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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02/25/1991 Meeting (2) e e - M I NUT E S Eugene City Council Council Chamber--Eugene City Hall February 25, 1991 7:30 p.m. COUNCILORS PRESENT: Ruth Bascom, Shawn Boles, Randy MacDonald, Debra Ehrman, Kaye Robinette, Paul Nicholson. COUNCILORS ABSENT: Roger Rutan, Bobby Green. The adjourned meeting of February 20, 1991, of the Eugene City Council was called to order by His Honor Mayor Jeff Miller. I. CONSENT CALENDAR A. Approval of City Council Minutes of October 24, 1990, Lunch Work Session; October 31, 1990, Lunch Work Session; November 7, 1990, Lunch Work Session; and November 19, 1990, Dinner Work Session B. Call for Public Hearing: Initiation of Alley Vacation (City of Eugene: Lincoln School Housing Site) Ms. Ehrman requested that Consent Calendar Item B. be removed from the con- sent calendar for discussion at the end of the meeting. Mr. MacDonald indicated that although he was not present at some of the meet- ings, he would be voting on the meeting minutes because of the few number of councilors. Mr. Boles indicated that he would be abstaining from a vote on the November 7, 1990, meeting minutes because he was not present at that meeting. Mr. Boles moved, seconded by Ms. Ehrman, to approve the items on the City Council Consent Calendar. Roll call vote; the motion to approve Agenda Item A., City Council minutes of October 24, 1990, October 31, 1990, and November 19, 1990, carried unanimously 6:0; the motion to approve the City Coun- cil minutes of November 7, 1990, carried 5:0:1; with Councilor Boles abstaining. II. PUBLIC HEARING: DOWNTOWN DESIGN PROJECT City Manager Mike Gleason introduced the topic. Jan Bohman, Planning and Development Department, gave a brief staff report. The design recommenda- MINUTES--Eugene City Council February 25, 1991 Page 1 e tions being presented this evening are the result of the work of the Downtown Design Committee to enhance Eugene's existing downtown. This hearing is a continuation of a work session the council held on this issue on February 27. Ms. Bohman introduced Tom Beckwith, representing the Beckwith Consulting Group. Mr. Beckwith provided a brief overview of the process which was fol- lowed during the design process and highlighted the Downtown Design Commit- tee's recommendations for downtown redesign. Out of the Downtown Design Committee discussions came the following recommendations: 1) change Willamette Street and Broadway Street to convertible streets; 2) redevelop the plaza at the southeast corner of Broadway and Willamette streets to in- clude an indoor/outdoor activity structure; 3) convert Olive into an access street; and 4) convert the existing parking lot and pocket park between the Equitable Building and 1st Interstate Bank to a park area linking the plaza with the Park Blocks. Mr. Beckwith provided several visual examples of the recommendations. Mayor Miller opened the public hearing. Steve Hamaker, 1603 East 22nd Street, identified himself as a long-time Eu- gene resident and offered his wholehearted support for the conceptual rede- sign. He said that the proposed design is an imaginative way to deal with the problems downtown and encouraged the council to move away from the mall concept. e M.V. Lazar, PO Box 10241, testifying as an owner of two retail stores down- town, said that he strongly supports the recommendation to open streets down- town to vehicular traffic. Otto Poticia, 1820 Kona Street, testified in support of holding an election on downtown redesign. He acknowledged the problems which exist downtown and stated the importance of communicating to Eugene citizens the need for change downtown. Mike Schwartz, 725 Olive Street, concurred with Mr. Poticia about the prob- lems which exist downtown and spoke in support of the Downtown Design Commit- tee's recommendations for downtown. He encouraged the council to send the message to outsiders that Eugene's downtown is Ilopen for business." Jack Billings, 2251, Monroe Street, acknowledged that the design recommenda- tions do not guarantee a successful solution, but encouraged the council to give this proposal a try. Don Amacher, 2067 Musket Street, testified about the financial problems which exist downtown and encouraged the council to accept the conceptual design plan as a way to acknowledge the need to do something different downtown. Bob Zagorin, 4525 Shadow Wood Drive, spoke in favor of the proposal, noting that it favorably encourages compact urban growth. He said that he is dis- couraged by the debate which has gone on around the downtown redesign issue e MINUTES--Eugene City Council February 25, 1991 Page 2 e of the opening of streets to traffic. This proposal will help maintain Eu- gene's livability. Jim Torrey, 2545 Chuckanut Street, indicated that visibility downtown is the key problem which needs to be addressed in the solution to downtown and spoke in favor of this proposal. He noted that the plan represents a compromise within the community and strongly supports allowing the community to vote on the plan in May. Barry Jordan, 2180 Monroe Street, identified several of the problems which exist on the mall, including concerns for citizen safety. He encouraged the council to open downtown to vehicular traffic. Jon Voget, 999 Willamette Street, said that he frequently visits the downtown mall and spoke in favor of the redesign proposal. Tom Hoyt, 460 Palomino Drive, noted that he because he works downtown he has the opportunity to spend a lot of time at the mall. Whatever the solution, he urged the council not to allow the mall return to its pre-mall conditions. He described the current condition of the mall as unsatisfactory and encour- aged the council to look at the city of Seaside as a good model for a suc- cessful downtown. e Dan Tucci, Task Force downtown. pedestrian 2472 Pioneer Pike, identified himself as a member of the Retail (RTF) and said that improved access is vital to the success of He noted that history has demonstrated the declining popularity of malls and urged council support for this plan. . Roger Neustadter, 135 West Broadway, noting that it would be impossible to improve the vitality of downtown without enhanced access and circulation, testified in favor of the proposal. He urged the council to clarify what the term "convertibility" means in the context of this plan. Peter Bartel, 2532.Nixon Street, speaking as a representative of both the RTF and the Downtown Design Committee, spoke in favor of the plan. He highlight- ed East Broadway as a key portion of downtown redesign and said that high parking turnover would drastically improve downtown circulation. He reminded the council that this plan is only one component of a more comprehensive strategy to Eugene's revitalization. Richard Greene, 766 13th Avenue, indicated his support for this plan and encouraged the council to continue seeking new and innovative strategies to downtown revitalization. Peg Allison, 2174 Keith Way, speaking as a co-owner of Kids Edition, a small retail business located downtown, testified in favor of opening Willamette Street to automobile traffic and encouraged the council to adopt the proposal and send it to the voters for approval. Bill Blair, 350 Pearl Street, testified in support of the conceptual redesign plan. He emphasized that Eugene needs to offer an exciting downtown atmo- e MINUTES--Eugene City Council February 25, 1991 Page 3 e sphere which will be inviting to the younger population. He commented on the need to make public rest room facilities available in the downtown area. David Counter, 2696 Moon Mountain Drive, co-owner of Cafe Zenon, said that accessibility and visibility for vehicular traffic are essential components to the success of downtown business. Larry Giustina, 2090 Wood Acres Drive, testified as a downtown property owner in support of the proposal. He voiced concern with the economic future of downtown and said that improved mall access would improve the demand for services in Eugene. Greg Malkasian, 2161 Prestwich Place, identified himself as a partner in the retail clothing outlet Town and Travel and testified in support of improved access and visibility on the mall. He said that the current mall is a detri- ment to downtown and urged the council to approve the plan. Tim Scherer, 84984 Appletree Drive, spoke as a downtown business owner in favor of the conceptual design. He spoke about the "critical mass" of people that is required for viable downtown retail and concurred with the need for improved access to the mall. The plan proposal for street opening is a com- promise which will allow automobile and pedestrian traffic to co-exist peace- fully. e Amedee Smith, 2515 Lincoln Street, advocated opening Willamette Street to automobile traffic and said that the original Urban Renewal Plan which estab- lished the mall was a mistake. Rosalie Gunter, 51 West Broadway, acknowledged that the proposed design would not provide the complete solution to problems downtown and encouraged the council to put the design proposal before the voters. David Butler, 5275 Nectar Way, spoke in favor of the design plan as a reason- able path to accommodate many diverse needs downtown. He described the plan as a unique compromise that would provide for downtown as the focal point of Eugene. The concept will help return downtown to its historic status as a commercially viable area of Eugene. Russ Brink, 2278 Corinthian Court, voiced his support for the plan. He pointed out that downtown design is one component of a comprehensive revital- ization plan and encouraged the council to implement the downtown design proposal. Gene Swan, 99 East Broadway, identified himself as President of Downtown Eugene, Inc., and voiced his support for the plan. He encouraged the council to recognize that private investment in downtown will naturally follow public investment. An informal survey revealed that 81 percent of DEI members sup- port the plan. Margaret Byrne, 552 E 39th Place, spoke as a long-time Eugene resident in favor of opening Eugene's arterials to automobile access. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council February 25, 1991 Page 4 e e e Tom Sciarretta, 2616 Winsdor Circle, advocated support for the plan, indicat- ing that it provides a good blend of pedestrian and traffic access. Heather Westing, 84937 Willamette Street, voiced concern that Eugene's down- town mall is inconvenient, unsafe, and unpleasant. She offered support for the redesign plan and encouraged the council to invest the money necessary to repair problems that currently exist in the mall. Julie Aspinwall-Lamberts, 1286 Piper Lane, offered her support of the propos- al as a means to revitalize downtown. She said that the pedestrian mall concept that was an appropriate solution to problems in 1968 is no longer suitable. The redesign plan is one part of a unified strategy to downtown improvement. Bob Rubenstein, 115 West 8th Avenue, spoke as a downtown business owner with a long history of involvement in Eugene's downtown area. He noted that in the absence of some type of change, Eugene's core area will continue to dete- riorate. He urged the council to support the conceptual design proposal. Chris Humberson, 1130 Risden Place, acknowledged that mall redesign does not guarantee a solution to problems downtown and offered his full support of the proposal. He encouraged the council to look to other areas such as Orlando, Florida, where major design improvements have greatly enhanced cultural and financial vitality. William J. Mason, 1803 W 34th Avenue, identified himself as a long-time Eu- gene taxpayer and testified against the downtown redesign proposal. He said that tax increment finance moneys should not be spent on a redesign plan; they would be better directed at paying off the urban renewal debt. William Eaton, 2311 willamette Street, spoke as chair of the Citizens for the Fair Allocation of City Taxes (COFACT) against the redesign plan. He voiced opposition to the use of tax increment moneys as a means of financing the project and urged the council to payoff the urban renewal debt. He comment- ed that many citizens do not fully understand the debt which is incurred through financing projects with urban renewal moneys. Cynthia Wooten, 259 East 2nd Avenue, indicated that she would be speaking on behalf of a majority of members of the Save the Mall Committee. She ex- pressed concern that the committee has not had sufficient time to review and become involved in this issue; the committee has requested an additional five days to review and discuss all information pertaining to the measure. She stated that the ordinance contains inconsistencies and vague language which need to be clarified prior to placing it before voters for a vote. She also said that the measure should contain a statement of financial impact. (Ms. Wooten noted that as representative of the Save the Mall Committee, she was representing many Eugene citizens and requested additional time to speak on this subject. At Mayor Miller's request, Ms. Wooten agreed to withhold the rest of her testimony until the end of the meeting.) MINUTES--Eugene City Council February 25, 1991 Page 5 e Doug Dupriest, 777 High Street, testified as attorney of the Save the Mall Committee and said that the question of whether to open the mall should be separated from the question of how to open the mall. He stated further that the costs of redesign should be included in the measure and that the plan is inconsistent with several existing land-use policies. He asked the council to examine how alleys would be treated under the redesign plan. At Mayor Miller's request, Mr. Dupriest agreed to submit written testimony outlining his concerns. . (At 9 p.m., the council recessed for 5 minutes.) Arthur Shapiro, 2742 Bowmont Drive, voiced his opposition to the plan. While he supports opening Willamette Street to automobile traffic, he feels that public funds should not be used for private gain. He encouraged the council to provide additional parking downtown as a means of improving downtown ac- cess and vitality. Betty Niven, 65 West 30th Avenue, spoke as a member of the Friends of Down- town against the proposal. She urged the council to focus on other means of improving downtown, such as installing public rest rooms. She said that despite this evening's testimony, marginal public support actually exists for opening downtown streets to automobile traffic. e Tom Slocum, 1950 Graham Drive, indicated his support for opening Willamette Street. He said that he does not support the process that was used to create this design proposal and encouraged the council to explore more fully the costs associated with downtown design. A healthy retail sector downtown is a symptom of a healthy downtown. Sue Girardeau, 2398 Douglas Drive, testifying on behalf of the League of Women Voters, said that the league qoes not support opening streets downtown to automobile traffic. She voiced concern with the lack of available parking downtown and encouraged the council to reserve the use of urban renewal funds for a library at the former Sears building location. George Schaefer, 992 Willamette Street, identified himself as the owner of Poppi's restaurant on the mall and testified against the proposal. Allowing automobile traffic on the mall would ruin the intimate nature of a pedestrian downtown. He also said that the problems which exist downtown are due to the type of stores located in the area rather than poor accessibility. Merton Saling, 1510 Charnel ton Street, testified against the proposal. He urged the council to let the market dictate what is important for downtown viability and indicated that using taxpayer's money on this redesign would be a waste of money. Gary Rayor, 2064 Friendly Street, indicated that he is disappointed with the community workshops that were used to involve the public in the design pro- posal and voiced opposition to opening Willamette Street to automobile traf- fic. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council February 25, 1991 Page 6 e e e Jean Holtham, 389 North Polk Street, voiced her opposition to opening the mall to traffic. She indicated that the pedestrian nature of the mall en- hances its safety and encouraged the council to keep the mall intact. John VanLandingham, 1172 West 5th Avenue, encouraged the council to educate the community about what actions have been taken thus far to improve down- town. He noted that citizens seem concerned with the recent decision to replace free parking with metered parking downtown. He urged the council to recognize that this is a land-use issue and to consider modifying its land- use policies as a first step in strategies to revitalize the downtown corri- dor. Laurel Fisher, 2555 Highland Oaks Drive, said that she supports this plan almost entirely. However, she spoke about the large volume of people which are drawn downtown by Hult Center activities and voiced concern that the important relationship between the Hult Center and downtown is not more fully recognized in the plan. The public hearing was adjourned to the end of the meeting. III. PUBLIC HEARING: ANNEXATION/REZONING REQUEST FOR PROPERTY GENERALLY LOCATED IN THE RIVER ROAD AREA, SOUTH OF MAXWELL ROAD BETWEEN NORTH PARK AVENUE AND THE CITY LIMITS (CITY OF EUGENE: WALNUT GROVE (AZ 90-7) City Manager Mike Gleason introduced the topic. Councilor Boles said that he would not be participating in the discussion of this agenda item. Cathy Czerniak, Planning and Development Department, briefly summarized the code criteria necessary for annexations and zone changes. The annexation criteria, found in Section 9.158 of the Eugene Code, require that the proper- ty must be located within the urban growth boundary, that annexation must be consistent with adopted plans and policies, and that public services and facilities can be provided to the property. The zone change criteria, found in Section 9.679(2) of the Eugene Code, require that the uses and densities that will be allowed can be provided with the key urban services and facili- ties, that all uses will be consistent with the principles of compact and sequential growth, and that the zone change must be consistent with both the Metropolitan Area General Plan and any adopted neighborhood refinement plans for the area. Ms. Czerniak indicated that the City has initiated this annexation and zone change request for three City-owned parcels known as the Walnut Grove site. In addition to the City-owned parcels, the owners of the adjacent parcel have requested that the parcel be included in the annexation request as well. Portions of rights-of-way have been included to facilitate the development of MINUTES--Eugene City Council February 25, 1991 Page 7 e e e the area and to provide for more efficient service provlslon. All parcels included in this request are vacant. All parcels are proposed for low- and medium-density zoning and development. At present no specific development proposals have been submitted. The site review criteria (Attachment B) were developed through a series of meetings of the Walnut Grove Subcommittee of the River Road Community Organization. Based on this criteria, approximately 33 percent of the site is proposed to be left as open space. If, in addi- tion, land is set aside for a neighborhood park, approximately 40 percent of the site would be left as open space. . Ms. Czerniak stated that six letters have been received on the issue; those letters that were submitted prior to the Planning Commission's discussion were considered in the commission's final decision. The Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval of the annexation and zone change request. Mayor Miller opened the public hearing. John VanLandingham, 1172 West 5th Avenue,.testified as a member of the Social Goals Committee in favor of the proposal, indicating that the committee pur- chased the site with the intention of developing affordable housing. He noted that the Walnut Grove Subcommittee had a significant impact on the site review criteria which he feels adequately address environmental concerns. He noted that this site is a good location to provide much-needed affordable housing and urged the council to support the recommendation and to maintain the proposed zoning densities. Marie Gray, 353 Knoop Lane, voiced her opposition to the annexation/zone change request. She spoke about the noise pollution problems which currently exist in the area, noting that such pollution makes the site a poor choice for the type of development being contemplated. She urged the council to oppose annexation at this time. Betty Donaldson, 398 Hawthorne Street, testified against the annexation re- quest and questioned the City's ability to provide resources to support a neighborhood park for the area. Anne Kern, 449 Howard Street, testified against the proposal. As a resident of the River Road area, she said that she is very concerned with the social and economic impacts that result from annexation and indicated that most area residents strongly oppose all annexation to the City. She said that the impact on the schools of increased residential density in the area has not been addressed and urged the council to deny the annexation request. Bernadette Bourassa, 541 Knoop Lane, voiced her opposition to the annexation proposal in question, as well as all River Road annexations. She said that many area residents were unaware of this meeting and asked that the council postpone its decision on the issue until adequate community notification can take place. She also encouraged the council to reconsider the Metro Plan designation for this area. MINUTES--Eugene City Council February 25, 1991 Page 8 e e e Dianna Cook, 864 Nantucket Avenue, testified on the proposal. She said that this proposal represents a good compromise between area residents and City staff. She urged the council to designate a specific portion of this site for park land. Anthony R. Nichols, 270 Ruby Avenue, testifying as Chair of the River Road Community Organization, voiced opposition to the annexation/zone change re- quest. He indicated that River Road residents would not benefit from any additional park land provided through the agreement. . Tom Heintz, 1038 Jayne Street, voiced his opposition to the resolution. He indicated concerns that the position of the River Road Community Organization is often wrongfully manipulated to appear to support annexation. There being no additional requests to speak, the public hearing was closed. Ms. Czerniak responded to several issues raised during public testimony. Regarding the impacts of air and noise pollution on this site, she indicated that a review of environmental impacts on this site has been made and is reflected in the site review criteria. Ms. Czerniak said that State law allows public lands to be included in annexations when appropriate; some rights-of-way were included in this request to clarify jurisdictional issues and to ensure from a public safety standpoint that all areas which are eligi- ble for these services are easily identifiable. Regarding tax payments to the River Road Park District, Ms. Czerniak said that the City currently has an intergovernmental agreement with the park district that requires the City to make an in-lieu-of-tax payment for proper- ties that are annexed. Staff recommends that the City continue to make those payments to the park district for this property. Regarding the question of schools, Ms. Czerniak said that the 4J School Dis- trict has been notified of proposed property development and has requested continued involvement as development plans proceed. Ms. Czerniak said that public notification of this hearing was conducted in a manner consistent with State law; mailed notification was sent to property owners within 300 feet of the site and notices were posted in the immediate area. Responding to a request for clarification from Mr. MacDonald, Ms. Czerniak explained that the site review criteria recommend that the pond area remain in its natural state. The density from the acreage of the pond has not been transferred to the rest of the site. Also, a riparian area on the site is proposed to remain in its natural state; the acreage from this area has be~n transferred to allow the full level of medium-density development to be achieved on the remainder of the site. In addition, it has been recommended that 2-2.5 acres of the area be set aside for a neighborhood park. While this is not specifically mandated by the site review criteria, the Social Goals Committee has agreed to include this in its evaluation criteria of master site plans for the area. MINUTES--Eugene City Council February 25, 1991 Page 9 e Responding to another question, Ms. Czerniak indicated that the Walnut Grove Subcommittee contributed substantially to the creation of the site review criteria. e Mr. Nicholson said that he shares Ms. Cook's concerns for adequate park land and questioned whether this recommendation would likely result in the crea- tion of a park. In response, Ms. Czerniak said that while there are no as- surances that a neighborhood park will be provided, the Social Goa1s Commit- tee has indicated that it would like to give preference to master site plans that provide such park land. Res. No. 4229--A resolution furthering annexation to the city of Eugene for property located generally south of Maxwell Road between North Park Avenue and the city limits, including portions of the Northwest Expressway, North Park Avenue, Compton Street, Cornwall Avenue, and Southern Pacific rights-of-way, Tax Lot 500-Assessor's Map 17-04-14-0 O,and Tax Lots 3900, 3901, and 3904--Assessor's Map 17-04-23-2 0, and more particularly described on Exhibit A attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference (City of Eugene: Walnut Grove site, AZ 90-7). Final Order AZ 90-7--A final order rezoning the properties as described in Attachment A of the staff notes. Ms. Ehrman moved, seconded by Ms. Bascom, to adopt the resolu- tion and final order. Ms. Bascom expressed appreciation to the Walnut Grove Subcommittee for its efforts. Ms. Ehrman commented on the detailed nature of this site review criteria as compared to traditional criteria. Responding to a question from Mr. Nicholson, Ms. Czerniak said that it was due to a staff error that the council did not receive all letters in its Friday agenda packet. The Planning Commission had access to these letters prior to making its recommendation. Roll call vote; the motion carried unanimously, 5:0. IV. PUBLIC HEARING: ANNEXATION/REZONING REQUEST FOR PROPERTY GENERALLY LOCATED IN THE RIVER ROAD AREA, BETWEEN HORN LANE AND WEST HILLIARD LANE, WEST OF HODSON LANE (MCGEE/BROWN AZ 90-05) e MINUTES--Eugene City Council February 25, 1991 Page 10 e e e City Manager Mike Gleason introduced the topic. Cathy Czerniak, Planning and Development Department, gave the staff report. She noted that the annexation and zone change criteria which were summarized earlier apply to this hearing. This request was initiated by the current property owner with the intent to develop; the land is currently vacant. Ms. Czerniak stated that in recognition of the groundwater pollution problem that exists in the area, a Metro Plan amendment was approved which allows existing development in the River Road area to connect to the City' sewer system without annexation. The Metro Plan requires that all new development in the River Road/Santa Clara area annex to the City prior to receiving City services. The Planning Commission recommended approval of this request. Ms. Czerniak informed the council that two letters have been received on this issue. Mayor Miller opened the public hearing. Anthony R. Nichols, 770 Ruby Avenue, speaking on behalf of the River Road Neighborhood Organization, testified in opposition to the annexation because of its noncontiguous nature. He voiced concerns that the City will not be able to provide adequate emergency services to the area, particularly in light of Ballot Measure 5. He asked for clarification of the Metro Plan term "in priority order" as its relates to annexation. He also noted that an area resident who gave testimony at the neighborhood organization meeting has expressed concern that City RA zoning is incompatible with eXisting develop- ment and is in conflict with Metro Plan policies. Tom Heinz, 1030 Jayne Street, voiced his opposition to the annexation request because of its noncontiguous nature. Bernadette Bourassa, 541 Knoop Lane, testified against the annexation. She also questioned the validity of the groundwater problem in the area and voiced strong opposition to the City's mandatory sewer hook-up requirement. There being no additional requests to speak, the public hearing was closed. Responding to public testimony, Ms. Czerniak said that noncontiguous annexa- tions are permitted by State law and the Metro Plan. Service systems have been designed to serve the entire area within the urban growth boundary. Regarding Mr. Nicholson's request for clarification of Metro Plan wording, Ms. Czerniak explained that urban services are to be provided to annexed areas by the existing cities. "Contract annexations" referred to in the Metro Plan are currently not provided for by State law. She also noted that RA zoning is consistent with the Metro Plan. Res. No. 4230--A resolution furthering annexation to the city of Eugene for property located in the River Road area, west of Hodson Lane, between Horn Lane and West Hilliard Lane, Tax Lots 5100 and MINUTES--Eugene City Council February 25, 1991 Page 11 e 5300, Assessor's Map--17-04-24-2 2, and more particularly described on Exhibit A attached here to and incorporated herein by reference (McGee/Brown, AZ 90-5). Final Order AZ 90-5--A final order rezoning Tax Lot 5300 from County RA/UL to City RA. Mr. Boles moved, seconded by Ms. Ehrman, to adopt the resolu- tion and final order. Roll c.all vote; the motion carried 4:1, with councilors Boles, Bascom, Ehrman, MacDonald, and Robinette voting in favor, and Councilor Nicholson voting against. v. PUBLIC HEARING: ANNEXATION/REZONING REQUEST FOR PROPERTY GENERALLY LOCATED IN THE RIVER ROAD AREA, ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF VIRGIL AVENUE EAST OF NORTH PARK AVENUE (GASKIN AZ 90-6) City Manager Mike Gleason introduced the topic. Cathy Czerniak, Planning and Development Department, gave a brief staff presentation. She noted that the code criteria pertaining to annexation and zone change that were summarized earlier are applicable here. The request was initiated by the property own- er. Mayor Miller opened the public hearing. ~ Larry Gaskin, 2397 Ironwood Street, speaking on behalf of his parents who own the property, testified in favor of the annexation/zone change request. Anthony R. Nichols, 770 Ruby Avenue, speaking on behalf of the River Road Community Organization, testified against the annexation request on the grounds that it is a noncontiguous annexation. He said that requiring annex- ation at this time provides little benefit to the City or area residents and encouraged the council to pursue new means to annexation. There being no additional requests to speak, the public hearing was closed. Res. No. 4231--A resolution furthering annexation to the city of Eugene for property located in the River Road area, on the south side of Virgil Avenue, east of North Park Avenue, Tax Lot 1507--Assessor's Map 17-04-23-2 0, and more particularly described on Exhibit A attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference (Gaskin AZ 90-6). Final Order AZ 90-6--A final order rezoning Tax Lot 1507 from County RA/UL to City R-l. e MINUTES--Eugene City Council February 25, 1991 Page 12 e Mr. Boles moved, seconded by Ms. Ehrman, to adopt the resolu- tion and final order. Roll call vote; the motion carried 4:1, with councilors Boles, Ehrman, MacDonald, Robinette, and Bascom voting in favor, and Councilor Nicholson voting op- posed. 1. CONSENT CALENDAR B. Call for Public Hearing: Initiation of Alley Vacation (City of Eugene: Lincoln School Housing Site) Ms. Ehrman noted that the alley in question is no longer being used for this purpose and questioned the need to hold a public hearing on this item. In response, Mr. Gleason said that a public hearing on this item is mandated by State statutory requirements. Mr. Boles moved, seconded by Ms. Ehrman, to include Section 8 in the items for approval on the council consent calendar. Roll call vote; the motion carried unanimously, 5:0. Mr. Boles moved, seconded by Ms. Ehrman, that the council continue to work beyond its mandatory 10:30 p.m. adjournment time. Roll call vote; the motion carried unanimously, 5:0. e II. PUBLIC HEARING: DOWNTOWN DESIGN PROJECT Mayor Miller reopened the public hearing. Cynthia Wooten, 259 East 2nd Avenue, continued her testimony on behalf of the Save the Mall Committee on this issue. She encouraged the council and City staff to clarify problems that exist in the ordinance in order to prevent litigation. She also urged the council to include the fiscal impacts of the measure on the ballot. Don Ritchie, 841 West 36th Avenue, identified himself as a business owner in downtown Eugene. He testified to the declining volume of retail sales down- town and said that he supports this plan as a means toward improving the economic vitality of the area. Mayor Miller indicated that written testimony has been submitted on the part of Richard E. Miller on this issue. Mayor Miller closed the public hearing. The meeting adjourned at 10:45 p.m. Respectfully submitted, e MINUTES--Eugene City Council February 25, 1991 Page 13 . e e e .~~l~~~ Micheal Gleason City Manager (Recorded by Traci Northman) mncc 022591-730 MINUTES--Eugene City Council February 25, 1991 Page 14