HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Newsletter - 09/20/07
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER
September 20, 2007
City of Eugene
777 Pearl Street, Room 105
Eugene, Oregon 97401-2793
(541) 682-5010
(541) 682-5414 (FAX)
www.eugene-or.gov
IN THIS WEEK’S EDITION
ACCESSIBLE PEDESTRIAN SIGNALS NOW AVAILABLE AT 32 EUGENE INTERSECTIONS
SOUTH RIDGELINE HABITAT STUDY COMMUNITY TASK GROUP GETS UNDERWAY
CAMPBELL CENTER EVENT KICKS OFF ‘YEAR OF CARING AND SHARING’
PLANNING COMMISSION SELECTS MINOR CODE AMENDMENT TOPICS
LOCAL EFFORTS HELP SLOW WORSENING PROBLEMS OF TRAFFIC CONGESTION
NEW BANNERS SALUTE HULT 25 CELEBRATIONS
PORTABLE ASSISTED LISTENING SYSTEM AVAILABLE THROUGH ADAPTIVE RECREATION
PLANNING DIVISION MOVING FORWARD ON INFILL AND OPPORTUNITY SITING
APPLYING FOR COLLEGE AND FINANCIAL AID: FREE WORKSHOP AT EPL
AROUND THE CITY
Accessible Pedestrian Signals Now Available at 32 Eugene Intersections
A project to install accessible pedestrian signals (APS) at 25
intersections throughout Eugene has been substantially completed.
EC Co. of Albany was the general contractor on the $250,000
project. Funding included $60,000 from Community Development
Block Grants and $190,000 from the General Fund. The project
was managed by the Eugene Public Works Department in
cooperation with the Human Rights Program.
Accessible pedestrian signals provide audible and tactile cues to
assist pedestrians, especially those with visual disabilities, in
making safer decisions when using intersection crosswalks. APS
emit a continuous beeping locator tone that helps users find the
button that activates the walk signal. When the walk signal is on, a
recorded voice tells the user that the walk light is on and then a
backwards countdown alerts the user to how many more seconds
the walk light will remain on.
Completion of the current project brings the total intersections with
APS to 32. The first accessible pedestrian signal in Eugene was
th
installed in 2004 at 26 Avenue and Hilyard Street. In February
2006, the Public Works Department implemented a policy that requires APS to be included at all newly
installed traffic signals with walk sign push buttons that activate the walk signal cycle.
There are still 120 signalized intersections in Eugene that are eligible for APS equipment but do not have
APS installed. To address that need, the City has made an ongoing commitment to spend at least
$65,000 each fiscal year on APS installations. The City of Eugene Human Rights Commission
Accessibility Committee prioritizes the need for APS at eligible intersections. Community members may
request APS at specific intersections by calling 682-5177 or sending email to hrc@ci.eugene.or.us.
A list of all APS-equipped intersections is available on the City’s web site (click on Human Rights
Program > Current Activities). For more information, contact Human Rights Program Specialist Karen
Hyatt at 682-5177 or Public Works APS Project Manager Steve Gallup at 682-4960.
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 1
September 20, 2007
South Ridgeline Habitat Study Community Task Group Gets Underway
The Planning and Development Department is continuing its innovative citizen engagement process in
the South Ridgeline Habitat Study (SRHS) with the kick-off of the SRHS Community Task Group. Each
of the nine members of the group represents a key area of community interest: conservation, business/
development, recreation, residential homeowners, or member-at-large. The group is working
collaboratively with staff and a professional facilitator to develop criteria for identifying habitat sites for
conservation and to identify what type of conservation measures will be applied. The task group will
review and incorporate citizen input collected at six facilitated community meetings held in each of the
affected neighborhoods. The collaboratively developed proposal will be presented in a public workshop
this winter to incorporate additional feedback from the general community before being packaged for
formal review by the Planning Commission next spring.
The SRHS Final Inventory and Assessment Report has been submitted to the City by Salix Associates,
after citizen comments on the draft report were reviewed and addressed by the consultant and staff. The
final report is now available on the project website: www.EugeneNR.org. For more information about
the final report or the citizen task group, please contact Neil Björklund, at 682-5507 or via email at
neil.h.bjorklund@ci.eugene.or.us.
Campbell Center Event Kicks Off ‘Year of Caring and Sharing’
The Campbell Community Center Care and Share Team’s inaugural BBQ and Silent Auction held on
Friday, September 7, raised $2,000 for senior services. The event was a kick-off for “The Year of Caring
and Sharing”, a program coordinated by Campbell Center volunteers to make a difference in the lives of
seniors in Eugene.
Forty guests attended the event, enjoying dinner, music, silent auction and raffle items donated by
generous members of the business community. The next “Caring and Sharing” event will be Campbell
Center’s Annual Holiday Bazaar and Silent Auction on Saturday, November 17. Mark your calendars to
join us! For more information, contact Yvaughn Tompkins, 682-6315.
Planning Commission Selects Minor Code Amendment Topics
On August 29, 2007, the City of Eugene Planning Commission held its latest meeting on the Minor Code
Amendment process. Public open houses and workshops have been held over the last several months
asking community members how they think the land use code can be further improved and
subsequently, how best to prioritize the more than 200 suggested amendments that have been received.
The purpose of this latest meeting was to develop a manageable list of code amendments which would
move forward in this process.
Over the last few months, the Planning Commission, project team, and community members devoted
substantial effort in prioritizing this library of suggested amendments. This effort ultimately proved very
productive in guiding the Planning Commission’s selection of 20 potential amendments. These
amendments not only reflect the range of public input received, they also incorporate suggestions which
the community rated as “high priorities.” For example, many amendments address residential
development standards such as the definition of building height, maximum density, lot dimensions, flag
and alley access lots, multi-family parking requirements and open space. Such suggestions are
representative of the strong involvement of the neighborhoods in this process.
Following a project update with the City Council on October 10, 2007, the project team will prepare more
in-depth evaluations of each amendment for review by the planning commission later this fall. For more
details on the list of potential amendments and other supporting information, please visit the webpage at
www.eugene-or.gov/codeamendments, or contact Steve Nystrom, project manager, at 541-682-8385 or
steven.a.nystrom@ci.eugene.or.us.
Local Efforts Help Slow Worsening Problems of Traffic Congestion
Even though traffic congestion is on the rise in Eugene, this metropolitan area continues to have fewer
traffic delays than similar-size urban areas in the U.S., according to a report released Tuesday by the
Texas Transportation Institute (TTI).
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September 20, 2007
Across the country, traffic congestion is creating a $78 billion annual drain on the U.S. economy in the
form of 4.2 billion lost hours and 2.9 billion gallons of wasted fuel, TTI’s 2007 Urban Mobility Report
found.
The report, which is based on 2005 data, concluded that traffic congestion is worsening in all of the 437
urban areas studied.
Not surprisingly, the Los Angeles area ranked number 1 in traffic congestion, with the average LA driver
stuck in traffic for a whopping 72 hours a year and wasting 57 gallons of fuel a year. By contrast, the
nd
Eugene-Springfield area ranked 72 in the report, with the typical Eugene-area motorist spending an
average of 14 hours a year and losing 8 gallons of fuel due to congested traffic. The Salem area had a
rd
very similar ranking. Portland, the third metro area studied in Oregon, ranked 33 for annual delay per
traveler.
Traffic congestion has increased over time in this area. During peak travel hours, the average local
driver in 1982 lost about 6 hours a year due to congestion. That figure increased slightly to 7 hours in
1995 before doubling to 14 hours in 2005. Overall, traffic delays in this area in 2005 amounted to more
than 1.7 million lost hours and more than 1 million gallons of wasted fuel. TTI calculated the economic
impact of congestion in the Eugene area in 2005 at $32 million.
Despite the growing problem of congestion, the Eugene area fared better than average for urban areas
with populations less than 500,000. For example, the 14 hours a year spent stuck in traffic in this area
compares to a national average of 17 hours in similar-size communities, while the total estimated annual
cost of congestion in the Eugene area at $32 million is significantly less than the $56 million average for
small American cities.
Among the factors that help relieve congestion in this area: extensive on- and off-street bicycle and
pedestrian facilities that actively encourage walking and biking as alternatives to driving a single-
occupancy vehicle, a well-developed mass transit system, mixed-use (nodal) development designed to
decrease the number of vehicle miles traveled per capita, and ongoing efforts to improve the existing
transportation system. For more information, contact Gary McNeel, Public Works transportation analyst,
at 682-8451.
New Banners Salute Hult 25 Celebrations
In celebration of Hult 25, new banners will be hung at
the Hult Center turnouts on 6th and 7th Avenues just
prior to the big Celebrating Hult 25 weekend, on Friday,
September 28.
A total of 20 banners, featuring two attractive designs
with the Celebrating Hult 25 theme will add to the
festive look of the building. Special lighting features will
illuminate the interior and exterior.
The bright banners will be installed on the light poles
and will be displayed for the duration of the Hult 25 season, through May 2008. At that time, they will be
replaced with Eugene 08 banners, which are currently in production. It is expected that the Eugene 08
banners will be displayed through the middle of July 2008. For further information, please contact Laura
Niles, 682-2697.
Portable Assisted Listening System Available Through Adaptive Recreation
The Library, Recreation and Cultural Services Department is now making a truly portable Tour Guide
Assisted Listening System available to City staff. The FM system allows people who are hearing
impaired or deaf to hear, using their own hearing aides or special headphones.
Unlike the FM systems installed in designated meeting rooms around the City, however, the portable
system doesn't require a sound system to function. Presenters, speakers, or program leaders simply
speak into a battery powered transmitter and microphone attached to a belt clip. As many as eight
receivers can be used simultaneously to hear the signal in areas without an installed assisted listening
system, or even out of doors, in places such as parks, trails, and vehicles.
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 3
September 20, 2007
The new system is currently housed with Adaptive Recreation Services and is available to City staff and
departments upon request. To inquire about availability and equipment check-out procedures, contact
the Hilyard Community Center at 682-5311. For other information, contact Andy Fernandez, 682-6306.
Planning Division Moving Forward on Infill and Opportunity Siting
Things are happening in the Planning Division regarding the Infill Compatibility Standards (ICS) and
Opportunity Siting (OS) projects. Both are high priority work items initiated by the City Council to refine
local means of managing growth, consistent with the Growth Management Study policies. The goal of
the ICS project is the adoption of compatibility standards for new development in established areas. The
OS project aims to establish a process for siting dense housing in ways that are more compatible with
the surrounding neighborhoods. The projects each have a web page on the Planning Division website
with draft program information and forms for submitting comments. See www.eugeneplanning.org >
Opportunity Siting and www.eugeneplanning.org > Infill Compatibility.
Over the spring and summer, Planning and Development Department staff met with neighborhood
associations and other interested parties to raise awareness about the projects. In early August, staff
sent out close to 400 letters to solicit active participation in one or both of the projects. The response has
been enthusiastic – over 80 people have indicated a willingness to serve on a task team, working group,
as a technical resource, or as general meeting participants.
On October 8, the Planning Division will host a public workshop with the letter respondents and the
general public on infill and residential growth issues. The workshop is being designed to:
1. Engage people about the issues, the history of the projects and the potential the projects have for
improving local communities.
2. Inform people about the background for the projects and direction received from the City Council
and Planning Commission.
3. Connect people with ways to participate where they can be most effective.
4. Establish a structure for the task teams and ancillary working groups.
For more information, contact Terri Harding, senior planner in the Planning Division, at 682-5635 or
terri.l.harding@ci.eugene.or.us.
Applying for College and Financial Aid: Free Workshop at EPL
Students and/or parents are invited to a free workshop entitled Applying for College and Financial Aid on
Saturday, September 22, 3:00 - 5:00 p.m., at the Eugene Public Library, Downtown.
Participants will receive practical advice from University of Oregon guest experts Tomas Baiza, Office of
Admissions, and Paul Carlile, Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships. The presentation will
offer valuable tips for success in completing a college application, writing an entrance essay, filling out
financial aid forms, and more.
In addition, librarian Scott Herron will introduce free electronic resources available through Eugene
Public Library including LearningExpress (practice tests and guidance), Foundation Directory Online
(scholarships from 77,000+ sources), and Oregon Career Information System (schools and financial aid
throughout the U.S.). For more information, call the Eugene Public Library, 682-5450.
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 4
September 20, 2007