CC Minutes - 06/16/08 Work Session/Public Hearing

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process. The twelve proposed amendments had been unanimously endorsed by the NLC and the ICS. It was important to grow in a way that the community could see the vitality in the core of the neighborhoods. He supported Amendment 8, RR/SC stormwater issues, and asked that it be moved forward. Jim Torrey, 3393 Arlington Avenue, Ward 4, was not surprised by the conflict seen tonight. He asked the Council to reconsider the recommendation of the committee that was appointed four years ago to review the land use code on an annual basis. If the Council had done that, many of the issues raised tonight could have been brought to the Council earlier, before the conflict position was reached. He was convinced that most people had no idea of what was involved in the land use code until it impacted them and their neighborhood. The predictability of the code was key. If the Council wanted to earn the trust of the people, it needed to be able to give them an opportunity to bring issues to the Council when they learned it had an impact on them, their neighborhood or as an industry. He urged the City Council to reconsider the recommendation of a broad-based group of people. He noted that group had to agree by 75 percent before they brought issues to the Council. He strongly urged the Council to consider the need to review the code every year. th Deborah Healey, 360 East 15 Avenue, Chair of WUNA, Ward 3, said the WUN was the most densely populated neighborhood in Eugene, had a lot of experience with infill of various kinds and had actively participated in the MICAP process during the last 18 months. During the last few years, there had been a dramatic increase from one and two-bedroom units to four to six-bedroom units, with an average of 3.5 bedrooms and 200 bedrooms built or proposed in 2007. To date in 2008, 135 bedrooms were proposed or under construction, and well on track to exceed the 2007 figures. The neighborhood had a high student population, with 3,000 of the 5,500 residents in the 20-24 year old range. Six or seven of the nine WUNA Board members were renters because less than two percent of the residents were owner-occupiers. Most of the residents in the 20-24 age group were not families with children, but individuals, each of whom could have a car. Parking was not needed for every person in the apartments, but it was time to make a change. th Rene Kane , 254 West 14 Avenue, recently attended a City sponsored conference on Smart Growth. The expert speakers talked about how cities could be responsive to environmental, social, and economic issues when considering where and how to grow. She noted the conference had been attended by local elected officials and staff, building and design professionals, and neighborhood representatives. Qualities being incorporated into Smart Growth communities already existed in her neighborhood and other close-in neighborhoods such as Whiteaker, SUN and WUN. The neighborhoods were walkable, dense and diverse, with a good balance of open space and structures, both private and public, residential and commercial uses. There were eyes on the street and ample street tree canopies, the neighborhoods were pedestrian in scale while accommodating cars and bicycles. MICAP had been an involved community dialogue. She encouraged the Council to adopt the proposed twelve code amendments. th Steve Baker, 360 East 15 Avenue, Ward 3, said lack of onsite parking had been a serious problem in WUN since the 1970’s. Based upon the latest Harris Poll, 72 percent of students at the University had vehicles at college, most of which were covered by the Residential Parking Program due to the parking shortage. In 2007, 860 residential parking permits and 50 commuter parking permits were issued. WUNA proposed code amendments in 2006 that were fully supported by MICAP to deal with a few new projects being built with three to six bedrooms and minimal parking. The proposal was approved unanimously by ICS. The staff proposal submitted to the Planning Commission was more restrictive than the WUNA proposal, and the Commission decided against changing the code amendments. WUNA strongly urged the MINUTES—Eugene City Council June 16, 2008 Page 12 Work Session