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Mayor Torrey wanted to be sure pedestrians, bicyclists, and people in vehicles could cross 8th <br />Avenue west-to-east easily. <br /> <br />Mayor Torrey hoped the council would not preclude the opportunity for an arena in the courthouse <br />area. He believed that if the University wanted such an arena to be built, it needed to answer <br />many questions about that use. Mayor Torrey said if the University was able to do the needed <br />analysis, he would like to see it. <br /> <br />Mayor Torrey said he would like to see the water-related features constructed on the site. He <br />asked what would happen if the council sought funding and the voters denied that request? What <br />then would the City do with the land? <br /> <br />Responding to Mayor Torrey's questions, Ms. Laurence said that staff analyzed all transportation <br />alternatives and believed that the 6th/7th avenue realignment can get people across the road using <br />all modes. That road had not been designed yet, however. Regarding the Millrace, Ms. Laurence <br />confirmed that land could be reserved for the Millrace inside an easement and that could be <br />counted as part of open space. She noted that the commission and staff had not discussed open <br />space requirements for the zone yet. In terms of the Millrace design, Ms. Laurence said that there <br />were many ways to treat that feature. For example, there could be a series of water features as <br />opposed to actually daylighting the Millrace, or bringing the piped water to the surface. She <br />suggested that the City work with a developer to determine how to accommodate the Millrace on <br />the City-owned property while allowing the balance to be developed. <br /> <br />Mayor Torrey thanked staff and the Planning Commission Plus Three for the work they did in the <br />time allowed. He solicited another round of council comments. <br /> <br />Mr. Kelly expressed concern about the proximity of the planned development to the riverfront. He <br />wanted development near the river and a pedestrian green area alongside the river. He said for <br />the plan to gain his support, the street north of the tracks from roughly south of existing 6th Avenue <br />to the Riverfront Research Park must be eliminated. Mr. Kelly did not want to see any <br />development north of the railroad tracks other than the steam plant. <br /> <br />Mr. Meisner disagreed with Mr. Kelly. He said that the City had already preserved a great deal of <br />the riverfront and to say there could be no development near the river was not acceptable to him. <br />Speaking to Mr. Rayor, Mr. Meisner pointed out that if the Millrace was fully daylighted, there <br />would be less than 1-1/2 acres of developable City-owned property. That would make it impossible <br />for the City to recover its investment, much less build a neighborhood. He was not seeking to <br />establish a destination point, but rather a neighborhood where people lived and worked. <br /> <br />In terms of the 6th Avenue street realignment, Mr. Meisner believed that the railroad tracks alone <br />were a significant barrier, and putting two lanes of highway next to the railroad tracks made sense <br />to him. <br /> <br />Mr. Farr said that the courthouse area could be a jewel for Eugene. One of the community's least <br />attractive places in the community could be turned into a magnet for residents. He believed that <br />because of the courthouse location the area would be an attractor. He supported daylighting the <br />Millrace and did not want to preclude the possible development of a multi-use arena in the area. <br />He agreed with the mayor that the University must work in partnership with the City, federal <br />government, and private developers to make such an arena happen. <br /> <br /> MINUTES--Eugene City Council July 17, 2002 Page 5 <br /> Work Session <br /> <br /> <br />