Item 1: Southbank Bike Viaduct: Metro Plan Amendment

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Ms. Moore commended staff for seeing the opportunity to move forward with the project and take advantage of the opportunities to reuse materials from the Willamette River detour bridge. Mr. Kirschenmann concurred with Ms. Moore, seeing the reuse as recycling at its best. Mr. Cross called for public testimony. Jan Wostmann , 2645 Riverview Street, identified himself as the chair of the Laurelhill Valley Citizens Association. He said the neighborhood supported the projects and urged the commissions make the necessary exception to the statewide planning goals. However, he pointed out a deficiency of the proposal. The South Bank bike trail did not connect to the adjacent Laurelhill Valley neighborhood. The association requested that the commissions take the necessary action to connect to the viaduct and the South Bank bike trail to the Laurelhill Valley neighborhood. It was a long overdue connection and would provide a great opportunity to remedy this deficiency. Responding to questions from Planning Commissioners, Mr. Metzger referred to a map posted on the wall entitledProposed South Bank Viaduct. He noted the mission tonight was to focus on the Metro Plan amendments. While the Metro Plan amendments before the commissions neither supported nor opposed the connection proposed by Mr. Wostmannn, the project was not within the purview of the issues before the commissions tonight. He opined Mr. Wostmann’s request for a safe connection for the neighborhood was not unreasonable. Ms. Jerome, City Attorney for the City of Eugene, raised a point of order. It appeared the commissions had moved into deliberations from the public hearing process. She encouraged the commissions to conclude the public hearing and bring questions to staff during deliberations. Mr. Cross called for additional testimony. There was no one wishing to offer additional testimony. Mr. Cross closed the testimony and the record for the Springfield Planning Commission. Mr. Carroll closed the public hearing and the record for the Eugene Planning Commission. Ms. Arkin closed the public hearing and the record for the Lane County Planning Commission. In response to a question from Mr. Carroll, Mr. Metzger explained the proposed amendment language had been reviewed by legal counsel from the three jurisdictions. Ms. Arkin hoped staff would be able to assist the citizens of Laurelhill Valley to find similar special funding to improve public safety for the residents. Mr. Hledik found the findings well written and more than adequately addressed the criteria. Mr. Hledik, seconded by Mr. Lawless, moved that the Eugene Planning Commis- sion recommend to the City Council a text amendment to the Eugene-Springfield Metropolitan Area General Plan that added the following language: An excep- tion to Statewide Planning Goal 15 Willamette River Greenway was approved by the cities of Eugene and Springfield and by Lane County authorizing construc- tion of a bike path viaduct beneath the I-5 bridges, along the south bank of the Willamette River. The exception authorizes construction of the bike path viaduct including the fill and removal of fill necessary to build the structure. This excep- tion satisfies the criteria of Oregon Administrative Rules (OAR) 660-004- MINUTES—Joint Planning Commissions— September 1, 2009 Page 5 City of Eugene, City of Springfield, Lane County Attachment 3-5