Item 8: Ordinance Establishing Chambers Special Area Zone

Home Browse Search

Page 1 of 1 LOWE Allen D From: Donald Gruener [donald@donaldgruener.com} Sent: Tuesday, November 08,20053:22 PM To: *Eugene Mayor and City Council Cc: LOWE Allen D Subject: Please vote in favor of Chambers Special Area Zone Dear Mayor and City Council, I am writing to encourage you to vote in favor of the Chambers Special Area Zone. I am 35 years old and a lifelong resident of the Eugene/Springfield area. In 1998 my wife and I prnchased a home in a Westside neighborhood made up predominantly of vintage, one~story, single~family houses. We loved the house and loved the neighborhood. We frequently walked to dO'\\'l1town businesses to shop and dine. My wife was able to bike to her office downtown. In 2003 the full~sized lot that abutted our property was subdivided, with the alley access lot sold off to a developer who subsequently erected a massive 4-plex that towered disproportionately over all the neighboring houses. With windows and verandas directly overlooking our backyard, we lost all privacy in what had been our pleasant, private little oasis in the middle of the city and suddenly found ourselves with four new residences within mere feet of our house. This development ruined our coruer of the neighborhood so effectively that all three homeowners adjoilling it - ourselves included - promptly sold their homes and moved away. We sold our house ~ undoubtedly for $10,000 to $20,000 less than it would have been worth without a 4-plex looming over it - and moved further away from downtown. We no longer frequellt the small businesses & restaurants that were nearby. We now take the car for almost all of our shopping and dining. While I do believe that the city's goals ofinfill and increased density can be beneficial, it has to be done intelligently and with respect for the existing character ofa neighborhood. There remain precious few neighborhoods of well-maintained, single- family, historic homes in Eugene, and it's critical that the city takes steps now to protect these assets and prevent their decline into a hodge-podge of eyesore rentals that pushes stable, middle-income families like ours further and further away from the city core. TIle Chambers Special Area Zone offers a reasonable, common-sense approach. Even though I've already moved from tile neighorbood, I fully support this effort and respectfully encourage you to cast your vote in favor. Sincerely, Donald Gruener 1699 Fainnount Blvd Eugene, OR 97403 11/9/2005