Item C - Jeppesen Acres Street Improvement Project

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recorded irrevocable petitions, one letter is from a renter, and three letters are still being researched. While remonstrances are not considered until the public hearing preceding the formation of a local improvement district, they do provide an indication of the level of opposition to the project. Design Exceptions Jeppesen Acres Road is an unimproved street with an asphalt pavement 20 feet wide within a public right-of-way that varies between 50 and 60 feet in width. Homes along the street have developed relatively close to the edge of the public right-of-way. The City’s design standards for public improvements require setback sidewalks on both sides of streets classified as neighborhood collectors. Including setback, sidewalks on both sides of the street have a significant impact to the character of the homes along the street. Including a setback, sidewalk on only the south side of the street reasonably balances the needs of pedestrians with the needs of homeowners on the street. The applicable design exception to only include sidewalk on the south side of the street is as follows – For a City-initiated project, the council decides not to approve a proposed project design that meets the standards of this chapter, but, after a design process that includes input from affected property owners and interested persons, the council approves a design that the City Engineer determines is safe and functional. RELATED CITY POLICIES The Municipal Charter, Chapter IX- Public Improvements provides the regulatory framework for public improvement procedures and assessments. The Eugene Code, Chapter 7 – Public Improvements prescribes the process for the initiation of an assessment project, formation of a local improvement district, and computation and allocation of assessments to benefiting properties. COUNCIL OPTIONS The options available to the City Council are outlined in EC 7.160(7) and include: 1.Order the local improvement to be made and direct the City Engineer to prepare plans and specifications for the improvement and to call for bids on the construction contract. 2.Modify the improvement, order it to be made as modified, and direct the City Engineer to prepare plans and specifications for the modified improvement and to call for bids on the construction contract. 3.Require additional information about the improvement. 4.Decide not to make the improvement. CITY MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION The City Manager recommends that the council direct the City Engineer to modify the improvement to remove the setback sidewalk on the north side of Jeppesen Acres Road and direct the City Engineer to prepare plans and specifications for the modified improvement and to call for bids on the construction contract. S:\CMO\2012 Council Agendas\M120529\S120529C.doc