Item 2A: Approval of City Council Minutes

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alone rnerited the stmhum's preservation. He noted that the Eugene Emeralds minor league baseball tearn had average attcndance of j 20,,000 f~m~, per summer t~1r as for back as he cuuld find attendance records. He staled that the "Ems" consistently had one of the top three atkndancc draws of tht Nl)rth\.vest Baseba\l League, despite consistently having a k1sing record. lie nttrlbuted this to the stadium \vhich he caned a "great place to sit back and enjoy a warm sumrner's evening.'" lk related that 8aseball America vot<:d Civic Stadium one of the top ten pbccs to watch a basehall game in the entire rninor leagues. He proclaimed the view itself to be 'INorth the price of adrnission. FIe underscored the diversity of the baseball audience, He soid everyone in Eugene had a connection to the basebaU stadimn and needed it in order to ren:1<lin connected 'with the City's hist~)l)' and to grOlv as a community that values its pubiic places, He urged the City to purchase Civic Stadium, possibly utilizing public--private partncrship or by f(;rming a non-profit organization to restore the stadiunL John Hotson, 2447 Canterbury Strcet, spokc on behalf of the Santn Cbra Comm.ittee f~:l!' Parks and Open Spaces (SCCPOS) .which was pursHlng the acquisition of the Santa Clara Elementary School property for a special use facility or a community center project. He thanked the Mayor, City Council, and City Manager (~;r their support and insight. l-k also wished to thank the Parks and Open Space Division director Johnny Medlin and staff for accepting the work projects involving iands and acreage in the Santa Clara area. He statcd that the commitke was in the process of developing more pledges to work toward the purchase of the school. He sald the committee was working with the hopes and dreams of Santa Clanl citizens. Kate Perle, 4740\Vendover Street, also representing the SCCPOS, called the Santa Clara Elenlentary School the "cultural centcr ufthe [Santa Clara] community t~)r generations." She said th~)Ugh a fire had danwged the building earlier in the ye..ir, much of it was structurally sound and usable. She stated that the site was made up of six tax lots, totaling a little over seven acres of which the sch()ol footprint comprised approximately three acres. The site was de~,ignated for guvemrnent and educational purposes in the Santa Clara Refinement Plan, consistent with the Eugene-Springfield Metropolitan Area Geneml Plan {fvldro Plan). She underscored the community's desire to preserve the site, rebuild the structure, and create a special use facility for Santa Clara. She noted the site was surrounded by five Metropolitan Aff~)fl:lable Housing projects and three senior residence facilities 'Yvlth no other park options \vithin unc..half mile. The committee wanted to partner with School District 4J and the City of Eugene to "make a significant, positive difference in the comnrunity." She c<..mveyed the committee's proposal to purchase the tax Jot vvith the historic building, create the facility, and providc Tor its ongoing programming and for the City to purchase the other five lots to provide a neighborhood park in the area, She suggcsted that the community facility could house the Santa Clara branch of the iihrary, a public saiety station, after-school activities [or youth, continuing education for adults, and rneeting roorflS. among other uses. She reiterated that the Santa Clara area was greatly underserved according to the Parks aud Open Space Draft Comprehensive Plan. She noted the plan called for the creation of a conmnmity center in the area. She underscored that citizens ofthe area 'vvere ready to conduct the funding and outreach and alread.y had a committed prinnfY donor. She said tlK~ broad-based community..initiated en~)[t was a great opportunity for the City of Eugene. Teny Connolly, 1401 Wil1mnette Street rcpresenting the Eugene Area Charnbef of Commerce, <..~xpressed appreciation for the earlier \vork session <..1n the tlo\vntown zoning regulations. He said the charnber thought constructive diologue had transpired. He avened that in order to implement the Downtown Plan, it would t:Jke the cOlmniunent of the City of Eugene through either a regulatory approach or an enabling approach. He recommended the City take the enabling approach to '"encourage good things to happen" downtmvn. Hc thought part of this conversatlon should include the n<..~ed to align the hmd use MINlJTES-.--Eugene City Council Regular Session September 12,2005 Page 2