CC Minutes - 03/17/99 WS - Laserfiche WebLink

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Mr. Meisner echoed Mr. Kelly's remarks and agreed that there was a significant land use question at issue but it also had to do with the City's role in economic development. He said Mr. Lee's point that this was a small part of the budget was well-taken, but the City has invested a tremendous amount in capital infrastructure over the years. He agreed with Mr. Rayor that economic times have changed and said that would be a factor in the council's deliberation; however, he added the taxing system had also changed and that would be crucial to him in making a decision. Mr. Meisner emphasized that this was a partnership and the views of all the partners and their interests were important and must be respected. He said his responsibility as a councilor was to make sure that he protected the interests of the citizens of the City of Eugene. Mr. Meisner said it was important for him to look at the broad issue of the renewal district, of which the park is but half. Ms. Nathanson wondered how much of the decision before the council was symbolic, suggesting a rephrasing of the questions: "How much money is needed to complete infrastructure in the park and how would that cost be distributed? If that amount to be used from urban renewal funds is something less than what is needed, is it possible to spend all of that urban renewal money on projects that this body is comfortable with given that the rest of the funding would have to come from somewhere else anyway?" She said that generally partnership and intergovernmental cooperation/agreements were viewed as a means to an end rather than an end unto itself--something that is appropriate, a tool to do something. In this instance, she continued, it had become much more: partnership important enough to be a value that stands on its own. Ms. Nathanson said an agreement was reached between the City and the University, and also with the voters through approval of the park concept and the district. A partner drawing back on an agreement causes enough concern that it can damage relations which Ms. Nathanson believed was no small matter. Getting beyond all that, she said, this really is about how the City spends dollars since with dollars goes some degree of influence. The City's degree of influence could be greater if it tied more dollars to that development. Ms. Nathanson said she wanted to avoid today adopting a specific agreement/decision because there was no plan as yet. She acknowledged the University's willingness and commitment to review the master plan and said it seemed that the council should let that happen before any decision was made. Mayor Torrey acknowledged the contentiousness of the situation but opined that the number of people involved was very small, possibly 10 percent of the population. He said his experience was that the majority in the community knew about the research park and supported it. He indicated support for the University's request and suggested educating the public about the details of development north and south of the railroad tracks and assess public opinion. Mayor Torrey hoped the council would vote its direction today to make it clear to the University what the City was willing to do. Paul Farmer, Planning and Development Department Director, said the council has expressed its desire to have the work of his department be policy-driven, with direction from one of the major policy documents, the Growth Management Study. He was also reminded of the nodal development exercises underway and said if the growth boundary was to be meaningful, it was expected to change. He noted that two of the largest nodes were downtown and the University, which related to the environmental frame, ridges, and rivers. Mr. Farmer shared his professional experience in dealing with waterfronts and research parks in Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, and Minneapolis and said a theme nationwide is to clean-up brown fields on waterfronts--what has already been going on in Eugene. He said open spaces are being added to riverfronts but so are more activity centers- -both considered high value/high amenity uses. Mr. Farmer said the great campuses of the world have memorable outdoor rooms and buildings, citing the University of Oregon among them and adding that creating those outdoor rooms is just as important as the buildings. He said the district between Franklin Boulevard and the river was critically important to the City. Mr. Farmer said staff believed that the issue was more than just the research park and had suggested conducting a companion study, the cost and scope to follow at the council's direction. Minutes--Eugene City Council March 17, 1999 Page 4 11:30 a.m.