Laserfiche WebLink
innovative development and design excellence: Chatham Village and Hares Island, both located <br />in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Mr. Farmer described his own experience living in Chatham Village. <br />Councilors asked questions clarifying the details of the presentation. <br /> <br />Mr. Meisner thanked Mr. Farmer for his escort through the developments in question during his <br />visit to Pittsburgh, and also thanked him for showing the council the choices that could exist for <br />housing, both rental and owner-occupied. He noted that Chatham Village was a totally market- <br />driven development. <br /> <br />Mr. Meisner asked Mr. Farmer if he was aware of similarly innovative developments that had <br />failed, and if there was a common theme to those failures. Mr. Farmer acknowledged failures, but <br />said that they failed for different reasons; some were design failures, some were financial failures, <br />and others failed to create a sense of neighborhood. <br /> <br />Mr. Kelly asked if Mr. Farmer perceived a way to use the skills that existed locally on a smaller <br />scale to achieve the sort of innovation he had seen elsewhere. Mr. Farmer said that he thought <br />the City would have something to offer a local developer if it had a couple of good sites, and staff <br />could then work to determine which local builder or developer could make the sites work. He said <br />that the City needed to reject what he termed the "same old, same old suburban." He praised the <br />infill development that had occurred in Portland and particularly in Seattle, and suggested that the <br />council and Planning Commission consider visiting Seattle to view some innovative infill <br />developments of the type the Land Use Code Update would make possible. <br /> <br />Mr. Pap~ determined from Mr. Farmer that there had been considerable public funding ($24 <br />million) dedicated toward Hares Island. The development had been located on a brownfield, <br />which required clean-up. Mr. Farmer said the largest contributor had been the State of <br />Pennsylvania. <br /> <br />Mayor Torrey asked Mr. Farmer how the City should proceed in addressing the issue of the <br />Eugene Water & Electric Board pole yard and the new federal courthouse complex. Mr. Farmer <br />felt it important for the long term that the pole yard be moved. He suggested it was merely a <br />matter of timing in determining how the redevelopment would occur. <br /> <br /> MINUTES--Eugene City Council May 29, 2001 Page 6 <br /> Work Session <br /> <br /> <br />