Item A2: Ordinance Vacating West 12th Avenue between Olive and Willamette streets

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Willamette Street that aligns the proposed bicycle connection through the site with the existing bicycle way east of Willamette Street. All improvements will be subject to a more detailed review for design elements during the Privately-Engineered Public Improvement (PEPI) permit process, in which the applicant pays for all associated engineering, construction, and inspection costs. The new right-of-way dedication and related public improvements for the realigned public bicycle and pedestrian connection through the site, between Olive and Willamette Streets, is a condition of MUPTE approval, which is essential to the applicant’s development of the site. th The existing West 12 Avenue right-of-way also contains public utilities, including wastewater and stormwater facilities. Referral comments from other utility providers confirm the presence of additional utilities, including a gas line. As such, a public utility easement (PUE) will be reserved under and through the existing public right-of-way to maintain access to the existing underground infrastructure. The PUE may later be vacated when the utilities are properly abandoned or relocated. The applicant proposes to relocate the infrastructure within the new public right-of-way dedication. The applicant proposes construction above the new public right- of-way, from the third to fourth stories of the proposed building. The Public Interest The public interest in the area was examined in the City’s recent compilation of the Eugene Downtown Plan (EDP). The City’s aspirational vision as reflected in the EDP is to establish the downtown area as a strong regional, community, and cultural center. To achieve this vision, the City plays a proactive role in promoting the desired high-density and high-quality development th investment downtown. Without the vacation of the 12 Avenue right-of-way, the applicant will be unable to move forward with its development proposal for the site. That development proposal is to locate a large, privately-funded, residential development for student housing in the downtown area, within a block of the downtown transit center. This development will provide the opportunity for dense, urban, downtown living, consistent with the City’s vision of providing compact urban development with easy access to a variety of transportation options. The addition of a student housing development consisting of approximately 230 apartments with 725 bedrooms on the site will add both density and vitality to the downtown, consistent with City goals, and allow hundreds of new downtown residents to live, shop, eat and enjoy cultural amenities downtown. In addition to jobs the development will provide in the construction industry, the additional residents within walking distance of businesses will strengthen downtown’s position as a service center and central business district. The use and location of the proposed development will promote the efficient use of existing public facilities and encourage alternative modes of transportation, as residents will have access to services downtown and to the University of Oregon, by walking, bicycling, or transit. The downtown transit station is located within a block to the north, which provides transit service to the Eugene-Springfield area, including a Bus Rapid Transit system that connects to Springfield and the Riverbend Hospital. This convenience promotes and supports the use of alternative transportation. Exhibit C: Findings