CC Minutes - 04/25/01 Work Session

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Mr. Meisner wanted to look at other options for the laboratory. He concurred with Mr. Kelly regarding redevelopment at Roosevelt and the need to use the property more efficiently. He suggested there might be some space at 2nd and Chambers for the property office. Mr. Rayor noted that he briefly toured the Public Works Maintenance facility and the adjacent neighborhoods the previous day. He said the location was great and centrally sited. It was his perception the facility was crowded. Mr. Rayor supported the continued acquisition of property but thought an active strategy was needed to address the housing nearby. He was unsure the timing was right to co-locate police functions at the site. Mr. Rayor suggested the City consider using empty warehouses to house the police functions to be moved from the basement. He supported a study and noted he had shared some ideas with staff the previous day via e-mail. Ms. Nathanson liked the idea of the site at 2nd Avenue and Chambers Street because of its central location and potential for service collocation. She said that while she only wanted to see collocation in situations that benefitted the City of Eugene, she could envision a scenario through which Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB) could be persuaded to move some of its operations to a joint development site to free up its valuable river front property. She observed that public investment was often followed by private development, such as happened at 2nd Avenue and Chambers Street. When an area was ripe for redevelopment, such as in the case of a "brownfield" redevelopment, often a public agency needed to help, or develop the site itself. She considered much of central Eugene industrial area ripe for redevelopment. Ms. Nathanson suggested that the potential of expansion at 2nd Avenue and Chambers Streetmight result in some degree of gentrification but could also improve safety conditions in the area by improving its appearance. She said that for each site, the question to whether the City was helping or hurting the community would be different. She wanted to study the staff proposals more with an eye toward implementing them. Mr. Pap~ endorsed Ms. Nathanson's remarks regarding the EWEB property. He favored purchasing additional properties at the 2nd Avenue and Chambers Street area and expanding at the site. He appreciated the comments of Mr. Meisner and Mr. Fart regarding the loss of Iow- income housing, but suggested that to maintain Iow-cost housing in the area the council might consider buying and aggregating sites along Garfield Street and Roosevelt Boulevard. He appreciated the recommendation that the City put excess properties up for sale, and suggested that the entire list of surplus City properties be reexamined and a policy developed for disposing of all of them. Mr. Pap~ said that the council needed to be cognizant it was spending public money. Mr. Farr agreed with Mr. Pap~ regarding the need to examine all City-owned surplus property. He said that EWEB also had properties throughout the community and suggested that those properties be examined as well and a dialogue entered into with EWEB on the sharing of resources. The same people that EWEB served were also served by the City, and the council should be looking out for the good of both entities. Ms. Bettman thought the motion related to the proposed master plan was a long-term strategy, out of context with the rest of the strategies it was to consider later. She thought there was a potential the City could invest in a site closer to downtown for some of the uses not suitable in downtown and some of the services provided in leased space now. She thought it should be a City objective to keep uses near or in downtown, for the purpose of providing access to the public and having them close together for easier administration. If the money was taken out of the Facilities Fund and dedicated to a new development, it would not be available for other uses. MINUTES--Eugene City Council April 25, 2001 Page 3 Work Session