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outside the incentive area. Mr. Meisner believed LUBA's decision regarding the PeaceHealth plan amendments had relevance for the hospital's preferred site. The intersections in the vicinity were also near capacity and constituted major transportation barriers to the development. Mr. Meisner said that while a smaller site might increase the costs for structured parking, when he compared the land costs in the Delta site versus willing land prices in the 2nd and Chambers area, he concluded it was probably ;;a wash." Speaking to the mayor's comments about the uncertainty of being the first development in the area, Mr. Meisner said he recently spent a day in the Pearl District in Portland, a former industrial center than had undergone extensive renovation and redevelopment in recent years. Mr. Meisner was also interested in having staff prepare a ;;Plan B." He was interested in knowing what revenues or bonding authority could exist in such a district and what the council could do with that. Mr. Meisner said that neighborhood response was an issue for every site. He thought that McKenzie- Willamette/Triad would be foolish to discount what he anticipated would be powerful opposition from neighbors of the Delta site. Ms. Bettman thought the neighborhood issue an important one. She noted the neighborhoods in the vicinity of the 2nd and Chambers site were considering or had passed resolutions in support of hospital locating at the 2nd and Chambers site. She said if a site had no opposition and lots of support, the development was ultimately doable, and the City could expedite it so it could be up very soon. Ms. Bettman briefly noted the benefits she attributed to the 2nd and Chambers site, which included price, location, and a minimal number of property owners and willing sellers. She said the City already made a commitment to the area through its investments in the fire station. She thought the location would work for the hospital and the community, as the community would be able to secure a full range of emergency services without the need to cross a bridge. She believed the Delta site had serious access issues, and faced neighborhood opposition. Ms. Bettman said that McKenzie-Willamette/Triad was looking to do business. She thought it wanted to know what the City could give it. Ms. Nathanson agreed with Ms. Bettman about the benefits of the Chambers and 2nd site, but said the council could not force McKenzie-Willamette/Triad to locate at the site. It could encourage McKenzie- Willamette/Triad to do so. She wanted staff to keep trying to persuade the hospital about the merits of the location, but her bottom line was a hospital in Eugene. She hoped staff continued to assist anyone who had questions about their development proposals. Ms. Taylor did not want to give up on the 2nd and Chambers site. She did not want to offer the hospital incentives if the site it choose was outside the preferred area, and wanted to make that clear to McKenzie- Willamette/Triad. MINUTES--Eugene City Council January 26, 2004 Page 8 Work Session