Item 7: Action: Ordinance on Infill Compatibility Standards Code Amendments

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permits that allow parking in Zone C are sold each month at $35/month to employees of businesses in the area. Residents in these RPP zones generally walk, bicycle, and take the bus to the university, work, and shopping. But a large number of residents also have a car for other travel trips where public transit is not available and walking or riding a bike is impractical. For example, there is still no bus service to the airport. The same situation that existed in the 1980s before the RPP was instituted is fast approaching. The high demand for parking in the areas surrounding the University of Oregon (R-3 and R-4 multifamily zones) is making it more difficult for residents living in these areas to find parking. Some new multifamily housing developments and infill projects near the University of Oregon are being built with four to six bedrooms per dwelling unit to minimize the off-street parking requirements specified in Table 9.6410. These developments are significantly worsening conditions that the RPP zones and permit programs were designed to mitigate. A recent Harris poll found that 72% of college students nationally have cars that they use while at school (http://www.harrisinteractive.com/news/allnewsbydate.asp?NewsID=801). This has been our observation in RPP Zones near the University of Oregon. In the 1980s, many students and residents had pickup trucks. Nowadays, many students and residents have SUVs. At times, residents are forced to drive around wasting fuel to look for a parking space even when they have a legal RPP zone permit. Note that a resident driving around 15 minutes hunting for a parking space is the energy equivalent of moving a chunk of the WUN population out to the edge of the city. Creating a built environment that requires hunting for parking spaces is completely unsustainable. A few inconsiderate developments with inadequate on-site parking can create a serious negative impact on all neighborhood residents. In summary, I urge you to approve the proposed parking changes with the limitation added back in to prohibit tandem parking off an alley within 30 feet of the street Respectfully submitted, Steven Baker West University Neighbors Board Member 360 East 15th Avenue Eugene, OR 97401 msbaker@cs.uoregon.edu Attachments: Multi-D Parking Spaces in Required Setbacks Proposal (passed by ICS Task Team) Additional testimony by Steven Baker on proposed Parking amendments (November 23, 2009) Page 3