Item B: Ordinance Concerning Goal 5 Natural Resources Study

Home Browse Search

containing a large portion of unbuildable land, an untended ditch, and enough blackberries and other untended undergrowth to hide several transient camps? Would the potential fire danger worry you? · and again: can you find a reasonable explanation why the City of Eugene proposes an 80' protection zone for an already protected drainage ditch when the State of Oregon requires no protection at all? The above are just some of our concerns. If you are still unable to answer them, please understand: so are we! And please ask yourself one more question: is it really "inclusive" to proceed with this process when property owners cannot even figure out precisely what is proposed for protection, what will happen to their properties, and what to address in their testimony? The Planning Commission work sessions clearly indicated how much confusion still existed, yet here we are in front of you trying to address an almost incomprehensible, unforgivably glib ordinance and explain to you why we feel this is wrong. The public record will be closed after tonight, so we have no option but to try and be heard yet one more time, hoping against hope SOMEONE will take our concerns seriously. At the September 21 work session, two Councilors voiced concern about public involvement. We have to strongly disagree with staffs response: there has not been adequate public involvement. Please see the attached complaint we sent to the city manager over two years ago (attachment 5). There was no response whatever to this letter. From the beginning, we have had to practically beg to be included in the process, yet as recently as May 3rd, we were not aware a Goal 5 public workshop would be held and missed the event, even though we communicated with staff a week earlier. Please also note that one of us is the communications person for the Crest Drive Citizens Association and requested to be kept informed so relevant information may be included in weekly COCA notification emails. To support claims of public involvement, staff quotes up to a thousand contacts, but please remember that when this process started, it involved approximately 6000 properties. In other words, at best no more than the owners of one in six properties even had contact with staff. And even now, when property owners need and should be able to expect answers to provide effective testimony, no one was available to respond on Friday. Also, do please remember this process has dragged along for many years. We have heard again and again people believed this process to be over long ago. We have been involved in a number of city-related issues. We have agreed and disagreed with staffs opinions or recommendations. But we have NEVER felt we were not part of the process. We do strongly feel that way in this instance. Yes, we have had a number of contacts with staff, but mostly, we have felt frustration over lack of relevant information and an opaque process that appears to make little common sense. Claims of insufficient staff to handle the process are unacceptable - proper solutions would be additional staff or a more efficient process; dismissing property owners is not a reasonable option. The E81 site description refers to the ditch as a "narrow straightened drainage channel" and there simply is no justification for 80' of protection for nothing more exotic than a drainage ditch that formed after the area was dynamited to make a giant hole for the main sewer that lies 10-12' below the surface. The "riparian" area is riddled with manhole covers and in some locations has exposed pipes. For excellent reason, the state does not require setbacks for drainage ditches of this type, yet here we are with a proposal for 40' setbacks on each side. We believe such excesses will trigger Measure 37 claims, justifiable claims that cannot be very difficult to prove to have merit. Please understand, we are NOT interested in suing Eugene, but you cannot expect us to hand over a huge chunk of our retirement investment, property bought 40 years ago, just because Eugene now demands control over a drainage ditch that happens to run through it?! The general membership of the Crest Drive Citizens Association voted in favor of setbacks of 20' or less on each side of the ditch instead of the proposed 40' on each side. We understand the enormous task in front of you, but please take time to hear what our neighborhood is trying to tell you. We are not taking protection away from the ditch, it remains in its 30' cushion. We do ask that you not sluff this proposed nightmare down our throats and instead, choose to include property owners in the promised "state of the art protection" and leave a little room for our dreams. The change will do us (all) good. Bruce Wild and Francina Verrijt.