Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/18/1987 Meeting M I NUT E S - Eugene City Council City Council Meeting McNutt Room--City Hall November 18, 1987 11: 30 a. m. COUNCILORS PRESENT: Cynthia Wooten, Robert Bennett, Roger Rutan, Debra Ehrman, Freeman Holmer, Jeff Miller, Emily Schue, Ruth Bascom The adjourned meeting of November 16, 1987, was called to order by His Honor Mayor Brian B. Obie. 1. ITEMS FROM CITY COUNCIL, MAYOR, AND CITY MANAGER A. 1988 City Pride Kickoff Ms. Bascom told the council about the planting of several trees that will take place Friday, November 20, in front of the Permit and Information Center as part of City Pride '88. e Ms. Schue said the Joint Parks Committee met this morning and discussed severa 1 items. B. Initiative Petition Process Mr. Holmer discussed the memo from City Attorney Tim Sercombe about initiative petitions. He asked if the council should provide a process that would help petitioners get started in the initiative process and hopefully avoid the flawed petitions that have been submitted in recent weeks. Ms. Schue noted Oregon's Secretary of State Barbara Roberts is discussing a similar proposal at the State level. Responding to a question from Ms. Wooten, Mr. Sercombe said the option of judicial review exists on the ballot title issue. However, the issue of initiative petitions is difficult because it is uncertain whether the City can legally require petitioners to use the City Attorney's Office in drafting proposed legislation. An additional option raised in an editori a 1 of The Register-Guard is to give the opportunity for a public hearing prior to drafting a ballot title. He said the problem of how to produce legally correct petitions exists at the State and local level. He said he does not have solutions other than those already stated in the council's memorandum. He agreed to meet with Mr. Holmer to discuss the matter further. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 18, 1987 Page 1 C. New Business Center at the Airport e Mr. Rutan said the secondary wood products group of the Metropolitan Partnership has agreed to work on the design and financing of the new business center at the Mahlon Sweet Airport. After the current design and development process, the next stage is to put together specific proposals for the council to consider. He said the business center has potential to be a high-quality display of the importance of wood products to the community. D. Hayward Field Project Regarding the Hayward Field project, Mr. Rutan said the intergovernmental agreement detailing the use of City room tax revenue will soon be delivered to the counci 1. He said much progress has been made although some complications remain. Respondi ng to a question from Mayor Obi e, Mr. Rutan sa i d the University of Oregon employs a different construction process than the City. However, Mr. Rutan said he and Dave Whitlow, Assistant City Manager, have been careful not to take on the University's project. E. Fire Insurance Program Ms. Wooten reported on a presentation at the Budget Commi ttee meeting regarding capital improvments in the Po 1 ice, Fi re and Emergency Servi ces Department (PFES). She said it would be timely to proceed with a review of the fire insurance program in light of the City.s deficit problem and the rising cost of police and fire services. The council agreed, and Ms. Wooten said she would ask City Manager Micheal Gleason to proceed with an evaluation of the program and possible modifications the council would consider at a later date. e F. University Area Concerns Ms. Ehrman said she attended the monthly meeting of the University Small Business Association. She said businesses still have to pick up litter left by students in the street. Parking, crime, and transients remain a problem, although crime has dropped off slightly with the increase of vehicle patrols in the area. Association members also said lighting is a problem in back of their businesses and along 13th Avenue. Mr. Rutan said the real problem is not litter but the standard that throwing garbage on the ground is acceptable. He said the merchants should develop a IIpride programll on their own to upgrade the area. Mayor Obie said there might be an opportunity to enact a special district. Ms. Ehrman said the merchants have discussed that possibility. Ms. Ehrman said she also mentioned to the association the City is considering a restaurant tax to help trim the budget deficit. She said one problem is that restaurant owners say the tax is aimed at them. Ms. Ehrman said she tried to impress upon the owners the City is targeting customers and not owners. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 18, 1987 Page 2 II. APPOINTMENTS: PLANNING AND DOWNTOWN COMMISSIONS e Ms. Ehrman stated the group that interviewed applicants made recommendations that were distributed to the rest of the council. Councilors turned in their ballots and Mayor Obie said the results would be announced at the end of the meeting. III. WORK SESSION: RIVERFRONT RESEARCH PARK MASTER SITE PLAN Cathy Bri ner, Development Department, introduced Maureen McAvey from the development firm The Carley Group and Barry Elbasani of the architect firm ELS/Elbasani & Logan. Ms. McAvey said there have been five public hearings and numerous other public meetings held to gather public input on the project. Ms. McAvey defined a master plan as a conceptual guide for development over the next ten to 15 years. She said the plan is for use as a general outline that is expected to change as time goes on. Shaded areas on the plan connote where buildings will be located, although what they specifically will look like will be determined by the tenants who move in. As the various building phases begin, the Riverfront Design Advisory Committee will participate in discussions to determine what the buildings will actually look like. Regarding the financial and marketing plans, Ms. McAvey said that Carley would undertake those sequentially after the master plan is complete. She said it is difficult to prepare a financial plan until there is an idea of what the e overall development will look like. The parties are also engaged in lease negotiations. Until those are done, she said, it is difficult to project what rents wi 11 be. Ms. McAvey said she assumed a broad financial plan will be done by January 1988. Ms. McAvey introduced Mr. Elbasani who presented a brief slide show of the master plan. Mr. Elabasani reviewed the public process to date and said the plan bei ng presented to the counci 1 has not yet incorporated the public comments made in the last two weeks. He said the final plan will also include input from the council at today.s meeting. The site is approximately 50 acres after accounting for setbacks and easements. In comparison to the University of Oregon, the campus is almost six times more dense than the Riverfront Research Park will be. Perception of the site is a "country-like" environment. Drawback.s include the railroad tracks, which provide functional and physical barriers, and a limited amount of access to the Willamette River. Most of the existing buildings are removable. There are three pri ma ry transportation access points: the railroad, Franklin Boulevard, and the bike/pedestrian system. Mr. Elbasani said one concern is vehicular access for 2,000-3,000 cars. Unlike other office complexes, the type of work people will do at the park will not have the traditional commuter peak hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Ways of e MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 18, 1987 Page 3 providing vehicular access include extending Broadway and 8th Avenue. Also being considered is an extension of Agate Street, which would have the added e benefit of providing a natural gateway to the main University campus. He said the master plan reflects concerns about open spaces such as the Mill Race, soccer field, and the Silva Orchard. In addition, the plan incorporates local residents' interests in individual recreation activities such as picnic areas and bike and walking trails. Mr. Elbasani estimated there could be up to 4,000 people working on the site. He said one particular concern of the community is preserving the open space until the market potential of the project is guaranteed. He said the public does not want to risk spoiling the area with one or two buildings if the entire project is not viable. He said the community favors the idea of a quad construction system which accommodates both large open spaces and small intimate building sites. This format would model the existing structures of the University. Mr. Elbasani said the architects have set aside three large areas, including a relocated soccer field, to satisfy public desires for meaningful open space. He said Agate Street had been chosen as the main access to the park because of its relationship to the University and its versatility to accommodate cars and bikes. Forty to 50 percent of the development will occur north of the railroad tracks, while about 60 percent will occur south of the tracks, according to Mr. Elbasani. BUildings will range from one to five stories in height, for an average of 2.2 floors. Parking structures are generally two decks or a e maximum of eight feet high. Parking decks also provide the possibility of constructing a sports facility such as a tennis court on top of them. In response to a question from Mayor Obie, Mr. Elbasani said the other major entrance to the park outside of Agate Street is the extension of Broadway. where a landscaped gateway could be built to inform people they are entering a separate park. Replying to a question from Ms. Ehrman about pedestrian crossings on Franklin Boulevard, Ms. McAvey said the developer is not pursuing the option of an overpass because of the high cost involved and the experience that such overpasses are not generally used by walkers. She estimated the price tag of such an overpass would be close to $1 million because of the complexities in having it ascend gradually from both sides of Franklin. Mr. Gleason pointed out the possibility of constructing a pedestrian crossing near the Mill Race that would not require a large-scale overpass. Mayor Obie expressed his concern over the increased foot traffic that is bound to develop between the research park and the University. He noted there are already several accidents a year along Franklin Boulevard. He said it was his assumption the new University science complex was built with the idea of a future connection across Franklin Boulevard. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 18, 1987 Page 4 Ms. McAvey said that there have been several discussions with Dave Reinhard, Transportation Engineer, about the need for new signals on Franklin once the e project is completed. Mr. Reinhard sa i d an initial investigation of an underpass revealed problems with the existing utilities under the street and the safety of people traveling in a 100-foot tunnel. He said he is exploring the possibilities of adding a pedestrian signal at 11 Avenue. Also being considered is a signal between Agate and Onyx Streets. Mayor Obie asked what is being done about parking at Autzen Stadium. Ms. McAvey said the parking shown on the site plan reflects the zoning requirements. Discussions with consultants and others have shown that additional parking will probably be desired. She said the Autzen parking lot could be used for employee parking as well as having some visitor parking spaces. In response to a question from Mayor Obie, Mr. Elbasani said said there will be an opportunity to recess the surface parking three to four feet. Mr. Holmer asked Mr. Reinhard if the proposed work at the west end of the research park will affect work on the Ferry Street Bridge project. Mr. Reinhard responded it does not now, although the committee is looking out for any potential problems. In response to questions from Ms. Wooten, Mr. Elbasani and Ms. McAvey said the project is generally orientated south to north with the primary western access at 8th Avenue. Ms. Wooten said she would be interested to know what Agripac Inc.'s plans are e regarding relocation. Mr. Rutan asked about the University' s steam plant. Dan Williams, Vice President for Administration at the University of Oregon, said the University and EWEB are close to completing a joint study about the plant. He sa i d preliminary figures show that pulling out of the steam plant would be an expensive undertaking. The University is also looking into the possibility of upgrading the aesthetics of the plant to enhance the overall appearance of the park. Mr. Gleason said one concept that needs to be considered is an energy park. Mr. Rutan stated his preference for an elevated foot bridge and said he thinks such a bridge would be used. He said he is anxious to get through the public input process and move on to the marketing phase of the project. Ms. Schue said she also is in favor of an overpass. She said the current design of the land on the west side would enable a successful channeling of people from one side of Franklin Boulevard to the other. In response to a question from Ms. Schue about the University's wood chip pile, Mr. Elbasani said the University would move to a short-term supply of chips. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 18, 1987 Page 5 Ms. Ehrman said it is important the council and the project proceed with the support of the community. She commended the parties for being receptive to e public comments that are supportive as well as critical. Ms. Bascom said she has participated in discussions about an overpass since 1972. She said she can understand why an overpass is not included in the original plan because of the numerous complications involved. Ms. Bascom said she would like more discussion and examination of an overpass proposal. Ms. McAvey said an overpass will probably not be included in the final plan because it is not part of the funded development. She said an overpass is fundamentally a City issue. Ms. Wooten thanked Ms. McAvey and Mr. Elbasani for appeari ng before the council. Mayor Obie said the council is looking forward to the project's completion in 1989. IV. PLANNING AND DOWNTOWN COMMISSION APPOINTMENTS Mayor Obie asked Ms. Ehrman to announce the results of the Planning and Downtown commissions appointments. Ms. Ehrman moved, seconded by Mr. Holmer, to appoint Kenneth To'lenar to the Planning Commission for a four-year term ending December 31, 1991, and Joy Morrow to the Downtown Commission for e a four-year term ending December 31, 1991. Roll call vote; the motion passed unanimously 8:0. Mayor Obie adjourned the meeting at 1:30 p.m. to November 30, 1987. ~~ Mi t~ a C ty Manager (Recorded by Todd Nissen) mncc1118 e MINUTES--Eugene City Council November 18, 1987 Page 6 e TALLY SHEET PLANNING COMMISSIION EVANS, ALAN / / DAVIS, HOWARD STEPHENS, DEL 1/ Z TOLLENAAR, KENNETH /N/ 5 e Recorded by: \.. &' ....i ~ rrr- #-//'-'7 Assistant City Manager Date e e TALLY SHEET DOWNTOWN COMMISSION CHAMBERS, MARCIA // 2. KAHANEK, ANN MORROW, JOY ~I 6' e Recorded by: ., ~:/- ~-- Q~/P....~ -- ~ Assistant City Manager Date e -- . B ALL 0 T Board or Commission: PLANNING COMMISSION Number of Openings: 1 opening I wish to appoint the following: 1. ~{/ ~tV\. Submitted by: ~ /I /13/g7 Councilor Date . . . B ALL 0 T Board or Commission: PLANNING COMMISSION Number of Openings: 1 opening I wish to appoint the following: 1. OEL ~TljHIiN S Submitted by: ~ ft~ /1-/(,-8-) Cou il Date . . ..-- . B ALL 0 T Board or Commission: PLANNING COMMISSION Number of Openings: 1 opening I wish to appoint the following: l.k --r;J )e k1 t1~ V' Submitted by: ~ 1//'7{L~, Councilor I Date r . . . BALLOT Board or Commission: PLANNING COMMISSION Number of Openings: 1 opening I wish to appoint the following: 1. ~v )to~~~S Submitted by: ~ ~ ~ 11M do Councilo ate .'. ... - ~ . B ALL 0 T Board or Commission: PLANNING COMMISSION Number of Openings: 1 opening I wish to appoint the following: 1. /ti,-( / \. ;1 &-tt 4'1 AA ~ Submitted by: or:::-;/~ Q?~~-!'.J II t~/n Councilor IDe r . . . B AllOT Board or Commission: PLANNING COMMISSION Number of Openings: 1 opening I wish to appoint the following: l.~(~" ~J./V\ 0/'\ Submitted by: C. .~ Date Co cil or . . - '~. B ALL 0 T Board or Commission: PLANNING COMMISSION Number of Openings: 1 opening I wish to ap~t the following: 1.~ \{)~\hf\~lt Submitted by: ~liA.\>(\ Date Councilor -- -. , . B ALL 0 T Board or Commission: PLANNING COMMISSION Number of Openings: 1 opening I wish to appoint the following: 1. 1J/~:'1 F:'1t t-t ~ . . Submitted by: l J. &-tAll if Date Counei or . . ---- . B ALL 0 T Board or Commission: DOWNTOWN COMMISSION Number of Openings: 1 opening 1. Submitted by: ~ Date Councilor .. "'. . B ALL 0 T Board or Commission: DOWNTOWN COMMISSION Number of Openings: 1 opening I wish to appoint the following: 1. ~C( Mtfrl'~w ".. v- Submitted by: \ . " Date . . . B ALL 0 T Board or Commission: DOWNTOWN COMMISSION Number of Openings: 1 opening I wish to appoint the following: 1'C}Orn~ Submitted by: C, /~~ Councilor Date . . . B ALL 0 T Board or Commission: DOWNTOWN COMMISSION Number of Openings: 1 opening I wish to appoint the following: 1. n ~~--//'- Submitted by: (J(?~ a~ J/ l/~ /p7 Councilor . ( Date! . . ~ B ALL 0 T Board or Commission: DOWNTOWN COMMISSION Number of Openings: 1 opening I wish to appoint the following: 1. f1A Nl_i'd!~' JM~J Submitted by: ~!I-- L~ Il/tt[O Counci or Date . ~'. . B ALL 0 T Board or Commission: DOWNTOWN COMMISSION Number of Openings: 1 opening I wish to appoint the following: "...-:- J10V' V' 0 U)-- 1. \~i Submitted by: ~j)(A <> n~al.<?l Co nCl or Da e . . . B ALL 0 T Board or Commission: DOWNTOWN COMMISSION Number of Openings: 1 opening I wish to appoint the following: 1. hI) /2. L-I ;:j C 11v1Y1/J M f Submitted by: ~ fiJrJ( I { - ie. -a? Date Cou 1 . . . B ALL 0 T Board or Commission: DOWNTOWN COMMISSION Number of Openings: 1 opening I wish to appoint the following: 1. '4~ Submitted by: ~<<--bL II }>j"g7 Councilor Date . .