Laserfiche WebLink
related to the item. <br /> <br />Mr. Zelenka arrived, and indicated in response to query from Mayor Piercy that he had no conflicts of interest or ex <br />parte contacts to declare. <br /> <br />Mr. Metzger provided the staff report. Ms. O’Donnell and Ms. Schulz were also present for the item. Mr. Metzger <br />called the elected officials’ attention to the relevant criteria of approval for an amendment to the Eugene-Springfield <br />Metropolitan General Area Plan (Metro Plan) and asked those wishing to speak to address their testimony to the <br />criteria. He said the amendment must be consistent with statewide planning goals, and must not cause the Metro <br />Plan to be internally inconsistent. Mr. Metzger said the elected officials were also addressing an exception to State <br />Goal 15, Willamette River Greenway, and the criteria for that were mounted on the meeting room wall. <br /> <br />Mr. Metzger recalled the joint planning commissions’ public hearing on September 1, during which one individual <br />testified. That individual, Jan Wostmann, testified in support of the amendment and suggested that text be added to <br />the amendment that called for a connection between the Laurelwood neighborhood and the bicycle path. The <br />commissions had agreed it was a good idea but outside the scope of the request before it, and each commission <br />unanimously recommended approval of the amendment to the elected officials. <br /> <br />Speaking to the issue of the amendment’s consistency with statewide Planning Goal 15, which spoke to the purpose <br />of the Willamette River Greenway, Mr. Metzger said the greenway goal was intended to preserve the aesthetic values <br />of the river, protect its environmental functions and values, and bring people close to the river for recreational use in <br />a sensitive way. Allowing access and encouraging access for recreational purposes were at the heart of the goal. He <br />believed the proposal met the goal of allowing people more access to the river. Currently, physical obstructions <br />forced the multi-use path away from the river when it entered Glenwood, and Springfield would like to change that to <br />improve the aesthetics of the path experience. The proposed viaduct would allow the path to continue through <br />Glenwood in the future. Staff believed the proposal was consistent with the intent of statewide Goal 15. <br /> <br />Speaking to the issue of the amendment’s consistency with the Metro Plan, Mr. Metzger reminded the elected <br />officials that TransPlan was an element of the Metro Plan and it included maps that showed current and proposed <br />multi-use paths. The proposed multi-use path was a key element in the community’s bicycle system and was shown <br />in TransPlan and appeared in other planning documents, such as the Willamalane Parks and Recreation Comprehen- <br />sive Plan, which was also a refinement of the Metro Plan. <br /> <br />Mr. Metzger referred the elected officials to the findings prepared for the amendment and said he believed they <br />supported a decision in favor of the amendment. <br /> <br />Mayor Leiken opened the public hearing for testimony and determined that there was no one present who wished to <br />address the elected officials. He solicited questions from the elected officials. <br /> <br />Mayor Piercy determined from Mr. Metzger that no one had testified against the amendment before the commissions. <br /> <br />Speaking to Mr. Wostmann’s suggestion, Mr. Zelenka thought such a connection was a good idea but pointed out the <br />railroad created an obstacle to making it at the current time. He suggested that adjustments to the I-5 ramp <br />alignments might make such a connection possible in the future. <br /> <br />Ms. Leezer determined from Mr. Metzger that there was sufficient funding to support the project. He indicated that <br />the main issue before the elected officials was the land use permissions necessary to allow the viaduct structure to be <br />built. He referred to Policy D-11 in the Metro Plan, which stated that any transportation-related facility within the <br />greenway setback that required fill must go through the Metro Plan amendment and goal exception process. He said <br /> <br /> <br />MINUTES—Joint Elected Officials—Lane County, Springfield, September 22, 2009 Page 2 <br /> & Eugene <br /> <br />