Item 3A - Minutes Approval - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Mayor Torrey asked staff to communicate the need for speed to EWEB. He thought the City Council could reach its goal of having the hospital in Eugene and he hoped EWEB would assist in achieving that goal. Ms. Bettman, with the concurrence of the second, Mr. Poling, offered the following revised motion to the body: "Move to direct staff to pursue a development agreement for the benefit of providing access to McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center via Patterson Street, contingent upon McKenzie Willamette Medical Center providing an $85 million hospital development with a substantial Willamette River setback." The motion passed unanimously, 8:0. B. WORK SESSION: West Eugene Parkway Memorandum of Understanding City Manager Taylor introduced the item, reporting that the Oregon Department of Transportation had asked the City to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) regarding street standards and maintenance negotiations about how the West Eugene Parkway might be developed and maintained. He asked Mr. Corey to discuss the background of the request and the subject of negotiations for the MOU. Mr. Corey recalled that the project was initiated in 1980 by ODOT and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Since its inception, the project had been the subject of many studies, including a Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS) prepared in 1997. That SDEIS was in the process of being reevaluated to determine what factors had changed in the last few years, and whether the project can be advanced to the publication of a Supplemental Final Environmental Impact Statement or if a new SDEIS must be prepared. Mr. Corey said as a result of the reevaluation, it was determined that the parkway east of Beltline (Unit lA) would be too congested at peak hours by 2025 to meet ODOT's design standards. Subsequently, ODOT asked the City to consider a jurisdictional transfer for Unit 1 following construction, because while Unit lA would not meet ODOT's mobility and accessibility standards, it would meet the City of Eugene's design standards for arterial streets. The MOU would acknowledge to ODOT that the City would enter into negotiations for an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) to discuss the specifics of a jurisdictional transfer and all the related issues. Regarding the specific differences between ODOT and City standards, Mr. Corey said that City standards were more liberal in allowing congestion at intersections; in addition, ODOT required 30-percent reserve capacity from the design year, which was not a City requirement. City Manager Taylor anticipated that as a result of the negotiations that would shape the IGA, ODOT would pay for the construction and maintenance of the West Eugene Parkway. He said that was the City's previous expectation, and he would continue to convey that expectation to ODOT. He intended to sign the MOU and hoped to return with an IGA on an expedited timeframe in partnership with Lane County. Mayor Torrey called on the council for comments, reminding the council it would not take action on the MOU; the city manager had charter authority to sign it. MINUTES--Eugene City Council September 22, 2004 Page 4 Work Session