Ordinance No. 20258 - Laserfiche WebLink

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ALTEPJ,~AT(¥E$ CONS~D~F~£D ~ ~EP acquisition activities where parcels along the Approved FEIS Alignment were deeded to ODOT for the purposes of transportation. ODOT and BLM discontinued this arrangement when the NEPA process was reopened to give consideration of the Modified Project alignment north of the railroad tracks. The WEWP has received national acclaim as a prototype for wetland banking and an exemplary case demonstrating how environmental protection and industrial development can co-exist in a coordinated implementation and management plato Property has been acquired, projects have been developed, and built with the WEWP and WEP in mind° Specifically, the 11-35 Project developed cooperatively by the US Army Corps of Engineers and Cig~ of Eugene ,mas designed to accommodate the alignment of the Modified Project by not including the properties to north of the railroad tracks or the Modified Project. See Appendix E fbr a more complete listing of related projects. According to City of Eugene's Planning Director, a plan amendment would be required for the Modified (Northern) Alignment. Lane County and City of Eugene locally elected officials make policy level decisions including plan amendments. The City' has been waiting for the ROD and closure of the NEPA process to begin the amendment process to shift the alignment from the Approved FEIS Alternative to the Modified Project. By 1995, recommended changes to the Approved Design were developed to improve traffic operations and to reduce impacts to the western pond turtle, wetlands, and rare plants. A supplement Draft SEIS was prepared in 1997 and Public Hearing held to report new data, compare impacts of the two alternatives and to update the environmental analysis. The Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement disclosed potential environmental impacts for two alternatives: The Approved Design (Approved FEIS Alternative), was selected in the 1990 Final Environmental Impact Statement. It involves constructing the WEP on a new alignment, creating an 8.9-kilometer (5.5-mile) extension of the 6th and 7th Avenue Couplet. The western limit of the Approved Design is west of the City of Eugene, west of the intemection of Highway 126 and Goble Lane near Oak Hill. The roadway would travel on a new alignmem generally eastward to a terminus at Highway 99 and Garfield Street. As explained in the FEIS, the Approved Design combines the best features of Alternative 1, Modified At Grade, and Alternative lB, as described in the DEIS. The Modified Project (Northern Alternative), encompasses design options that reduce biological impacts and improve traffic operations. These include moving the West Eugene Parkway to the north side of the railroad tracks between the west end of the project and Terry Street, and construction of a new flyover at the West Eugene Parkway's intersection with Highway 99, to eliminate congestion associated with at-grade left tums across Highway 99. To accommodate projected traffic volumes, several modifications would be made to the intersections of 6th and 7th avenues with Garfield Street. Sixth Avenue would widen from four lanes at Grant Street (two blocks east of Garfield Street) to six lanes at Garfiel& That widening is likely to occur within the existing right-of°way. Approaching Garfield, 6th would have two left-mm lanes, three through lanes, and one combination throughJright mm lane. As Garfield approaches 6th from the north, it would be widened to four lanes~ Garfield would be widened to five lanes between 6th and 7th, with two through lanes in each direction and a center left turn lane at 6th and 7th-. To reduce wetland and rare plant impacts, an alignment shift is recommended that would locate the WEP along the north side of the Central Oregon and Pacific ~ilroad alignment EXH{B~T C~2 - FINDINGS 5