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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06/28/1989 Meeting e M I NUT E S Eugene City Council McNutt Room--City Hall June 28 s 1989 11:30 a.m. COUNCILORS PRESENT: Ruth Bascoms Roger Rutans Rob Bennetts Shawn Boless Debra Ehrman, Freeman Holmer, Emily Schue. COUNCILORS ABSENT: Bobby Green. The adjourned meeting of June 26, 1989s was called to order by Council President Ruth Bascom. I. ITEMS FROM THE CITY COUNCILs MAYOR, AND CITY MANAGER A. Relief Nursery Fund-Raiser Mr. Bennett reminded councilors that Lane County Relief Nursery would receive 50 percent of the proceeds from Ambrosia restaurant until 10 p.m. that . e evening and he encouraged councilors and the community to participate in this worthwhile effort. Mr. Rutan and Mr. Holmer said they would be working at the benefit later in the day. B. WOW Hall Complaint Ms. Ehrman reported a call from a constituent concerned about noise and vandalism in the residential area near the Community Center for the Performing Arts (WOW Hall), particularly in alleys late at night. Ms. Ehrman requested that the City's Public Service Officers Norm Babcocks look into the situation. C. Skateboarding Ms. Ehrman reported that the citizen who had submitted written testimony for the council's public hearing on June 26 regarding skateboarding near Charnel Mulligan Park has informed Mr. Babcock that there has been an increased level of activity near the park since the council's action earlier in the week. D. Downtown Development Ms. Ehrman said she attended an open house for Metropolitan Savings which is opening in the Center Court building. This development, combined with news that the Broadway building has been solds indicated that downtown development - MINUTES--Eugene City Council June 28, 1989 Page 1 e activity is occurring. Mr. Holmer asked staff to provide information on the change in assessed valuation of the Broadway site from five years ago. While he considered any leasing activity valuable to the building (specifically Center Court), Mr. Bennett said any strong centralized retail plan specifies that retail users occupy ground-level space. Regarding the Broadway building, Mr. Bennett was encouraged by the sale and indications that a strong second-floor user is interested, but he considered the key to the building's success ground-level activity. Ms. Bascom asked whether Downtown Eugene, Incorporated, was discussing a potential ordinance requiring ground-level retail use. Mr. Bennett responded that a level of demand to support such an ordinance would have to be created first. E. World Veteransl Games Mr. Rutan reported that 800 additional volunteers are needed for the World Veterans. Games and he asked councilors to help solicit those volunteers. He said flexible schedules for volunteering are available. F. Wil shi re Lane Mr. Rutan referred to a class action lawsuit brought by residents of Wilshire Lane against Breeden Brothers Construction and said he had spent a lot of time on the matter and had been assisted by State Senator Larry Campbell. e G. Transportation Ms. Schue reported that a transportation package (including gas tax and vehicle registration) has been passed out of committee with a do pass recommendation, but she believed that the votes on the Senate floor were shaky and encouraged councilors to use whatever influence they have with senators to encourage its passage. H. Annexation Ms. Schue reported that legislative staff members from Portland and Gresham told her that Portland's annexations in east Multnomah County began with a conscious annexation policy and required a concentrated public relations effort involving neighborhoods. The double-majority method was used successfully. Answering a question from Mr. Holmer, Mr. Whitlow said the unofficial election results on the Knoop Lane annexation was 10:0 in favor. 1. Mobility International Mr. Boles announced that on Friday he would welcome an international group at Campbell Senior Center. He pointed out that this international organization is headquartered in Eugene. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council June 28, 1989 Page 2 e J. International Visits Mr. Boles reported that he will be sponsored to represent the City at a Nagasaki/Hiroshima memorial observance in Japan. He hoped to visit Kakegawa, as well, and expressed particular interest in exploring the idea of a dual campus project. Ms. Schue said that Lane Community College is establishing a program in Japan and she encouraged all groups interested in educational exchange to communicate wjth one another. Ms. Bascom also encouraged Mr. Boles to obtain background information about what is already in place before his trip and to gather additional information during his trip. Mr. Rutan suggested that the council discuss the opportunity represented by a dual campus and reported that he recommended to Kakegawa Mayor Shimura that a strong American advocate of the program is needed to help develop and coordinate it. He clarified that the dual campus was a separate project from an agricultural program that has also been discussed. Ms. Bascom reported that she was working on an exchange involving the University of Oregon Children's Choir. The group is scheduled to visit Beijing and hopes to also visit Kakegawa and Irkutsk within the next few yea rs. She asked councilors to support the project. K. Landfill Dump Fee e Ms. Bascom reported that she had spoken before the Lane County Board of Commissioners earlier in the day and had requested financial assistance from the County in making up an $1,800 deficit in landfill dump fees that resulted from the move into the River Road area. The commissioners agreed and also agreed to review the project to determine what cost control methods can be implemented. L. Valley River Bon Ms. Bascom described a recent ground-breaking ceremony and said this new store would add 124,000 square feet to the shopping center's present 800,000 square feet. She expressed hope that the downtown Bon store would continue operation. M. Bach Festival Ms. Bascom said this year's Bach Festival was off to a successful start. II. CONFIRMATION OF COUNCIL ACTION REGARDING SKATEBOARD-RIDING ORDINANCE Assistant City Manager Dave Whitlow explained that when the council acted to pass the skateboard-riding ordinance at its June 26 meeting, amendments that were made on the basis of recommendations by the City Attorney's Office were not noted in the reading of the council bill. He asked the council to take e MINUTES--Eugene City Council June 28, 1989 Page 3 e additional action to confirm that the amendments outlined by staff at that meeting were included in the ordinance as it was passed. Mr. Rutan moved, seconded by Ms. Schue, to confirm that Ordinance #19623, concerning skateboard riding, was passed Monday, June 26, 1989, with amendments as outlined by staff at that meeting. Roll call vote; the motion carried, 6:0:1, with Mr. Holmer abstaining because he was absent from the June 26 meeting. III. EUGENE-SPRINGFIELD CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU SEMIANNUAL REPORT Linda Weston, Eugene-Springfield Convention and Visitor's Bureau Executive Director, introduced current board president Tom Cronkrite and incoming board president Pete Gribskov. Ms. Weston reviewed the past year's activity. Summer conventions include the just-concluded World Congress on Colored Sheep, the Bach Festival, Mobility International, and the World Veterans' Games. She reported that room tax revenues continue to grow and as of April, Eugene's were up 7.4 percent, with a 9-percent countywide increase. The national average is 3 percent. In the Visitor Services Department, May 1989 visitor requests were up 98 percent over those of May 1988, while the year-to-date requests have increased 66 percent. New direct-mail promotions and increased industry e involvement are being used to help increase convention business. Membership revenues are expected to exceed the FY89 goal. The Tourism Department is continuing its successful film and video work. Ms. Weston reported that the bureau continues to streamline its office and make its operation more efficient. Kay Bryant's move to the State Department of Economic Development requires the bureau to go through a transition period, but Ms. Weston was confident that it would be smooth. A five-year plan has been completed and adopted by the Board of Directors and Ms. Weston encouraged councilors to review it. She emphasized that the convention/ visitor business is a long-term industry that can contribute to the economic well-being of Eugene, and she expressed appreciation for the commitment the council has made to the relationship. Responding to a question from Mr. Bennett, Ms. Weston described Kay Bryant's position with the bureau as a key one and explained that recruitment outside the area had been unnecessary because Ms. Bryant's successor was identified a year ago and has been well-trained to effect a smooth transition. Mr. Boles requested a copy of the bureau's five-year plan and expressed interest in a common traveler's card similar to those used in Europe as an augmentation strategy when rooms are booked. He also encouraged the development of multi-lingual maps. Mr. Boles asked whether booking services for bed-and-breakfast establishments were being explored. Ms. Weston replied e MINUTES--Eugene City Council June 28, 1989 Page 4 e that such services represent a growing trend in the industry, but initial costs of providing them are high. Responding to Mr. Boles's further questions, Ms. Weston said the bureau has outgrown its space and relocating to the 1-5 area seems logical. Despite the advantages of a downtown location's proximity to foot traffic, the one-way street grid poses access problems to visitors. Ms. Bascom encouraged the bureau to discuss the issue of location with Ed Smith. Ms. Ehrman asked how tourism in the Eugene-Springfield area compares to the rest of Oregon. Ms. Weston said the Northwest in general, and Oregon in particular, is becoming a more popular destination point. While Ms. Weston expected Portland's new convention facility to have a major short-term impact on Eugene's ability to attract business, she expected that a regular rotation pattern will resume eventually. Ms. Bascom referred to a memorandum she distributed to councilors regarding a motor coach tour that did not stop in Eugene and asked Ms. Weston about this omission. Ms. Weston said the motor coach industry is growing dramatically. Ms. Schue suggested that the area needs a good recreational vehicle camping area/park. IV. WETLANDS AND THE METROPOLITAN POLICY COMMITTEE ACTION PLAN e Assistant City Manager Dave Whitlow introduced the item. Pat Decker, Planning and Development Department, referred to a time line of planning studies attached to councilors' agendas and said this list of special studies illustrates the fact that there are different priorities among the jurisdictions in the metropolitan area. Two metropolitan-level studies are underway (the Metro Natural Resources and the Metro Industrial studies). Closely related is the West Eugene Wetlands Study which will address the impact of wetlands on the industrial lands inventory in the west Eugene area. The City has contracted with L-COG to manage the study, and a $50,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency has been obtained to fund a technical consultant1s work in data collection and analysis. The consultant's work will be completed in November and is being conducted according to a process approved by those State and Federal agencies that will need to accept a regional approach to wetland mitigation and protection in the west Eugene area. Completion of the study is expected to coincide with the completion of the industrial lands study, around July 1990. Ms. Decker said the Metropolitan Policy Committee (MPC) has developed an action plan that proposes coordination and a time frame for the variety of studies now being conducted, and that schedules a draft report consolidating results of the various studies to be prepared by August 1990, with an amendment process occurring in the fall of 1990. Lane County Commissioner Rogers has suggested that consideration of Metropolitan Plan amendments arising from the studies should be delayed until newly elected metropolitan area officials begin their terms in January 1991. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council June 28, 1989 Page 5 e Ms. Decker reported that the Metropolitan Partnership has raised the issue of availability of industrial lands. Approximately 738 acres zoned Special Light Industrial or Light Medium Industrial are located within the city's urban growth boundary (UGB). The proposed Awbrey-Meadowview Metro Plan Amendment would add 200 acres of Special Heavy Industrial Land to the UGB and another 290 acres of Special Light Industrial are available in the Gateway area. Ms. Decker said it is unclear what kind of additional industrial land is needed. Ms. Decker outlined the following alternatives to the approach suggested by the MPC Action Plan: 1) Divert resources from another City project to a major amendment to the urban growth boundary addressing impacts of wetlands on industrial lands in the west Eugene area. Ms. Decker said it would be difficult to estimate precisely what staff resources would be required, but she explained that more than 850 hours of staff time and over $30,000 have gone into the Awbrey-Meadowview amendment. 2) Zone all areas identified as impacted by potentially regulated wetlands as Natural Resource areas. This would remove those properties from the inventory of industrial land and would strengthen the argument that additional land is needed for industrial development. Ms. Decker explained that property owners of those parcels have not given up on potential industrial - development. This approach would abandon the community's significant investment in infrastructure already supplied to the area. 3) Amend the buildable land inventory and assume that at least 50 percent of the 465 acres of industrial land in the west Eugene area will not be available for industrial use due to the impact of regulated wetlands. Ms. Decker said it would be difficult to determine which particular properties would be ultimately impacted. 4) Follow the process outlined in the MPC Action Plan to complete the studies and develop a draft report and set of recommendations addressing issues relating to changes to the land within the existing urban growth boundary, possible urban growth boundary amendments, and natural resource protection. Staff recommended the fourth alternative. Mr. Holmer expressed his appreciation for the item being placed on the council's agenda quickly and explained that the MPC requested that the council be consulted regarding the proposed action plan. He objected to the statement in the staff memorandum that no council action is needed at this time and said consideration of the economic health of Eugene urges that the council direct City staff to take steps to assure the maintenance of the e MINUTES--Eugene City Council June 28, 1989 Page 6 e city's industrial land supply at the level provided by the Metro Plan. Mr. Holmer read a memorandum supporting the need to adjust the inventory of land now available for industrial use in response to the wetlands designation's removal of over 700 acres of demonstrably needed inventory. Mr. Holmer supported the third alternative outlined by Ms. Decker and urged the council to direct staff to pursue that option in recognition of the urgency of the need for an interim amendment to the Metro Plan that will address the loss of marketable industrial land while long-range studies are being complet~d. Ms. Schue pointed out that the MPC has acted to accept the staff recommendation and has chided the City for not responding to the issue earlier. She said the update of the Metro Plan was cancelled because metro partners did not all agree to make the financial commitment required for that work. She added that there was no indication that the other two jurisdictions are willing to commit additional financial resources to this issue. While Ms. Schue appreciated Mr. Holmer's preference for quicker action, she was unsure that committing additional staff resources would be effective. Mr. Rutan concurred with Mr. Holmer's comments and added that the Metro Plan assures the availability of ready-to-develop land. He stressed that if land is not appropriately zoned, serviced, and ready for industrial development, that development will not occur. Mr. Rutan commented that the council's role should be that of pro-active decision-maker. Regarding the issue of timing, e he proposed proceeding with a "floating proposal" (stating the need to expand the urban growth boundary by 200-300 acres of additional, developable, industrial-zoned land), subject to regular review and revision, and paralleling the wetlands study. He noted this would be similar to the approach used with the airport project where the City proceeded with design work and committing funds to that effort before we had a final vote. Without having all the facts, we could still move ahead. Mr. Rutan concluded by saying the Council Committee on Economic Diversification should have discussed the matter before it was presented to the council. Responding to an inquiry from Ms. Bascom, Ms. Decker said that 465 acres of industrial land are potentially impacted by wetlands. Mr. Holmer agreed with Mr. Rutan that a "floating" number should be used because the actual number of acres could vary depending on the results of the wetlands study. Councilors asked Steve Gordon, Lane Council of Governments, for further clarification. He said there are 465 acres of potentially regulated wetlands on land designated industrial by the Metropolitan Plan. In some cases, that includes acreage encompassing whole tax lots and in other cases it is acreage consuming only a portion of a tax lot. There may be an impact beyond that 465 acres on the usability of additional sites, due to location or size of that acreage on the tax lot that may not be accessible or usable. Regarding amending the buildable land inventory, Mr. Gordon said he and Jim Carlson suggested that option, and he cited the South Hills as a parallel e MINUTES--Eugene City Council June 28, 1989 Page 7 e situation that provides rationale to justify an urban growth boundary expansion. Mr. Gordon considered it reasonable to assume that some percentage of the west Eugene wetlands will be protected and the inventory of usable land will be reduced. Ms. Schue commented that there is no disagreement between herself, Mr. Holmer, and Mr. Rutan about the fact that there is a need to replace industrial land, but the issue is how that is to be accomplished and the timetable governing it. Ms. Ehrman interpreted Mr. Holmer's memorandum as suggesting that something be done while the wetlands study is underway, not that the study itself could be completed more quickly, and she agreed with that suggestion. Ms. Ehrman asked how the Awbrey-Meadowview Metro Plan Amendment would affect the need for additional industrial land. Ms. Decker explained that part of the problem is that until the wetlands and natural resources studies are completed, the exact acreage impacted by wetlands and the type of land needed for replacement is unknown. Staff wants to avoid adding land to the urban growth boundary that is not the appropriate type or that may be needed for wetlands mitigation. She said that Mr. Rutan's suggestion of a "floating figure" approach would require Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) approval, and the additional information the studies will provide would have to be known in order to determine that number. She added that the number of acres specified for industrial development was not based on demand but on policy that arose from e the fact that at the time of the adoption of the Metro Plan, there was more industrial land inside the UGB than could be justified based on demand. Because of the complexity of the wetlands issue, Mr. Bennett suggested that the MPC time table is too optimistic. Saying he shared the concerns expressed by Mr. Holmer and Mr. Rutan, Mr. Bennett said he regarded the 465-acre figure skeptically because it does not include all the particular parcels that could be affected by the wetlands issue and he expected more than 465 acres to be removed from the market, adversely affecting the community's ability to compete in industrial development. He hoped that some land that already is supplied with services and that would not be considered for mitigation property would be available to replace the lost inventory. Mr. Boles recognized the difficulty of the situation being faced by the Metro Partnership, but because he believed the necessary information on which to base a decision was lacking, he urged the council to await the results of the studies to decide where and how much industrial land is needed to replace that removed from the inventory by the wetlands designation. Mr. Boles stressed the need for careful consideration and balancing of the environmental, as well as the economic, impacts of wetlands. < Responding to Mr. Boles's reference to a concern that replacement be demand-driven, Ms. Decker explained that the earlier Metro Plan update was justified to the DLCD based on the policy of diversification, and she considered it reasonable to again make a case on the basis of attempting to e MINUTES--Eugene City Council June 28, 1989 Page 8 e provide choices in location for prospective development. She said it is clear that some industrial sites, even those not directly encumbered by wetlands, will be impacted by wetlands. Given the City's ambitious current work plan, Ms. Decker anticipated that initiation of an urban growth boundary amendment would be at the expense of some other project in that work program. Mr. Rutan observed that in order to take advantage of the opportunities presented by wetlands, it is important to take steps to assure that industrial land is located elsewhere. He supported developing a business plan that will adjust and react to whatever conclusions the studies reach and that is governed by the concept of no net gain (based on the 465-acre number specified earlier). Ms. Schue agreed with Mr. Rutan's goal but said provision of services to industrial land has to be definite and planned. Mr. Holmer moved, seconded by Mr. Rutan, to direct staff to prepare a program and schedule that involves the realignment of staff resources and address the possibility of amending the buildable land inventory to replace the anticipated loss of a percentage of the 465 acres of industrial land in the west Eugene area due to the impact of regulated wetlands. Mr. Boles opposed the motion and questioned the reallocation of staff resources because of its potential adverse impact on other important projects. He said it was possible that following the process outlined in the e MPC Action Plan and awaiting the conclusion of the studies may not take any longer than the action proposed by Mr. Holmer. Ms. Ehrman indicated her support of the motion with the understanding that the wetlands study would continue and any amendment of the land inventory would be done as an interim measure while that study is underway. Ms. Schue supported the motion but said she shared some of Mr. Boles's reservations. Mr. Bennett also supported the motion and requested an opportunity to again review a map to better understand where the 465 acres of potentially impacted industrial land are located. Mr. Rutan emphasized that he hoped not to hear a proposal for a process that would take as long as the wetlands study. Ms. Decker said the political process of receiving approval is not predictable. The motion carried, 6:1, with Mr. Boles voting nay. V. DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY LONG-RANGE PLAN STATUS REPORT This item was postponed to a future agenda. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council June 28, 1989 Page 9 , e The meeting was adjourned at 1:27 p.m. -;~oq Respectfully submitte , ~aso City Manager (Recorded by Mary Feldman) mncc 062889 . e MINUTES--Eugene City Council June 28, 1989 Page 10 -