CC Minutes - 02/08/99 Mtg - Laserfiche WebLink

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easements. She encouraged the council to set a date for reconsideration of the Riverfront Urban Renewal District since the University had concluded its review of the park. She requested that the council conduct a public hearing before making any decision about the area. Charles Biggs, 2405 Willakenzie Road, stated that he favored giving priority for funding of projects related to node improvements in the CIP. He said examples of such improvements were lighting, mid-block street crossings, benches, trash receptacles, and police substations. He described a lack of response to previous suggestions he had made for street lighting in the area in which he lived. He said his proposed priority would support the council goal of reducing reliance on the automobile and make additional funds available for subsidized housing. Lora Byxbe, 677 West 23rd Avenue, said Eugene was fortunate to have a beautiful river within its boundary. She stated access to such a river in other cities was blocked by industrial development and that she supported not allowing it to happen in Eugene. She reported that the University of Oregon Student Senate and Faculty Senate had approved resolutions calling for no development in the Riverfront Research Park north of the railroad tracks. She said many residents of the City also supported such a ban. She requested that the $800,000 in the CIP designated for the Riverfront Research Park be deleted. She suggested that the City find a way to own the land in the research park. Jereme Grzybowski, 2766 Alder Street, stated that he was a member of the Associated Students of the University of Oregon Student Senate and served as one of its representatives to the Faculty Senate. He stated that both bodies had adopted resolutions opposing development in the Riverfront Research Park north of the railroad tracks. He said he did not believe the area was appropriate for development expansion. He requested that the $800,000 designated for the project be removed from the CIP. He suggested that the City exchange other available land with the University to permanently preserve the area in question. Hillary Johnson, 1290 East 25th Avenue, asked that the council postpone approving the $800,000 in the ClP designated for Riverfront Park Interior Streets and Paths until what was best for citizens was determined. She said fiscal responsibility, riverfront green space, and Willamette River water quality should be considered. She reminded the council that testimony at a public hearing regarding the future of the Riverfront Urban Renewal District had overwhelmingly supported its termination. She said the University had made no indication that it would follow the recommendations of its faculty and student senates that the river front area in the park not be developed. She asked the council to postpone its action on the funds and study the issue. Doug Quirk, 212 Pearl Street, reminded the council that it had received assurance from the University of Oregon that it would not proceed with development in the Riverfront Research Park north of the railroad tracks while it conducted a full review of the project. He said the council would receive a report of the review at its meeting on February 23, 1999. He urged the council to delete the $800,000 included in the ClP to support the Riverfront Urban Renewal District until a full review of the district was completed which would include a public hearing devoted to development on the riverfront. Karl Sorg, 1150 West 15th Avenue, said that he believed including extension of the Airport parking lot identified in the ClP was a "tribute to... car worship" in Eugene. He recommended that councilors read Asphalt Nation: How the Automobile Took Over America and How We Can Take It back by Jane Holtz Kay and reviewed its contents. He recommended that the council divert funding for the parking project into improvement of public transportation. He said he was MINUTES--Eugene City Council February 8, 1999 Page 3 7:30 p.m.