HomeMy WebLinkAboutAdmin Order 58-24-41 Closure of Greenspace Chambers StreetAdministrative Order -- Page 1 of 4
ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 58-24-41
of the
Traffic Engineer of Public Works Maintenance's Traffic Operations Team
of the City of Eugene
CLOSURE OF GREENSPACE / UNIMPROVED PORTIONS OF
CHAMBERS STREET ADJACENT TO THE INTERSECTIONS OF NW
EXPRESSWAY, RAILROAD BOULEVARD, ROOSEVELT BOULEVARD,
AND EXTENDING SOUTH TO WEST 1ST AVENUE
The Traffic Engineer of Public Works Maintenance's Traffic Operations Team of the
City of Eugene finds that:
A.Under the provisions of Chapter IV, Section 16 of the Eugene Charter of 2002, the
City Manager is designated as the administrative head of the City and is specifically authorized to
enforce all ordinances of the City. In addition, EC 5.040 authorizes the City Manager or the
Manager’s designee to close or regulate access to and from any street. EC 5.055 sets forth the
criteria the City Manager or the City Manager’s designee should consider when taking
administrative action authorized by EC 5.040.
B.On August 5, 2020, the City Manager issued Administrative Order No. 58-20-17
granting the Executive Director of the Public Works Department the authority to exercise all of
the duties and responsibilities specifically defined as those of the City Manager in Sections 5.040,
5.045 and 5.050 of the Eugene Code, 1971. That Order also granted the Executive Director of the
Public Works Department the authority to further delegate those duties and responsibilities to such
person or persons qualified to perform the delegated duties.
C.On August 6, 2020, the Executive Director of the Public Works Department issued
Administrative Order No. 58-20-18 granting the City Engineer the authority to perform the duties
and responsibilities specifically defined as those of the City Manager in Sections 5.040, 5.045 and
5.050 of the Eugene Code, 1971. That Order also granted the City Engineer the authority to further
delegate those duties and responsibilities to such person or persons qualified to perform the
delegated duties.
D.On August 11, 2020, the City Engineer issued Administrative Order No. 58-20-19
granting the Traffic Engineer of Public Works Maintenance's Traffic Operations Team the
authority to perform the duties and responsibilities specifically defined as those of the City
Manager in Sections 5.040, 5.045 and 5.050 of the Eugene Code, 1971.
E.For purposes of public health, safety, and welfare, it is necessary to close and
prohibit public access public access to a portion of the Chambers Street right-of-way, specifically
to the unimproved area or “greenspace” that is adjacent to the functional roadway for Chambers
Street. The closure is needed to protect bridge infrastructure and reduce other impacts and risks
from illicit camping including human waste, needles, trash, and cooking and camping fires.
Administrative Order -- Page 2 of 4
F. In making the decision, I have considered all the applicable criteria set forth in EC
5.055. The following findings support my decision to close the greenspace area shown in Exhibit
A to the public:
(a) Traffic engineering principles and traffic investigations.
The area to be closed by this Order is the greenspace as shown in Exhibit A. It is classified
as right-of-way for Chambers Street but public access to this area is not needed and is
actually counter to traffic engineering principles.
Chambers Street is a Major Arterial with the speed limit set at Speed 35 miles per hour.
This stretch of Chambers Street has approximately 25,000 vehicles daily for both
directions.
Within the last five years there have been 15 crashes near the intersection of Chambers
Street and Roosevelt Boulevard and ten crashes near the intersection of Chambers Street
and Railroad Boulevard.
(b) Standards, limitations, and rules promulgated by the Oregon Transportation Commission or
the Oregon Public Utility Commission or their successors.
There are not recognized traffic control standards at this location.
(c) Other recognized traffic control standards.
Not applicable.
(d) The city’s adopted transportation-related plans and policies.
The City’s adopted transportation-related plans and policies do not require that this area
remain open.
(e) Existing state and local laws regulating use of public ways.
State and City laws regulating use of public ways do not require that this area remain open
to the public.
(f) The efficient use of the public way by the public.
The indefinite closure of the greenspaces in the right-of-way along Chambers Street (as
shown in Exhibit A) is needed to protect public infrastructure (bridge supports, trees,
vegetated and rocked slopes, iron and chain link fences).
Administrative Order -- Page 3 of 4
(g) The use of abutting property.
The abutting land use is industrial, commercial and railroad. No such uses require that this
area remain open.
(h) The intensity of use of the street by vehicles and pedestrians.
In addition to vehicular use of the portion of the right-of-way to remain open, the multi-
use path facility on the western segment of Chambers Street will remain open. This order
will not impact, and may improve, accessibility of use by vehicles and pedestrians.
(i) The physical condition and characteristics of the street and abutting property.
i. The greenspace located along Chambers Street, Northwest Expressway, Railroad
Boulevard, and continuing south to West 1st Avenue is located within City right-of-way
and is bisected by Union Pacific railroad property. This greenspace within the right-of-way
is shown outlined in red on the attached map (Exhibit A). The Site is a vegetated structural
fill slope for Chambers Street.
ii. The abutting properties on the western side of the street segment include one- and two-
story buildings with a mixture of gravel and asphalt surface parking lots as well as an
undeveloped segment of land. The eastern side of the street segment include one- and two-
story buildings with a mixture of gravel surface parking lots as well as an undeveloped
segment of land.
(j) Emergencies.
i. Emergency service vehicles are accommodated through bi-directional travel on Chambers
Street.
ii. Chambers Street is designated as an emergency ice or snow removal route.
(k) The public health, safety and welfare.
Since October 4th, 2021, the area subject to this Order has been closed eight times in 90-
day intervals with several extensions to address significant amounts of human waste,
needles, excessive trash, cooking and camping fires, and damage to the roadway slope from
excavations to create sleeping platforms. While the closures have reduced the volume of
these hazards and the frequency of damage to infrastructure, public use of the area has
persisted and the City has needed to perform regular cleanup activities in the area to address
concerns about public health, safety and welfare.
(l) Special events of community interest including parades and public gatherings.
There are no special events of community interest that occur on the portion of green space
as shown in Exhibit A.
Caution:This map is based on imprecisesource data, subject to change,and for general reference only.
Chambers Connector Greenspace Map
Legend
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8/28/2024
EXHIBIT A