to construct the Approved Design. Wkh the discove~ of wetl~ds in ~e late t980s, a~ention mined to how best to a¥oid or minimize wetland and T&E species impac~ consistent wkh federal and state regulations govern{rig promotion of wetlands and t[~eatened and endan~red species.7~ Because the federal wetland pem~k ~d highway construction ~[ng federal funds ~e federal actions, and because federal agencies have pressed for consideration of akematives to the Approved Design for the express pu~se of reducing env~ronmen~l impacts~ minimizing adverse impac~ to high value wetlands and to threatened and end--gered plant and animal species ~nsistent wi~ federal regulations and objectives is the foremost threshold for dete~ining ~e m~onableness of an ~temative to accommodate the WEP. Generally, the less severn the d~rect ~d indirect impact m high value wedands~ o~er biologically sensitive ~eas ~d T&E species, ~e mom reasonable the altemafive~ Almrnmives with s~gnificantly higher adve~e high value wedand or T&E impac~ in relation to other alternatives are considered unreasonable ~ they fa~l to confom~ with federal requiremen~ that priorkize avoidance or minim~mtion of ~mpac~ to these resoumes. Achieving State and Local Transportation Objectives ~is threshold factor considers whether the alternative can reasonably achieve the identified transportation need. Highway I26, of which the WEP would be a par~ is identified in the 1999 Oregon Highway ?lan as a Statewide Highway. It is also an element of the National Highway System. As such, k is intended to se~e primarily intra and inter-regional transportation needs. An alternative whose function is d~ff~rent (e.g., one that would serve primarily local needs) or whose level of se~ice does not meet ODOT standards for Statewide Highways would not be an alternative that could reasonably accommodate the WEP. Alternatives not requiring goal exceptions may still profoundly affect the implementation of an acknowledged comprehensive plan. For this project, a relevant issue is whether an alternative would so alter re,enable planning expectations and investment as to be unreasonable~ More particularly, We~ Eugene was identified long ago as an ~ndustrial area. Since then, many m~llions of dollars have been inYested by the City of Eugene and private landowners on infrastructure and development to 70 As used heroin, T&E Species ~nc~ude federa~ ca~dklate species and species of concern and state sensitive species, 7'~ These include Section 404 of the fedem{ Clean Water Act and the federa{ Endangere~ Species Act. E~IBrT C~ - F~ND{NGS 42