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Home My WebLink AboutOrdinance No. 20527COUNCIL ORDINANCE NO. 20527 COUNCIL BILL 5112 AN ORDINANCE VACATING A PORTION OF MILL ALLEY, LOCATED BETWEEN EAST 8TH AVENUE AND EAST BROADWAY, AND A PORTION OF EAST 8TH ALLEY, LOCATED BETWEEN HIGH STREET AND MILL ALLEY, AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. ADOPTED: May 12, 2014 SIGNED: May 14, 2014 PASSED: 6:2 REJECTED: OPPOSED: Brown, Taylor ABSENT: EFFECTIVE: This Ordinance shall become effective 30 days from the date of passage by the City Council and approval by the Mayor, or upon the recording of a right-of-way easement in a form acceptable to the City Manager for a five-foot wide easement abutting East 8th Avenue between Mill Alley and Mill Street, whichever is later. Exhibit A Exhibit B Exhibit C Exhibit D ExhibitE: Findings Background: Broadway&PearlAssociates,LLC(Applicant)requeststhevacationoftwoimprovedpublic rightsofway:theportionofMillAlleythatis14feetwideand334feetinlength,betweenEast thth 8AvenueandEastBroadway;andtheportionofEast8Alleythatis14feetwideand160 feetlong,betweenHighStreetandMillAlley.Thetotalareaofrequestconsistsof6,916square feetofpublicrightofway.Theapplicantownsallofthepropertiesabuttingthealleys proposedtobevacated. TheƉƉůŝĐĂŶƚ͛Ɛpropertiesarecurrentlydevelopedwithsurfaceparkinglotsandtwo commercialbuildings;onearestaurantuseandtheotheraformerbankuse.Theapplicant submittedsignedconsentfromatleasttwothirdsofownersintheaffectedarea,asrequired byEugeneCode(EC)9.8710(6)andOregonRevisedStatutes(ORS)271.080(2). TheĂƉƉůŝĐĂŶƚ͛Ɛrepresentative,KristenTaylor,TBGArchitectsandPlanners,indicatesthatthe requestedvacationisnecessarytoredeveloptheblocklocatedbetweenHighStreetandMill th Street,andEastBroadwayandEast8Avenue,toaccommodateanewvibrantcommercial buildingandtheassociatedsiteinfrastructure,suchasparking,landscapingandpedestrian walkways.Theapplicantprovidedaconceptualsiteplantoillustratehowtheentireblockmight beredeveloped.Theconceptcallsforthereplacementofthetwoexistingbuildingsand parkinglotswithanewcomprehensivecommercialdevelopmentonthe disjointedsurface entireblock,whichistheeasterngatewaytoƵŐĞŶĞ͛Ɛdowntown. Whenrightsofwayarevacated,ORSrequiresownershipoftheunderlyinglandtorevertback totheadjacentlandsfromwhichtheywereoriginallydedicated.Ifthevacationisapproved, thealleyswillrevertfrompublictoprivateownershipbyBroadway&PearlAssociates,LLC,and thelandwouldbeaddedtothetaxrolls.EC9.8710(5)requirestheapplicanttopaytotheCitya specialassessmentequaltotheassessedvalueoftherealpropertyandanycostsincurredby thecityintheconstructionofpublicimprovements.Paymentofthespecialassessmentwillbe th paidinacombinationofcashandfairmarketvalueofa5footwideeasementabuttingEast8 AvenuebetweenMillAlleyandMillStreet. Thevacationrequestprocessprovidesameanstoevaluatetheneedforpublicwaysasland developsanduseschangeovertime,andtoaddressthemannerinwhichtheCitymaydispense withpublicways.Requestsforthevacationofpublicstreetsandalleysareconsideredin accordancewithEugeneCode(EC)9.87009.8725andOregonRevisedStatutes(ORS)271.080 271.230.TheserequestsarealsosubjecttoproceduralrequirementsatEC9.74459.7455. ExhibitE:Findings {00118610;4} CompliancewithApprovalCriteria: ThesoleapprovalcriterionatEC9.8725requirestheCityCounciltofindthatapprovalofthe requestedrightofwayvacationisinthepublicinterest.Thefulltextoftheapprovalcriterionis providedbelow,withfindingsdemonstratingcompliance: dŚĞĐŝƚǇĐŽƵŶĐŝůƐŚĂůůĂƉƉƌŽǀĞ͕ŽƌĂƉƉƌŽǀĞǁŝƚŚĐŽŶĚŝƚŝŽŶƐĂŶĚƌĞƐĞƌǀĂƚŝŽŶƐŽĨ ĞĂƐĞŵĞŶƚƐ͕ƚŚĞǀĂĐĂƚŝŽŶŽĨŝŵƉƌŽǀĞĚƉƵďůŝĐƌŝŐŚƚŽĨǁĂǇ͕ƉƵďůŝĐǁĂǇƐĂĐƋƵŝƌĞĚ ǁŝƚŚƉƵďůŝĐĨƵŶĚƐ͕ŽƌƵŶĚĞǀĞůŽƉĞĚƐƵďĚŝǀŝƐŝŽŶĂŶĚƉĂƌƚŝƚŝŽŶƉůĂƚƐ͕ŽƌƉŽƌƚŝŽŶƐ ƚŚĞƌĞŽĨ͕ŝŶĐůƵĚŝŶŐƉƵďůŝĐƌŝŐŚƚŽĨǁĂǇĂŶĚŝŵƉƌŽǀĞĚƉƵďůŝĐĞĂƐĞŵĞŶƚƐůŽĐĂƚĞĚ ƚŚĞƌĞŝŶ͕ŽŶůǇŝĨƚŚĞĐŽƵŶĐŝůĨŝŶĚƐƚŚĂƚĂƉƉƌŽǀĂůŽĨƚŚĞǀĂĐĂƚŝŽŶŝƐŝŶƚŚĞƉƵďůŝĐ ŝŶƚĞƌĞƐƚ͘ Therequiredpublicnoticeandhearinghaveoccurredonthevacationrequestinaccordance withapplicablestatutoryandlocalcoderequirements.Consentforthevacationrequestfrom abuttingandaffectedowners,andpaymentofaspecialassessmentfortheareaofvacated ofway,hasbeenprovidedbytheapplicant,asrequiredbystatutesandlocalcode. right VacationFindings ThefollowingfindingsdemonstratethatvacationoftheportionofMillAlley,locatedbetween thth East8AvenueandEastBroadway,andtheportionofEast8Alley,locatedbetweenHigh StreetandMillAlley,isinthepublicinterest.Thisdeterminationisbasedontheconclusionthat vacationofthesealleyswillprovideefficientuseoflandandwillnotnegativelyimpactthe transportationsystem,surroundingneighborhoodsoremergencyaccess.Additionally,future developmentopportunitiesoftheadjacentlandscanbeenhancethroughtheconsolidationof thesite.Asaresult,vacationoftherequestedalleyswillbeinthepublicinterest.Detailed findingstosupporttheseconclusionsareprovidedbelow. Thevacationrequestwasreferredtoaffectedcitydepartmentsandpublicutilityservice providers.PublicWorksstaffconfirmedthattheabuttingstreetsprovideallaccessandtraffic circulationneedsinthevicinity,withoutrelyingonthesubjectalleys.Thereisaneed,however, forawidersidewalkalongEast8thAvenue,whichtheCityhasidentifiedasagatewaythat wouldbridgetheheartofDowntownwiththeFederalCourthousedistrictandrecentlyre designatedEWEBriverfrontproperties.Thepropertyownerwilldedicatea5footwide easementalongtherightofwayabuttingEast8thAvenuebetweenMillAlleyandMillStreetto th completethewidesidewalkforthatstretchofEast8Avenue.Therefore,theordinanceis conditionedtorequirethisdedicationpriortovacationofthealleys. ReferralcommentsfromotheraffectedCityDepartmentsandutilityprovidersnotethatthe provisionofnecessarypublicservicesandfacilities,suchastransportationandutilitiesinthe area,canbemaintaineduponapprovalofthevacationrequest.Referralcommentsandletters th ofconcurrencefromutilityprovidersconfirmthattherearenoutilitieswithinEast8Alleyand thatretainingapublicutilityeasement(PUE)overMillAlleywouldprovidesufficientcoverage fortheundergroundutilities.TheordinanceprovidesfortheretentionofthisPUE. ExhibitE:Findings {00118610;4} TheĂƉƉůŝĐĂŶƚ͛Ɛsurveydrawingsdelineatethealleystobevacated,existingutilities,andthe proposedreservationofa14footwidepublicutilityeasement(PUE)overMillAlley.The applicantproposestoreserveapublicutilityeasementovertheentiresegmentofMillAlley, whichcontainsthefollowingundergroundutilities:NorthwestNaturalgaslines;CenturyLink cable;Comcastfiberopticlinesandvault;andCitywastewaterandstormwatermains.Eugene WaterandElectricBoard(EWEB)staffconfirmsthatthesteamlineswithinthealleyshavebeen abandonedandthattheyhavenorelatedissuesorconcerns.Theapplicantsubmitted concurrencesfromtheaffectedutilityproviders,allofwhomconfirmthattheĂƉƉůŝĐĂŶƚ͛Ɛ proposed14footwidepublicutilityeasementinthelocationoftheexistingMillAlleyisallthat isrequiredfortheirservices. th Alleytobevacated.TheĂƉƉůŝĐĂŶƚ͛Ɛ TherearenoexistingutilitiesintheportionofEast8 th conceptualdevelopmentplanshowsabuildingoverEast8Alley,whichwouldprovidegreater buildingpresenceabuttingHighStreet.Theapplicantnotesthatpedestrianandbicycle connectivityandoutdoorseatingareasonHighStreetand/orEastBroadwaywillbeimportant featuresofanydevelopmentontheblocktotakeadvantageofandenhancedowntownstreet propertieswillcontinuetotakeprimaryaccessfromtheabutting levelactivity.TheĂƉƉůŝĐĂŶƚ͛Ɛ th EastBroadway,HighStreet,andEast8Avenue.Withtheretentionofthe14footpublicutility easementoverMillAlley,anylargerbuildingswillneedtobeorientedinanorthsouth th direction.Assuch,vacationoftheEast8Alleyiscriticalinordertoestablishareasonable buildableareathatcanfacilitateredevelopmentofthissite. th TheapplicantproposestomaintainthevehicularconnectivitybetweenEast8Avenueand EastBroadway,whichisshownasaprivatedriveaisleontheconceptualdevelopmentplan. Giventheretentionofapublicutilityeasementoverthissamearea,thisportionofthesitewill needtoremainfreeofstructuresandthereforelendsitselfwellforaccessandcirculation. Underexistingconditions,pedestrianssharethepavedalleywithvehicles,sincetheŝƚǇ͛Ɛ designstandardsdonotincludesidewalksonalleys.Thealleyispredominantlyusedtoaccess theadjacentsurfaceparkinglots.TheĂƉƉůŝĐĂŶƚ͛Ɛredevelopmentconceptshowshowvehicle accessandonsitecirculationcanbeaccomplishedwithoutthealleys.Referralcommentsfrom PublicWorksstaffconfirmthatthealleysdonotprovidesignificantpublictransportation benefit,giventhesurroundingstreetnetworkthatprovidesampleconnectivityforvehicles, bikesandpedestrians. Theapplicanthasalsoagreedtodedicateafivefootwideperpetualeasementandrightofway th abuttingEast8Avenuetoenableanenhancedpedestriansystem. Conclusion: TheĂƉƉůŝĐĂŶƚ͛Ɛrequestedrightofwayvacationisinthepublicinterest,basedontheabove factsandthetermsoftheordinance,toredevelopthetwoexistingbuildingsanddisjointed surfaceparkinglotswithanewcomprehensivecommercialdevelopmentontheentireblock, whichistheeasterngatewaytoƵŐĞŶĞ͛Ɛdowntown. ExhibitE:Findings {00118610;4}