CC Minutes - 11/16/09 Public Hearing

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Timothy Shinabarger , Agate Street, Eugene, Ward 3, asked that the record be left open for one week so the public could respond to testimony received during the hearing. He regretted that the Planning Commission had recommended Alternate B with a 90-foot cap on building height, which was out of scale with the neighborhoods. He compared provisions of the three alternates considered by the Planning Commission and urged the council to establish a separate process for addressing building heights in the historic neighborhoods surrounding the University. He pointed out that the Planning Commission’s recommendation did not preclude the council’s consideration of the other two alternatives and urged them to approve the height limitations in Alternate A and direct staff to modify the proposed ordinance accordingly. st Malcolm Wilson , East 21 Avenue, Eugene, Ward 3, supported the Planning Commission’s recommendation, but strongly favored reducing the maximum building height to 65 feet. He said the neighborhood was not opposed to reasonable and balanced proposals to increase density, but building heights were not sustainable if they permitted massive, out-of-scale buildings that destroyed the livability and viability of the neighborhood. He said the area was a dense urban neighborhood with a diverse population that supported numerous services within easy walking or biking distance. The character of the neighborhood promoted neighborly communication, civil society and a high level of property maintenance. He feared that the application of worthy abstract principles would destroy the good they were intended to foster and preserve. He said sensible building height limits would promote a full range of social, economic and environmental benefits to the City. Carolyn Jacobs, Agate Street, Eugene, said the 35- and 50-foot building heights were in accord with the work of the ICS Task Team, Planning Commission and neighborhoods. She said convincing data was presented demonstrating that maximum density could be met with buildings of three and four stories and less than 50 feet, but the task team responded to a request for more design flexibility by agreeing to a 65-foot height limit. She said 65 feet achieved a balance that would meet density demands while preserving neighborhood character and encouraging home-owners to stay. She urged the council to limit building height to 65 feet until design standards were implemented. The height bonus for large sites did not appear until after the task team had completed its work. th Deborah Healey , East 15 Avenue, Eugene, supported the 65-foot height limit in R-4 zones to provide flexibility and prevent excess. Regarding the areas of the West University neighborhood zoned R-4 and not in the current proposal, she noted that they were part of one of the earliest residential areas in Eugene. She distributed a map of historic buildings and related materials demonstrating areas of historic interest. She said adding height restrictions to the rest of the R-4 areas in West University would help protect one of Eugene’s heritage areas, but was not sufficient. She urged the council to direct staff to proceed with a study of the area, then create and implement clear and objective language in the code that would allow the site review overlay zone to be fully enforced. Steve Gab , Villard Street, Eugene, remarked that the building height proposal was a complex issue affecting a small band of properties adjacent to the University. He said the proposal had gone through an arduous public process and it was natural for stakeholders and decision-makers to seek compromise positions. The 90-foot height limitation was a compromise on a compromise made at the last minute by the Planning Commission. He urged the council to reject a height bonus for large sites until design review standards were in place. Gordon Anslow , Paddock Drive, Eugene, stated that the initial work of the task team and recommendation of the Planning Commission on building heights attempted to balance the needs of many stakeholders. He MINUTES—Eugene City Council November 16, 2009 Page 6 Public Hearing