CC Minutes - 02/18/98 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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Jan Spencer, 283 North Polk Street, said that if the community wanted to create a balance between business and the environment it would have to demolish some businesses and restore some wetlands. He reminded the elected officials of the results of the Growth Management Study, which indicated citizens want a clean environment and local businesses. Mr. Spencer said that Mr. Cornacchia's proposals are at odds with the stated desires of citizens. He asked the elected officials to support the recommendations of the planning commissions and to not sacrifice the plan to economic interests. Milton Oilar, 3609 Westleigh Street, said that he had only been in the community a short time but believed Hyundai had bent over backwards to accommodate the concerns of Eugene citizens. He said that Hyundai would provide jobs to the community. He commended the leadership demonstrated by Mr. Cornacchia in striking a balance between the environment and economy. Mr. Oilar said that the elected officials should not succumb to scare tactics. Evelyn McConneaghy, 1653 Fairmount Boulevard, opposed Mr. Cornacchia's proposed changes to the criteria. She said that his recommendations would gut the intent of the plan and would eliminate the last remaining wet prairie in the area. Ms. McConneaghy said that the proposed added development criteria would allow any business with wetlands to fill those wetlands for future expansion on a speculative basis. She also objected to his proposal to remove hydrological connections created by pipes and roads. She asked the elected officials to adopt the recommendations of the planning commissions, and to not change the recommendations without the benefit of scientific expertise. Allan Thayer, no address given, said that the changes proposed to the plan made it more difficult to develop land in Eugene. He said that as the supply of available land shrank, the impact of the plan was greater. Mr. Thayer said that development would not stop, but would go elsewhere. He believed that the language suggested by Mr. Cornacchia would help Eugene sustain the principles of compact urban form. Eben Arkin, 29136 Gimpl Hill Road, discussed his experience at a wetland site and said he would not like to see a factory at the wetland. Leslie Hartwig, 2260 Elysium Street, said he was impressed by the thought and effort put into the issue by Mr. Cornacchia and supported his recommendations. Ruth Duemler, 1745 Fir Crest, stressed the importance of clean water to the community. She said that wetlands were crucial to clean water and Eugene should preserve them for future generations. She said that Eugene had spent considerable money and effort to preserve wetlands. She asked the elected officials to accept the planning commissions' recommendations. Ms. Duemler objected to the last minute changes proposed by Mr. Cornacchia and said that it was insulting to those who put so much effort into the public process. Ray Wolfe, 1473 Luella Street, discussed the importance of alkaloids to ecosystems and said that they should be handled as though they were irreversible. He said that the majority of wetlands in the Willamette Valley had been destroyed. Mr. Wolfe said that Mr. Cornacchia's criteria would allow development to occur on valuable wetlands, and that development could occur elsewhere. He said that the recommendations would set a dangerous precedent by subordinating the long-term human value of this and other ecosystems to short-term, economic convenience. Mr. Wolfe called for better stewardship for future generations. MINUTES--Joint Elected Officials-- February 18, 1998 Page 8 Eugene City Council/Lane County Board of Commissioners