CC Minutes - 11/16/09 Public Hearing

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Al Couper , Harris Street, Eugene, Ward 3, supported the parking amendment recommended by the Planning Commission with the caveats related to car-sharing and tandem parking discussed by previous speakers. His concern was student use of cars and disputed testimony that adding more parking would result in a concomitant increase in the number of cars coming to Eugene. He said surveys and interviews with many students indicated that the decision to bring a car to Eugene had nothing to do with the availability of off-street parking spaces. Students used their cars for many purposes other than school and for women students having access to a car was also a safety issue. He said adding a small number of parking spaces would not bring more cars to Eugene; the growth of the University caused that. The ordinance would bring some relief to parking problems in the neighborhood. th Lauren Hulse, East 20 Avenue, Eugene, Ward 3, was opposed to allowing developers to provide fewer parking spaces because of a shared car agreement. She said the City’s code enforcement was complaint- driven and there were not resources to begin proactive enforcement. If shared car arrangements were abandoned as unfeasible, there was no way to add back the parking spaces that were lost. She encouraged the council to find an alternative way to incentivize the use of shared cars. Sam DeBow , Harris Street, Eugene, a University of Oregon student, supported the efforts of South University neighbors to lower the maximum building height and slightly increase required parking for apartments. She brought a car to Eugene because she needed it for many household errands and to facilitate her participation on the women’s lacrosse team. She said that type of car usage was typical of many students and the lack of parking for apartment buildings created problems. She said her decision to bring her car was because it was a necessity, not a luxury. Kaitlyn Pasko , Harris Street, Eugene, a University of Oregon student and lacrosse team member, echoed Mr. Couper and Ms. Hulse’s remarks about the necessity of having a car for many students. She urged the council to support the ICS parking standards ordinance. Charles Biggs , Antelope Way, Eugene, a member of the ICS Task Team, supported the proposed code changes. He strongly believed that neighbors who had to live with the consequences of development in their area should have a strong voice in how that development occurred. Pamela Miller , Harris Street, Eugene, stated that she had lived in that location for over 20 years and chose to live on the interface between single-family and multi-family zones because she enjoyed the liveliness of a student neighborhood. She had seen parking problems become more severe recently as the density of development increased. She sympathized with students’ need for cars and shared concerns with incorporating the untested concept of car-sharing into an ordinance. As ancillary issues, she urged the council to consider limiting the number of parking permits per unit and working with the University to find other parking solutions for students. Mayor Piercy closed the public hearing. There were no comments from the council. B. An Ordinance Concerning Building Height in the University Area and Amending Section 9.2751 of the Eugene Code, 1971. Mayor Piercy opened the public hearing and reviewed the procedures for providing testimony. th Katie Hulse , East 20 Avenue, Eugene, Ward 3, concurred with an earlier speaker’s request to increase secure bike parking. She said greater density increased the potential for more crimes in a neighborhood and MINUTES—Eugene City Council November 16, 2009 Page 4 Public Hearing