02/05/09 City Council Newsletter

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Architects, led by Community Advisory Group member, Eric Gunderson will conduct design workshops focused on how best to incorporate above-deck features for a “gateway” feel to the bridge. Arts consultant, Douglas Beauchamp, will convene artist workshops focused on treatments for the sound walls, retaining walls and other surfaces in and around the project area. Recommendations from the workshops will be forthcoming. Further project details (including links to public involvement materials) may be found at the project web site: www.WillametteBridge.org. The City of Eugene staff contact for the Willamette River Bridge project is Chris Henry, transportation planning engineer, at (541) 682-8472 or chris.c.henry@ci.eugene.or.us. “Green” House – Coming Up At approximately 4:05 p.m. on January 16, Building & Permit Services staff issued its first over-the-counter permit for an entire house. The new home permit was a test of the green building incentives package and expansion of the existing express permit track which issues over-the-counter permits for certain building projects, including residential garage conversions and interior remodels, as well as commercial tenant improvements. The home will be one of Eugene’s first LEED-certified single family dwellings. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, and is the U.S. Green Building Council’s internationally accepted third-party certification program for green buildings. The applicant, Arbor South, is striving for LEED Platinum certification, the highest level of "green" in LEED. The City previously partnered with Rainbow Valley Design and Construction in 2005 on the Fairmount Square Rowhouses, which earned LEED certification as part of a residential pilot program. The new home will be an educational project for the local building industry and the public to demonstrate the benefits of building green. Everyone can get a closer look at the house this summer when it will be featured on the Lane County Home Builder's Association Tour of Homes. For additional information about the City’s green building program, please contact Jenna Garmon, Planning & Development Department, at 682-5541, or jenna.r.garmon@ci.eugene.or.us. The City’s website also offers more information about the express permit track at www.eugene-or.gov/buildingpermits Pool Drains Comply with National Safety Act The drains at Sheldon and Echo Hollow pools have been upgraded to comply with the national Virginia Graeme Baker Act to avoid various forms of entrapment. The act was named for the seven-year-old daughter of former Secretary of State James Baker, who drowned in a hot tub in 2002, when she was forced under by the suction of the pool drain which was so strong it hampered her rescue. The improvements equip the pools with unblockable, anti-entrapment drain covers that will protect against body entrapment, hair entanglement and evisceration. The work was designed by Systems West Engineers and completed over two days by Anderson PoolWorks of Sherwood which used scuba diving equipment to avoid having to drain and close the pools. Facility maintenance will install similar drain covers at Amazon Pool prior to its opening this spring. For more information, contact Rich Fay at 682-6336. Confluence Island Explored for Ecological Restoration and Enhancement The Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission (MWMC) is exploring ecological restoration and enhancement of Confluence Island, a 260-acre island in the main stem of the Willamette River at its juncture with the McKenzie River, as an effective and beneficial response to anticipated new regulations designed to reduce temperatures of effluents discharged to the river. Wastewater generated by area homes and businesses is conveyed to the Eugene/Springfield Water Pollution Control Facility, where it is treated before being discharged to the Willamette River. This process is regulated by a permit issued by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) under the authority of the federal Clean Water Act. The state has developed new requirements related to water temperature that will be incorporated into the permit. These requirements are quite stringent and, as a result, the MWMC will have to increase the level of wastewater treatment or seek other means to mitigate the temperature impacts of treated wastewater discharges. While direct cooling of wastewater is technologically feasible, it is very costly to build and operate and has significant secondary adverse environmental impacts. For this reason, the MWMC is exploring ecological restoration and enhancement as a more effective and beneficial response to the anticipated temperature reduction requirements. One of the sites being evaluated for its potential benefits for temperature mitigation and ecological preservation is Confluence Island. The island is under predominant ownership of Delta Sand & Gravel Company, with portions also owned by state and county agencies. The island, which has been identified as a “high opportunity and high value” area for aquatic and floodplain restoration action, is currently being mined for aggregate resources. The owners of Delta Sand & Gravel have expressed interest in future beneficial uses for the island, and they are receptive to exploring opportunities for incorporating treated wastewater into their operations and examining other options to protect and restore the environmental attributes of their property. Delta Sand & Gravel has already supported successful habitat enhancement efforts on the island, including enhancement of a channel alcove on the west side of the island that hosts a cool water refuge for salmon rearing. MWMC is evaluating a range of options for temperature mitigation such as tertiary treatment systems (for example, created wetlands), enhancement of shallow groundwater flows, and a variety of restoration actions such as stream bank shading, created alcoves and side channels. This EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 4 February 5, 2009