Item 3: 10th and Charnelton Alley Vacation

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EXHBIT B Findings Alley Vacation for the Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Eugene (VRI 09-1) Background The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Eugene has requested right-of-way vacation of the th southern portion of the north/south alley located between 10 Avenue and Broadway and parallel to Olive and Charnelton Streets, totaling approximately 2240 square feet. The Urban Renewal Agency, who owns all property adjacent to this portion of the alley, is facilitating the comprehensive re-development of the site which necessitates the alley vacation. The Urban Renewal Agency’s desires to facilitate redevelopment of this prominent downtown site, which is expected to provide many positive economic opportunities to the community, and is consistent with the tenets of the Downtown Plan. The vacation request process provides a means to evaluate the need for public ways as land develops and uses change over time, and to address the manner in which the City may dispense with public ways. Requests for the vacation of public streets and alleys are considered in accordance with EC 9.8700-9.8725 and Oregon Revised Statutes 271.080-271.230. These requests are also subject to procedural requirements at EC 9.7445–9.7455. Compliance with Approval Criteria The sole approval criterion at EC 9.8725 requires the City Council to find that approval of the requested right-of-way vacations is in the public interest. The full text of the approval criterion is provided below, with findings demonstrating compliance: The city council shall approve, or approve with conditions and reservations of easements, the vacation of improved public right-of-way, public ways acquired with public funds, or undeveloped subdivision and partition plats, or portions thereof, including public right-of-way and improved public easements located therein, only if the council finds that approval of the vacation is in the public interest. Public notice and hearings have occurred on the vacation requests in accordance with applicable statutory and local code requirements. Consent for the vacation requests from abutting and affected owners, and payment of a special assessment for the area of vacated right-of-way, have also been provided as required. Findings The following findings demonstrate that vacation of the southern portion of the Olive Alley is in the public interest. This determination is based on the conclusion that the current alley provides minimal value and benefit to the public and further, with the vacation of this right-of-way, redevelopment opportunities can be enhanced through the consolidation of the site. As a result, vacation of a portion of the Olive Alley will be in the public interest. Detailed findings to support