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<br />Jozef Siekiel-Zdzienicki,
<br />1025 Taylor, Ward 1, was a renter. He said the City’s method of determining
<br />building height by measuring from halfway up the roofline did not make sense. Lack of provisions for
<br />buffer zones with no transition in residential areas was short-sighted. Although underground parking was
<br />expensive, it was an option. He urged the City Council to pass the MICAP amendments.
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<br />Pauline Hutson,
<br />1025 Taylor, lived in a small infill house. Her family had a modest income and the
<br />availability of affordable housing in safe, attractive neighborhoods was important to them. Eugene had a
<br />limited number of affordable small homes for rent or purchase, particularly in neighborhoods where people
<br />with modest incomes wanted to live rather than were forced to live. The Jefferson and Westside neighbor-
<br />hoods had affordable, appealing housing with friendly neighbors that was within walking distance to stores,
<br />restaurants and the library. It was important that the character and stability of the established neighbor-
<br />hoods not be degraded by the “human warehouse” apartments that were being jammed in alleys and back
<br />yards by developers with no concern for the community. The HPB chair did not speak for her when
<br />opposing the proposed MCAs to help prevent degradation of her neighborhood and community. She asked
<br />the City Council to approve the amendments that would help protect Eugene’s neighborhoods.
<br />
<br />Ed McMahon,
<br />1233 Hilo Drive, Executive Director of the HBA said the Planning Commission had
<br />recommended that Amendments 5 and 7 be forwarded to the ICS and the HPB had agreed with the
<br />Commission. He expressed concerns about Amendments 3, 8, 9, and 11. He encouraged the Council to
<br />forward Amendments 5, 7 and 8 to the ICS for more citizen involvement, adding that to do otherwise would
<br />be in direct conflict with GMPs 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 10 and 11. A workable compromise existed supported by the
<br />feeling that everyone loved the community. He asked that the Council allow the necessary dialogue to take
<br />place and thanked it for its commitment to the community.
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<br />Rob Handy,
<br />455½ River Road, past co-chair of the NLC, had met with representatives from the Chamber
<br />of Commerce, the HBA, Friends of Eugene, City staff and consultants, to develop a process for the MCA
<br />process. The twelve proposed amendments had been unanimously endorsed by the NLC and the ICS. It
<br />was important to grow in a way that the community could see the vitality in the core of the neighborhoods.
<br />He supported Amendment 8, RR/SC stormwater issues, and asked that it be moved forward.
<br />
<br />Jim Torrey,
<br />3393 Arlington Avenue, Ward 4, was not surprised by the conflict seen tonight. He asked the
<br />Council to reconsider the recommendation of the committee that was appointed four years ago to review the
<br />land use code on an annual basis. If the Council had done that, many of the issues raised tonight could
<br />have been brought to the Council earlier, before the conflict position was reached. He was convinced that
<br />most people had no idea of what was involved in the land use code until it impacted them and their
<br />neighborhood. The predictability of the code was key. If the Council wanted to earn the trust of the
<br />people, it needed to be able to give them an opportunity to bring issues to the Council when they learned it
<br />had an impact on them, their neighborhood or as an industry. He urged the City Council to reconsider the
<br />recommendation of a broad-based group of people. He noted that group had to agree by 75 percent before
<br />they brought issues to the Council. He strongly urged the Council to consider the need to review the code
<br />every year.
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<br />th
<br />Deborah Healey,
<br />360 East 15 Avenue, Chair of WUNA, Ward 3, said the WUN was the most densely
<br />populated neighborhood in Eugene, had a lot of experience with infill of various kinds and had actively
<br />participated in the MICAP process during the last 18 months. During the last few years, there had been a
<br />dramatic increase from one and two-bedroom units to four to six-bedroom units, with an average of 3.5
<br />bedrooms and 200 bedrooms built or proposed in 2007. To date in 2008, 135 bedrooms were proposed or
<br />under construction, and well on track to exceed the 2007 figures. The neighborhood had a high student
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<br />MINUTES—Eugene City Council June 16, 2008 Page 11
<br /> Work Session
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