Item 2A: Approval of City Council Minutes

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Agency for final authorization. This motion further directs the Agency Director to secure the services of a qualified urban planner/facilitator to oversee the public process for the West Broadway development site footprint, and to establish a West Broadway Development Advisory Committee to work with a qualified urban planner/facilitator, and the developers, to identify preferred design elements, mix of uses, public open spaces, options for parking, as well as a transition plan for existing businesses. The Agency and the Advisory Commit- tee would also seek additional public input. The Advisory Committee shall be composed of 11 members, with each councilor selecting one member and the Mayor selecting three mem- bers. In addition, the Agency Director shall secure the services of a qualified consultant to perform market analysis and economic feasibility studies. This research and analysis will inform the Agency and the Advisory Committee’s deliberations.” Ms. Taylor said the development footprint included existing businesses and she was opposed to that. She did not think existing businesses wanted to transition to another place. She asked when Thomas Kemper th Partners was chosen for the redevelopment project at the site on the corner of Charnelton Street and 10 Avenue and when that process had been suspended. Senior Management Analyst for the Community Development Division Denny Braud replied that TK Partners had requested that it be allowed to suspend its work on the site in order to work on the RFQ in December, 2006. Ms. Taylor asked when the development project at the former Sears site would have been completed had construction not been suspended. Mr. Braud responded that it had been projected to have been completed a year after construction had begun. Ms. Taylor surmised that the project could be very nearly done if the process had not been discontinued. Mr. Braud clarified that construction would have begun but would not have been completed at this point. Ms. Taylor expressed disappointment that the project on the former Sears site was not going forward. Mr. Zelenka assumed in this motion that the advisory committee would bring its ideas to the council for review. He expressed appreciation for all of the people who participated in the process. He acknowledged that not everyone would agree on the process and said he had attempted to craft the motion so that it would have “a little bit for everyone.” He asserted that this part of the downtown needed to fundamentally change. He felt the developers had different strengths; Beam was good at rehabilitating old buildings and KWG was good at building a diverse mix of housing over retail. He thought it was prudent to undertake a three-month process in order to gain adequate input from the committee. Mayor Piercy appreciated Mr. Zelenka’s work on this. She supported bringing the partners who helped sponsor the public workshop to the table. She averred that the advisory committee’s recommendations should play a significant role in how the area was redeveloped. Ms. Bettman asked if the City would enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the developers. Mr. Braud replied that this would be one of the next steps. Ms. Bettman asked if the MOU would require that the proposal be consistent with the recommendations of the advisory committee. Mr. Braud responded that the MOU would outline the public process and the timeline and that all parties involved would agree to that process. Ms. Bettman asked if the City could require the developers to comply with the recommendations of the advisory committee. Mr. Braud explained that the City had to ultimately approve the development MINUTES—Eugene City Council May 14, 2007 Page 6 Work Session