Item A: River Road/Santa Clara Transition Project

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Surface Water Management Current Situation The City of Eugene and Lane County share surface water management responsibilities in the River Road and Santa Clara neighborhoods. The City and County are jointly undertaking a joint surface water master plan for the two neighborhoods. Reviewed materials (such as the 2002 Urban Services Report) don’t perceived identify any major surface water issues in the neighborhoods, although this could change as additional subdivision and infill occurs and older properties redevelop with more impermeable surfaces (or when a major storm event or particularly wet winter season causes significant flooding and drainage problems). Those concerns that are expressed in the 2002 Committee report primarily speak to storm water quantity and localized flooding issues such as: ? Yard debris removal and illegal dumping (presumably with respect to the impact on localized flooding from clogged catch basins) ? Destruction and alteration of natural drainage channels and streams. ? Need for better planning and regulation of building and development practices that impact drainage. Water quality issues are simply not mentioned in the 2002 Urban Services Report. Further examination or events could reveal more universal concerns, as surface water management has become a major driver of community planning in other Oregon communities (as well as other parts of Eugene). City of Eugene officials have identified a range of issues that past and present circumstances may not as yet been “brought to the fore” in the minds of neighborhood residents. These include: ? The number of drywells in the two neighborhoods that may not comply with current environmental regulations ? Lack of an approved basin and surface water master plan(s) and regulations for the neighborhoods (the City and County have such plans and regulations in development) ? Lack of water quality protections and TMDL standards for local waterways (these efforts are also underway by the City and County) Concerns over the ability of rural surface water systems to handle urban flows are many and legitimate, although public agencies and private engineers have over the last 15 years been developing many “greenfrastructure” solutions to both surface water quality and quantity concerns. Clean Water Services (formerly the Unified Sewerage Agency of Washington County) and its partner cities, and Portland’s Bureau of Environmental Services, have pioneered many innovative and effective techniques, some of which have the side “benefit” of preserving more “rural type” landscapes and streetscapes. Although these solutions work best when undertaken in a comprehensive manner (e.g.: “ridgetop to streambed” solutions that include site design, vegetative cover, “green streets”, sensitive lands preservation, surface permeability limitations, and more), individual surface water system components (for instance, bio-swales) do have individual utility when applied in situations that best support their effectiveness. Transition and Heritage Options Surface water management appears to have few distinct transition or heritage impacts for River Road and except Santa Clara, for the impacts of various road drainage options on existing streetscapes and/or the benefits of preserving natural, drainage and stream corridors for both open space and surface water management benefits. These benefits, especially when combined with other potential community strategies, such a context sensitive street design and open space preservation, can be significant. These are discussed briefly below and reiterated in specific options discussed under the “Planning”, Streets and Transportation”, and “Parks and Open Space” sections of this White Paper 39 River Road/Santa Clara Transition/Heritage White Paper DRAFT 11-24-05 Service provider Review