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Councilors Bettman and Kelly noted that they had e-mailed proposed corrections to the minutes under consideration to the council via e-mail. Mayor Torrey deemed them accepted as submitted. Roll call vote; the motion passed unanimously, 7:0. 3. PUBLIC HEARING An Ordinance Adopting an Amended Urban Renewal Plan for the Central Eugene Project Planning and Development Department staff member Richie Weinman presented the staff report. He said the Eugene Redevelopment Advisory Committee (ERAC) reviewed the plans prior to forwarding the recommendations to the Planning Commission. The Planning Commission then recommended the plan the council. He reviewed the recommendations, which were to allow for the expenditure of district funds on projects other than the library and for the extension of the district's sunset date. Mayor Torrey opened the public hearing. Randy Stender, 2898 Powderhorn Street, expressed support for the urban renewal plan and for the designation of 8th Avenue as a "Great Street." He noted his involvement in the local arts scene and emphasized the community's long-time support of the arts, as demonstrated by the successful drive to construct the Hult Center. Mr. Stender believed arts were a community priority and would assist in the revitalization of downtown Eugene. He said Eugene had done a good job nurturing the arts in downtown through its public and private investments in things such as the library and The Shedd. He suggested the missing element in the plan was a visual arts center, which was a key recommendation in the 1994 citizen- produced Arts Plan. Mr. Stender asked that such a center be made a City priority. Carolyn Kranzler, 2660 Crest da Ruta, Downtown Initiative for the Visual Arts Steering Committee, expressed her support of the district and for the location of civic buildings such as new city hall on 8th Avenue. She said the community's cultural and historic centers were downtown and a civic center that reinforced that fact was needed. She supported the expanded area. She asked for the council's support, saying urban renewal revenues were an effective tool and should be used to support cultural development as well as government and other development. Ms. Kranzler advocated for a downtown visual arts center and the relocation of the Lane County Historic Museum to the butterfly parking lot, noting the proximity of that site to the Hult Center. She asked the council to consider redeveloping the site for that purpose as it would contribute to the feeling of the "Great Street." Kevin Matthews, 120 West Broadway, representing Friends of Eugene, said he believed the plan was "not bad," but it was insufficiently inspirational for the community. He said Eugene should attempt to reach for more than what he termed "very much safe, pretty much business as usual" approach. He recalled the presentation given by Bob Stacy to the Friends of Eugene, during which Mr. Stacy discussed downtown as "node one." Mr. Matthews said that nothing in the plan really supported that. He said there were more objectives than the resources available could address, and while that created greater implementation flexibility it did not provide the public with a clear idea of what would happen. Mr. Matthews said the MINUTES--Eugene City Council August 9, 2004 Page 6 Regular Session