Item 5: Public Hearing on Ordinance Establishing Chambers Special Area Zone

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330' \'"'--["--,,--- ,- -\---r ----"\ \ I : , I I I I I , I I' I , I I I '-----i : I : I I I I \ I I . I I I ... \ -;' t ....-_.L___, I --- --. I I I 1 . I, . I I r-_----.1- . \ I I g ~-----t--t----\ : (") , I I t- - -I - - - '" I I' I I I I t I I' \ I- - - T - - , I r- _ _.L : ' , , I I I \ I I I I , I \ I I.--__J. : I , : I: l I 'I I, I l.-_-'_ _1.._ _1_ _ ,,__,- ___.... Typical block without alley, Roughly half the blocks in the ETN do not have alleys. This example is square, some blocks are slightly rectangular. Eugene does not have many of the long skinny blocks found in some other cities. 330' r----r-- - "T ---r---"" I t t I ' I \ I I I I I I-----t I I \ \ I I I \ I I \-----J..-r--+- - _J.____J I I I I I t I, I o L__-__".l,__..1_--____....I ~ r--'--'--l--r-----"T , I \ I I I I I I \ I \ \ I : I I""--r--.!. I I I I I I : I I 'I , I I I 1 I , , I I I I I I l I I, I I ...... ______..I.__-'__...!.__J.__J Typical block with an alley. There are a number of variations to these two basic patterns within the ETN. Two ETN blocks have a 'T alley intersection. Filmore street is an unusually small street that functions like a highly developed alley. II BLOCK SIZE AND CHARACTER Blocks range in size from approximately 2 1/2 to 3 acres with an average of 15-20 lots. These block sizes are small for older traditional neighborhoods, but give the ETN and other Eugene neighborhoods an important part of their character. The pattern of block size and gridded streets is a scale-defining element of the neighborhood, and is also a fixed element unlikely to change or evolve like other charac- teristics in these guidelines. Blocks with alleys have a stronger "block-unit" identity; neighbors tend to know each other because they share an alley. In blocks without alleys, it is the street that typically forms the coherent "unit." These distinctions can be subtle but are important to how the neighborhood is perceived by those who live in it. The social function of the alleys is an important consideration in the development of new infill projects. Another characteristic of blocks in the ETN is the relative flatness of the terrain. Blocks in other neighborhoods in which the grid and the uniform block size and shape continue up and over sloped contours have another set of more complex issues when it comes to the guidelines that follow. In some hilly terrain, the grid system is abandoned for a system that responds to the slopes, usually main streets run parallel to the slopes and smaller streets wind their way upward. Many of the characteristics that are outlined in these guidelines are lost in these areas. The main reason is the lack of "web" continuity between streets.