07/28/11 - City Council Newsletter

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The company’s schedule calls for sidewalk and access repairs to begin Monday at Washington Street and move to the east. Excavation and paving work will be done in several phases. Most of the section between Washington and Willamette streets will be reconstructed, which means removing the old roadway and rebuilding it from the ground up. One lane of traffic in each direction will remain open; however, motorists may experience delays, and north-south th street crossings on 18 Avenue will be closed at times. The section of street between Willamette and Pearl streets will be repaired by grinding off the top layer of deteriorated asphalt and constructing a new asphalt surface. This work goes much quicker than reconstruction; however, a one-night closure will be required to complete top-lift paving. th The sections of 18 Avenue between Pearl and Patterson streets also will be reconstructed. This will require closing th the section of 18Avenue between Patterson and High streets for approximately three weeks and the section between High and Pearl streets for about one week. These closures are tentatively scheduled to begin in late th August. The intersection of 18 Avenue and Jefferson Street will be closed for less than a day while that repair work is being done. th Motorists are encouraged to use alternate routes such as 19 Avenue to avoid detours and delays. Updated project information will be posted at www.keepusmoving.info. For more information, contact Project Manager Doug Singer at 541-682-8460. Spray Play Comes to Life at Washington Park On Thursday, July 14, the community gathered to celebrate the anxiously awaited opening of Eugene’s newest and largest spray play at Washington Park. More than 800 people attended the celebration and helped Mayor Kitty Piercy and a half dozen SLUG Queens count down to the inaugural splash at exactly 5:15 p.m. on a lovely summer evening. Parks and Open Space, Recreation, and the Eugene Parks Foundation partnered to organize a smashing party including a free hot dog BBQ, ice cream, live music by the Barn Friends, sidewalk chalk art, face painting, crafts and exciting activities. Screams of delight and giggles filled the air, and served as a refreshing reward for staff and volunteers who had worked on the project for over two years. In 2009, changes in state health regulations prompted the permanent closureof all City wading pools, including the pool at Washington Park. The Eugene Parks Foundation spearheaded the fundraising effort involving neighbors, businesses, and the larger community to convert the empty concrete shell into an innovative concept in water play that is safe, accessible, interactive, attractive, eco-friendly and, most of all, fun. More than 250 donors helped raise nearly $150,000 in cash and in-kind materials and services. A river theme creates a flowing space filled with natural elements, textured concrete and oval designs. Benches, a dry river bed, decorative seating-walls, inscribed natural boulders, native plantings, and shade trees complete the area, making it an inviting place to spend the day. The water sprays are activated by the simple push of a button, creating the element of surprise and serving as an important water conservation feature. The water is on and can be activated from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week during the season Natural elements found throughout the park inspired its design and artistic features. Whimsical pathway and seating- wall art tiles created by local artist Betsy Wolfston have been placed throughout the spray play area. About one-third of the pathway tiles were installed prior to the grand opening. The remaining tiles along the pathway and all of the seating-wall art tiles will be installed in September. Limited remaining sponsorship items including boulders, benches, and art tiles can be purchased by contacting the City of Eugene Park Development Coordinator at 541-682-4907 or Katie.a.blair@ci.eugene.or.us. For more information about the Washington Park Spray Play project, contact Project Manager Emily Proudfoot, landscape architect, at 541-682-4915 or Emily.a.proudfoot@ci.eugene.or.us. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2 July 28, 2011