CC Minutes - 11/16/09 Public Hearing

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as a young female University student she was part of an at-risk population, particularly walking or riding a bicycle at night. She said large residential structures provided opportunities for incidents to get out of control more quickly and the proximity of four- and five-story buildings to her home was a cause for concern. She urged the council to keep the neighborhood safe by assuring that populations in and around the University area were residential in nature, not prone to partying and mayhem. th Lauren Hulse , East 20 Avenue, Eugene, Ward 3, spoke to the limitation on building heights. She said the MiCAP process offered good protection for the neighborhood and was supported by residents. The MiCAP height ordinance was referred to the ICS Task Team and neighbors participated in the process. She agreed th with the Planning Commission’s recommendations for height limitations of 35 feet south of 19 Avenue and th 50 feet for the first half block north of 19 Avenue, but opposed heights of over 65 feet along the south edge th of 18 Avenue. She said maximum density could be achieved through three- or four-story structures and anything over 65 feet was excess and diminished the neighborhood’s character; taller structures should not be allowed until there were applicable design standards. Al Couper , Harris Street, Eugene, spoke in support of the building height recommendations from the Planning Commission, with two exceptions: maximum height should be limited to 65 feet, not 90 feet; and delay allowing a height benefit bonus for large lots until there were design standards in the code. He said the neighborhood supported the concept of high density near the University and the City’s ability to meet its density goals. He said the density goals articulated in the Metro Plan could be achieved with buildings of two or three stories; four-story buildings were able to achieve the maximum density allowed by the zoning code of 112 dwelling units per net acre. He felt that the limitations of 35, 50 and 65 feet would meet all of the City’s density goals. Bill Aspergren , Alder Street, Eugene, commented that Eugene was out of step with other Oregon cities on the issue of building heights by allowing significantly taller buildings. He said outside of Eugene and Portland, the average maximum building height was less than 50 feet. Eugene was the only city that did not have a transition area between single-family dwellings and taller multi-family dwellings. All cities in Oregon were governed by the same state laws regarding density, housing needs and urban growth boundaries and other cities were able to comply with buildings half the size of Eugene’s maximum building height. He said buildings taller than 65 feet were not necessary to meet density goals and asked the council to lower the maximum height to that level and eliminate any exceptions for larger lots until design standards were in place. He submitted a written copy of his remarks. th Steven Baker , East 16 Avenue, Eugene, spoke in support of adopting maximum buildings heights, but thought the proposed heights were in excess of the maximum heights adopted by the ICS Task team and should be reduced. He favored no more than 65 feet for the maximum building height in R-4 zones. He referred to data in the agenda packet and noted that recently constructed multi-family development in the subject neighborhoods would comply with the limits. He favored adding areas in the West University th neighborhood north of East 13 Avenue zoned R-4 into the area of reduced maximum building height as that area contained most of the historically significant structures remaining in the neighborhood. He submitted a written copy of his remarks. Mike Russo , Potter Street, Eugene, Ward 3, urged the council to impose a building height limitation of 65 feet. He noted that the ICS Task Team had favored a 50-foot limitation on a 14 to 1 vote. He said lowering the maximum height to 65 feet would not impact jobs based on data collected by the task team and included in the agenda packet; any downturn in construction was more related to the economy and a shortage of available credit and declining demand. MINUTES—Eugene City Council November 16, 2009 Page 5 Public Hearing