Item 1: Ordinance on U of O - Moss Street Vacation

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Referral comments from Public Works staff note that adequate public rights-of-way exist to satisfy all access and traffic circulation in this vicinity. Adjacent uses, which will include University dormitories, th housing and the Moss Street Child Development Center, will continue to have access from East 15 th Avenue and East 17 Avenue as well as Moss Street. While this section of Moss Street would be vacated, it will be reconfigured with head-in parking, and therefore, will continue to remain open for vehicle access. Such access will also help address emergency access requirements if the area redevelops in the future. While this street configuration will not be required to remain open as a public street, the University intends to maintain access on this street to serve the adjacent uses (all owned by the University). The requested vacation is related to major campus construction projects that have recently occurred on the University including the Matthew Knight Arena, Alumni Center and Academic Learning Center all of which have displaced existing parking in the campus area. This reconfiguration, as part of the larger University’s Parking Plan, replaces a portion of the lost supply of parking east and north of campus and will increase the parking supply available for students, faculty and visitors. Segments of Moss Street th th north of 15Avenue and Columbia Street just south of East 13 Avenue have been previously vacated and similarly converted to provide head-in parking. Additional discussion of traffic circulation and parking considerations can be found in the findings included in Exhibit C to the Ordinance (Attachment C). Referral comments and letters of concurrence from utility providers have confirmed that electric and natural gas lines located in the right-of-way can remain as long as adequate easements are provided. The applicant has proposed to maintain easements over the Eugene Water & Electric Board water line on the west side of the right-of-way, and the Northwest Natural Gas line along the east side of the right- of-way. The easements will be conveyed prior to or concurrent with the recording of the street vacation. Complete findings in regards to the approval criteria are included in Exhibit C to the Ordinance (Attachment C). Determination of Assessment Pursuant to EC 9.8710(4), the applicant is required to pay a deposit equal to the assessment of special benefit resulting from the vacation and the disposition of the property to the benefited property owners. The assessed value of special benefit is to be determined by the City Manager. In this instance, the value of the real property for the Moss Street right-of-way was determined to be $1,856,000 as detailed in the attached Moss Street Vacation Assessment Memorandum (Attachment D). The University of Oregon has deposited that sum with the City in advance of the public hearing, as required. If the application is approved, the deposit shall be retained by the City, or if the applications are denied the money shall be returned. RELATED CITY POLICIES Approval criteria for vacation requests (the full text is included above) are located at EC 9.8725, and corresponding statutory provisions at ORS 271.120, which require the council to find that approval of the vacation request is in the public interest. Policies related to the vacation request are included in the Metro Plan and Fairmount/University of Oregon Special Area Study. Findings related to the policies are included in Exhibit C to the Ordinance (Attachment C). S:\CMO\2011 Council Agendas\M111121\S1111211.doc