03/10/11 - City Council Newsletter

Home Browse Search

Right-Sizing Neighborhood Boundaries The City Council approved neighborhood association boundary guidelines in 2000. According to established criteria, a neighborhood association boundary should not include fewer than 300 residential units or more than eight percent of total residential addresses in the city (approximately 5,000 in 2000) and should avoid internal divisions created by major natural or artificial barriers, such as rivers and major highways. The boundaries of a number of City- recognized neighborhood associations are not consistent with the guidelines. Of particular note are the two largest neighborhoods: Cal Young Neighborhood Association (CYNA) and Active Bethel Citizens (ABC). Each of these groups includes nearly 11,000 residential addresses or more than 14 percent of all city residential addresses within their borders. Randy Papé Beltline and the Delta Highway also cut through the neighborhoods, creating significant internal physical barriers. The Neighborhood Empowerment Initiative Action Plan recommended dividing these areas into smaller associations. The size and configuration of a neighborhood’s boundaries can make it difficult to keep neighbors informed, sustain participation and meet expectations of broad representation. In addition, respondents to the Eugene Neighborhood Survey said the thing that would most encourage them to get involved in their neighborhood association was knowing someone who was already participating. Those who live in the CYNA or ABC areas, have less likelihood of knowing someone who is participating in their neighborhood association. Neighborhood Services is working with CYNA to design a process that creates more manageable neighborhood boundaries for the area and could serve as a model for other neighborhoods struggling with this issue. A working group comprised of the CYNA executive committee, councilors George Poling and Mike Clark, and the Neighborhood Leaders Council co-chairs began meeting this week. The work of this group will result in a recommendation to the neighborhood association membership on new boundaries. The new neighborhood associations will eventually submit charter documents to the council for formal recognition. For more information, contact Michael Kinnison at 541-682-5009 or michael.j.kinnison@ci.eugene.or.us. Airport Runway Job Earns Top Honors from Asphalt Paving Association The City of Eugene and Wildish Construction received a first-place paving award for their work on last summer’s $10 million runway rehabilitation project at the Eugene Airport. The award was presented by the Asphalt Pavement Association of Oregon (APAO), at the Oregon Asphalt Conference on March 8 in Eugene. First-place recognition of the Eugene runway project was in the commercial/industrial category. This category is reserved for large paving projects that are not part of a road system. Candidate projects in this category are often airports and large parking lots. This year’s finalists also included Portland International Airport’s north runway extension, and Knife River’s Medford Costco parking lot, which took second and third place, respectively. Presenting the awards was APAO President Jim Huddleston. Assisting him and representing the American Public Works Association (APWA) of Oregon at the event was Eugene City Engineer Mark Schoening. APOA, which has recognized asphalt paving excellence every year for 41 years, cited the runway’s smoothness, general appearance, technically challenging mix design, and overall project complexity in awarding first place to the City of Eugene and Wildish Construction. The project to repave runway 16R/34L took 30 days. Construction crews operated 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for the full month of June 2010. The project included resurfacing the full 8,009-foot length of the runway, grade corrections and runway shoulders built to current design standards, reconstruction of Taxiway A6, replacement of runway lights, and installing an in-pavement temperature sensor system. The project called for about 97,000 square- yards of rock, 60,000 tons of asphalt, and 135,000 square-feet of pavement markings. Project Engineer Teri Higgins and Project Manager Patrick Cox accepted the award on behalf of the City of Eugene. Paving Foreman Marty Collins and Paving Superintendent Darrell Harwood accepted the award on behalf of Wildish Construction. For more information, contact Patrick Cox at 541-682-6854. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2 March 10, 2011