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ATTACHMENT B <br /> <br /> <br />Responses to Testimony and City Council Questions <br />th <br />TransPlan/Metro Plan Amendments: West 11 Avenue between Terry Street and <br />Greenhill Road <br /> <br />Following the public hearing on October 19, 2009, the Mayor and City Council requested <br />responses to testimony and to several specific questions. <br /> <br /> Has staff had conversations with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)? <br />1. Yes, City <br />staff has met with the Bureau of Land Management and a few other natural resources agencies <br />th <br />regarding the W. 11 Avenue project including the Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Fish and <br />Wildlife Service. During this meeting, the BLM provided maps and other documentation <br />regarding species of concern. Staff concurs that these present environmental constraints could <br />potentially affect ultimate project design. However, the project could potentially be constructed <br />completely within ODOT’s 80-foot right of way and there is no reason to presume that natural <br />th <br />resources issues would prevent a road improvement project from being implemented on W. 11 <br />Avenue. As owners of property adjacent to the right of way and as a regulatory agency, BLM <br />will be involved in facility planning and environmental review. Staff from BLM and the other <br />agencies expressed appreciation for having an opportunity to meet with City and ODOT staff <br />th <br />regarding the potential project on W. 11 Avenue and requested that they be involved in future <br />processes for planning any improvements to this street. <br /> <br /> May the Council see maps of the project area? <br />2.Yes. They have been provided with this <br />memorandum. <br /> <br /> Is the City “operating on policy direction that has shifted”? <br />3. No. TransPlan’s adopted <br />objectives encourage improved mobility, increased safety, and environmental responsibility. <br />th <br />Properties along West 11 Avenue are designated for development (with recognition that some <br />properties have been provided with additional protection for natural resources). The adopted <br />policies in TransPlan and the Metro Plan also encourage higher density nodal development <br />throughout the urban growth boundary (including two Potential Nodal Development Areas along <br />th <br />West 11 Avenue west of Terry Street) and the transit, bicycle, and pedestrian improvements <br />th <br />necessary to serve them along this corridor. Currently, west of Terry Street, West 11 has no <br />pedestrian, bicycle or transit facilities. This project would allow the possibility to extend <br />th <br />pedestrian, bicycle and transit facilities to this underdeveloped area. This section of West 11 <br />Avenue continues to be a state highway and will continue to feel the pressure of increased traffic <br />as the region grows. <br /> <br />The City’s Growth Management Policies support growth in this area. Here are three examples: <br /> <br />Policy 1 Support the existing Eugene Urban Growth Boundary by taking actions to <br />increase density and use existing vacant land and under-used land within the <br />boundary more efficiently. <br /> <br />Policy 11 Increase the use of alternative modes of transportation by improving the capacity, <br />design, safety, and convenience of the transit, bicycle, and pedestrian <br />transportation systems. <br />