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HomeMy WebLinkAbout07/15/1986 Meeting '" - M I NUT E S e Eugene City Council City Council Chamber July 15, 1986 7:30 p.m. COUNCILORS PRESENT: Debra Ehrman, Emily Schue, Freeman Holmer, Ruth Bascom, Roger Rutan. COUNCILORS ABSENT: Cynthia Wooten, Richard Hansen, Jeff Miller. A special meeting of the City Council of the City of Eugene, Oregon, was called to order by His Honor Mayor Brian B. Obie. 1. JOINT EUGENE CITY COUNCIL/OREGON DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION STAFF PUBLIC HEARING: WEST EUGENE PARKWAY (6TH-7TH EXTENSION) SUPPLEMENTAL DEIS (HIGHWAY 99 TO SENECA ROAD) (memo, background information distributed) Mayor Obie welcomed those present. He announced the public hearing is a joint hearing of the Eugene City Council and the Oregon Department of Transportation staff . He introduced eam Gil mour, manager of the Environmental Section of the Oregon State Highway Division. Mr. Gilmour said several hearings have been held on proposed alignments for the West Eugene Parkway (6th-7th Extension). The last hearing was on e the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) on December 9, 1985. As a result of the testimony and comments from the Planning Commission and the City Council, the State Highway Divison re-evaluated the alignment and issued the Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (SDE1S). Mr. Gilmour said the SDEIS involves only the segment of the West Eugene Parkway between Highway 99 North and Seneca Road and the hearing will be on that segment only. He said Alternative 1 at-grade, Alternative 1 elevated, Alternative la at-grade, Alternative la elevated, and a 5th/7th couplet are evaluated in the SDEIS. He said the Highway Division staff prefers Alternative la at-grade. He said Alternative 1 elevated and Alternative la elevated would require more right-of-way than the at-grade alternatives, would not provide substantial improvements to internal circulation, and would cost $8 mill ion more than the at-grade alternatives. He said the 5th/7th couplet would not provide sufficient access control and would be detrimental to traffic flow and safety because trucks might block traffi c and cause accidents. Also, internal circulation would be difficult because the eastbound and westbound lanes would be two blocks apart which would necessitate some businesses revising their operations. Mr. Gilmour said testimony will be accepted on all alignments in the SDEI S . Discussing differences in Alternative la at-grade and Alternative e MINUTES--Eugene City Council July 15, 1986 Page 1 , ~ 1 at-grade between Highway 99 and Seneca Road, he said construction costs for Alternative la at-grade would be $3.4 mi110n and right-of-way costs e would be $1.4 million. Construction costs for Alternative 1 at-grade would be $6.3 million and right-of-way costs would be $4.3 million. Alternative la at-grade would displace fi ve bus i nesses and A lternat i ve 1 would displace 12 businesses. He said traffic capacity, levels of service, access patterns within the industrial area, noise impacts, and air quality impacts would be similar for the alternatives. Mr. Gilmour said written testimony will be accepted until July 25, 1986. He suggested it be sent to the Eugene Public Works Department or the Environmental Section, Oregon State Highway Division, 324 Capital Street N.E., Salem, OR 97310. Dave Reinhard, Eugene Transportation Engineer, said illustrations of the alternatives were on the wall and the counci lors had studi ed the alternatives at a work session. He said a public information session attended by about 70 people was held on June 26,1986, in the project area. Most of the people there commented favorably on Alternative la at- grade, but several people expressed concerns about access, circulation, and damages to businesses or the need to relocate them. He sa i d the Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) for the project met and recommended Alternative 1a at-grade although a quorum of members was not present. The CAC also recommended that the access at Wilson Street and the connector between 6th and 7th avenues be relocated to avoid displacing two businesses. He said the staff attended two meetings with Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce representatives. e Mr. Reinhard said copies of an Excerpt of Minutes of the Eugene Planning Commission meeting of June 30, 1986, were distributed to the councilors. The Planning Commission recommended Alternative la at-grade. In addition, copies of a letter dated July 11, 1986, from Douglas A. Young represent i ng 'the Furrows Facil i ty, a 1 etter dated July 11, 1986, from J. K. Young of Southern Pacific Transportation Company, and a letter dated July 15, 1986, from Mike Farthing representing the Donald R. Barker Marital Trust were distributed to the councilors. Mr. Reinhard discussed the contents of the letters. Mr. Reinhard said the council should consider recommending an alignment for the parkway to the State Highway Division tonight or tomorrow. On August 11, the council will consider the Highway Division's recommendation for the alignment of the entire route and will be asked to adopt an ordinance calling for an election on the parkway in November. Mayor Obie opened the public hearing. Don Amacher, 975 Oak, represented BPS Associates which owns four warehouse buildings on the north side of Fifth Avenue between McKinley and Seneca streets. He said the company also has lease-hold interests in about 44 acres north of Fifth Avenue that officials intent to develop with warehouses. He said BPS Associates have no objections to Alternative la at-grade. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council July 15, 1986 Page 2 . , Mike Farthing, 975 Oak, represented the Donald R. Barker Marital Trust. He said he supports Alternative 1a at-grade and hopes it will be chosen as e soon as possible. Referring to the letter and the attached maps he had submitted to the council, he discussed the impact of the alignment on the trust properties. He said Alternative la at-grade will bisect Tax Lot 2902 and cut off the only legal access to the property. He said the alternative will also bisect Tax Lots 900 and 914 which are between 5th and 7th avenues. He said accesses to those lots are shown on the maps of Alternative la at-grade but the text of the SDEIS indicates the access to the soutn may not be included in the final design. He said he would like the alignment to retain enough flexibility to i ncl ude that southern access. Paul Morris, 1209 South Central, Kent, WA, is Vice President of Store Planning for Pay IN Pak Stores, Inc. He said he favored Alternative 1a at-grade because it would have the least impact on the operations of Pay IN Pak Stores. He said he discussed with Mr. Reinhard the possibility of moving the connector between 6th and 7th avenues to save a business. He said Alternative 1a elevated would affect access to the Pay IN Pak parking lot off 6th Avenue. Barbara Kelley, 540 Kingswood, said it is important to conserve Eugenels assets. She said the actions of the council many times do not reflect the testimony it receives. She said the council does not look very good to the pub 1 i c. She asked the councilors the following questions: 1. Do you vote in the public interest? 2. Do you listen, learn, and study from public testimony? e 3. Do you respect and act on a preservationist view when it is expressed by a majority of people testifying? 4. Do you refrain from commenting and voting when your pocketbook is affected? 5. Do you consider future generations? 6. Do you vigorously protect irreplaceable resources? 7. Do you disregard big contributions to compaign funds when you vote? 8. Are you aware of the environmental effects of development? 9. What do you do to preserve the area so it will be attractive to tourists and recreationists? 10. Do you conserve resources? 11. Do you go to environmental and public interest groups for input? Ms. Kelley said councilors who answer "yes" to at least eight of the questions are on their way to doing a good job. She said 19 Nobel Prize winners stated at a Fate of the Earth Conference that the earth will fail to support us in 50 to 150 years if we continue to use resources at the present rate. Dave Van Fossen, #201, Oakmont Way, submitted a copy of a street dedication for an extension of Tyinn Street. The dedication is directly north of the existing street. He said the alignment shown on some maps e MINUTES--Eugene City Council July 15, 1986 Page 3 " "- for the alternatives would make some property unusable. He sa i d he is working with the representatives of Clarke's Sheet Metal and Furrow e Building Materials who favor Alternative la at-grade but are concerned with the location of the connector to Tyinn Street. He pointed out the connector on a wall map. Mr. Van Fossen suggested the City obtain a portable microphone for use in the Council Chamber. William Wheatley, 825 East Park, represented Willamette Valley Company and said he was pleased that the Supplemental DEIS was issued. He sa i d Wi 11 amette Vall ey Company supports Alternative la at-grade. He sa i d Alternative 1 either at-grade or elevated would be devastating to the affected businesses. He said the Highway Division estimates that Alternative la at-grade will cost $2.9 million less than Alternative 1 but he estimates that it will cost as much as $6 or $7 million less. He said five businesses would be displaced instead of 12 businesses. Mr. Wheatley noted that consideration will be given to mitigating the impact of Alternative la at-grade on the National Fire Fighters Association. He said some people probably still prefer the Roosevelt Freeway but he did not think that is realistic. He read from a July 9 editorial in the Register Guard which supported Alternative 1a at-grade. Robert Newburn, 50 Highway 99 N, owns Pacific Petroleum Corporation. He said he has a truck washing facility, a diesel fueling facility, a truck parking area, and an office on his property north of the Fifth Avenue and McKinley Street intersection. He said the services are integrated and e Alignment la at-grade will divide them and eliminate the truck washing business because truckers will not cross the highway for that service. He said the fueling facility has underground storage and he is concerned about the traffic flow in the area. He said the closure of the frontage road access to Highway 99 from the south will create problems for his office and for truck traffic. He said access from the north going south on the new parkway is essential. If it does not exist, he will not be able to use his seven acres as he does now. Randall Hledik, P.O. Box 1107, represented the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. He read his testimony and then submitted it in writing. He supported A lternat i ve la at-grade. He sa i d it wi 11 enhance the traffic flow in the business area by eliminating through traffic from streets used for truck delivery. He suggested that the accesses that would displace the National Fire Fighter Corporation and the Ambassador Hair Salon be shifted, that the need for traffic signals in the area be analyzed because the through and industrial traffic will need to be controlled safely and conveniently, and that the intersections be designed to accommodate the turning movements of triple-trailer truck traffi c. Richard Gold, #58 907 River Road, read from a letter dated December 9, 1985, to him from Cam Gilmour of the State Highway Division. Mr. Gold e MINUTES--Eugene City Council July 15, 1986 Page 4 - "- said his eight pages of testimony, 68 pages of supporting documentation, and seven air photo maps were not included in the transcript of the e Department of Transportation hearing on December 18, 1985. He said none of his concerns about the impacts of the West Eugene Parkway were addressed in the SDEIS. Mr. Gold said the City has no management criteria for wetlands. Referring to page 12 of the DEIS, he discussed the Bertelsen Slough which will be affected by the western section of the West Eugene Parkway. He said it will probably be mismanaged. He said problems are caused now by a road into the slough, litter, rifle shells, and industrial wastes in the A-3 channel that goes to Fern Ridge Reservoir. He read from page II-E-7 of the Metro Pl an. Referring to Public Law 426902, Mr. Gold said City actions are contrary to the 1 aw because they do not protect health and the environment. He discussed hazardous and toxic wastes. He read an article from the New York Times dated June 28, 1986, concerning wet lands in Massachusetts. William A. Bennett, #3, 2405 Wil1akenzie, is corporate secretary of the National Firefighter Corporation. He said the organization appreciated the comments during the hearing indicating that the impact of Alternative 1a at-grade on the National Fire Fighter Corporation might be mitigated by a shift in the location of a connector. Nevertheless, he said he wished to read his prepared testimony which he submitted in writing. Mr. Bennett said the corporation opposes Alternative la at-grade because e it wi 11 interfere with maximum development and operations in the industrial area, because the mix of commuter traffic with large industrial vehicles will not be safe, and because increased traffic over railroad crossings will induce the Southern Pacific Company to abandon tracks south of the hi ghway. He said the one-half mile from Highway 99 to Seneca Street would have three railroad crossings and five accesses. He sa i d the DEIS did not address safety. Mr. Bennett said National Fire Fighter supported Alternative 3, the "no buil dll alternative. He urged the counci 1 to consider the needs of businesses and to prevent the encroachment of commuter traffic into the industrial area. There being no additional requests to testify, Mayor Obie closed the public hearing. Responding to the testimony, Mr. Reinhard said he appreciated Mr. Van Fossen's information about a dedicated right-of-way for the extension of Tyinn Street. Mr. Reinhard said there is much flexibility in Alternative la at-grade and a connector between 5th and 7th avenues can be designed severa 1 ways. The existing right-of-way might be used or additional right-of-way might be obtained. He said the first connector to Fifth Avenue west of Highway 99 should be located as far from Highway 99 as possible. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council July 15, 1986 Page 5 " Mr. Reinhard said the design of the highway will incorporate safety features such as traffic signals and turning lanes to make the road as e safe as possible. He said a Mr. Harding of the Southern Pacific Company told him the tracks south of the highway probably will not be abandoned as long as the businesses there want the railroad tracks. Answering a question from Mayor Obie, Mr. Reinhard said Alternative la at- grade indicates an access on the north side for Pacific Petroleum and other properties to the north. Probably a through connector will not be located there. If the section is elevated, the properties will have access underneath it. He said the issue will be considered during the right-of- way acquisition and design processes. Lack of access and damage to the truck washing facility would be taken into account when a settlement is made. Replying to a question from Mr. Holmer, Mr. Reinhard said a November election on the project was recommended by the City staff because a large vote would be advantageous. He said the council can consider Mr. Hledik1s suggestion that an election that has fewer measures woul d be more advantageous. Mr. Reinhard said an election could be held on September 16 but it would not allow much time to inform the public about the measure and the City would have to pay all or part of the election cost. Answering a question from Ms. Ehrman, Mr. Reinhard said Table 2 on Page 10 of the son S indicates costs for land, improvements, damages, and relocation of businesses. Mr. Gleason said the actual costs will be negotiated in the final design stage. . Mayor Obi e said the council would like to do everything possible to mitigate damages to peop 1 e who testified. He suggested the council recommendation to the State Highway Division include a statement of concern about damages to businesses. He suggested the staff prepare such a recommendation for the council's consideration on July 16. Ms. Bascom said she would like the council to express concerns about damages to businesses. She sa i d the staff did an excellent job of analyzing the alternatives and she was impressed with the public information session held by the staff in west Eugene. She sa i d the council wanted to upgrade the highway to an attractive parkway and has been concerned about its impact on the livability of Eugene and on wet lands. She said moving traffic through the city efficiently has a positive effect on air quality. Ms. Schue said she is impressed by the cooperation on the project of City representatives, State representatives, and people in the community. She said Alternative la at-grade is a major improvement over the alternatives the council considered in December. She said many of the ideas expressed by the councilors then were accepted. She emphasized that the people who testified in December were heard and their comments affected the alignment recommended by the State Highway Division. She said the councilors want to recommend an alignment that will do the least damage possible. She hopes the community will support the project. - MINUTES--Eugene City Council July 15, 1986 Page 6 . .' , Mr. Holmer said he can answer "yes" to at least ten of the questions Ms. Ke 11 ey a s ked. He said he was Wisconsin Director of Environmental e Protection for two years and is knowledgeable about wet lands. He said the councilors and the State staff have been concerned about the Bertelsen Slough and environmental protection but the council must also deal with economic preservation. He appreciated all the testimony. Mayor Obie asked staff members to consider the concerns of Pacific Petroleum. National Fire Fighters, and others when they prepare a motion for the council. Answering a question from Mr. Rutan, Mayor Obie said the council will take action on July 16 so that the three councilors who are absent tonight may participate. Mr. Rutan suggested the councilors indicate their preference for the alternatives. He said he favors Alternative 1a at-grade because it is the result of compromises and cooperation. He said it minimizes negative impacts. Answering a question from Mayor Obie, the other councilors indicated they would also support Alternative 1a at-grade. Mayor Obie thanked the City and Department of Transportation staff for their work on the project. He asked Mr. Gilmour to express his appreciation to the State Highway Commission. Mayor Obie adjourned the meeting at 8:45 p.m. e (Recorded by Betty Lou Rarick) BLR:mncc0715 - MINUTES--Eugene City Council July 15. 1986 Page 7