Item 4: Ordinance to Vacate Alley Adjacent to Eugene Hotel

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ECC UGENE ITY OUNCIL AIS GENDA TEM UMMARY Public Hearing: An Ordinance Vacating a Portion of High Alley, Located Between East Broadway and East Broadway Alley (VRI 12-2) Meeting Date: July 23, 2012 Agenda Item Number: 4 Department: Planning and Development Staff Contact: Becky Taylor www.eugene-or.gov Contact Telephone Number: 541/682-5437 ISSUE STATEMENT The City Council will hold a public hearing on a right-of-way vacation request submitted by the Eugene Hotel Retirement Center. The 14-foot-wide right-of-way proposed for vacation is the segment of High Alley between East Broadway and East Broadway Alley, along the east side of the Eugene Hotel. The area of the request is 2,259 square feet (0.05 acre). Aerial context and area of request maps are included as Attachments A and B. BACKGROUND The public hearing date for the vacation request has been set for July 23, 2012. As noted above and shown on the attached maps, the applicant is requesting the City of Eugene to vacate the segment of High Alley between East Broadway and East Broadway Alley. The applicant owns the abutting properties: the westerly Eugene Hotel building, which is occupied primarily by a retirement center, but also includes ground-floor retail space; and the easterly parking lot. The purpose of this vacation is to facilitate the creation of a pedestrian environment with the establishment of new retail spaces along the abutting east wall of the Eugene Hotel building. The eastern ground-floor portion of the building has been without a tenant since the City vacated its offices in 2008. The applicant states that it has been difficult to market the space for retail uses because of its configuration and limited street visibility on East Broadway. Vacation of this 14-foot-wide alley would enhance visibility by creating storefronts along the east wall of the building. This concept will also help create more marketable retail space by increasing the possibilities for smaller, more functional lease spaces. The vacation request process serves as a means to evaluate the need for public ways as land develops and uses change over time. This request for vacation is being considered in accordance with sections 9.8700-9.8725 of the Eugene Code (EC) and Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS) 271.080-271.230, and processed pursuant to EC 9.7445–9.7455. The public hearing is being conducted consistent with quasi- judicial procedures in State law and as set forth in EC 9.7065 through EC 9.7095. A complete copy of the application along with other documents and information related to the vacation request including a written statement, consent forms and written testimony are contained in a binder that has been placed in the City Manager’s Office for reference. S:\CMO\2012 Council Agendas\M120723\S1207234.doc