HomeMy WebLinkAbout180312 WSMINUTES
Eugene City Council
Harris Hall, 125 East 8 th Avenue
Eugene, Oregon 97401
March 12, 2018
5:30 p.m.
Councilors Present: Alan Zelenka, Jennifer Yeh, Mike Clark, Claire Syrett, Chris Pryor
Councilors Absent: Emily Semple, Betty Taylor, Greg Evans
Mayor Vinis opened the March 12, 2018, Work Session of the Eugene City Council.
1. Committee Reports and Items of Interest from Mayor, City Council, and City Manager
Council Discussion
• Report from Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission: approved resiliency
planning efforts to evaluate assets.
• FEMA funds are covering approximately 75 percent of winter ice storm costs from last year.
2. WORK SESSION: River Road-Santa Clara Neighborhood Plan Project Update
Senior Planner Zach Galloway, along with John Belcher from the River Road Community
Organization and Kate Perle from the Santa Clara Community Organization gave an update
about the River-Road Santa Clara Neighborhood Plan. Julie Fischer with Cogito, a firm
specializing in public engagement strategies, was also at the table to answer questions.
Council Discussion
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Appreciative of all the work being done .
The conscious effort to embrace and welcome new people into the process speaks well to
the intentions of the planning work being done right now.
Electronic report and updates are being distributed through the City's website, interested
parties list, and social media.
Interested in the proposals and critical action plan, testing them on a wider level to see if
there is investment and commitment to the proposals.
Great to see that small groups are reflecting difference voices and demographics .
Setting the bar high for process, involvement, and innovation for neighborhood planning .
More information requested about the Federal grant awarded to the City and to LTD to look
at development potential and financial feasibility, outreach and collaboration with the
neighborhoods, and to develop a vision for what the River Road corridor will look like.
The plan is to come back to Council with key milestones throughout the project.
3. WORK SESSION: 5th Street Market District Expansion Project Update
Community Development Director Michael Kinnison, along with Brian Obie and Casey Barrett of
Obie Companies, gave an update about the proposed 5 th Street Market District Expansion and
highlighted opportunities the City has to partner on the project.
MINUTES -Eugene City Council
Work Session
March 12. 2018 Page I
Council Di scussion
• Believe the market district will be a jewel of the community if constructed prope r ty.
• More i nformation requested a b o ut waiving height limitations for po tential s ign at top of
building.
• Legal counsel advised that land use questions sho uld be held until the project is ready to
b ring to Council at a quasi-judicia l hearin g.
• Taking a parking lot and turning it into some thi ng productive and useful is admi rable.
• It is great to expand someth ing t h at is a lready familiar a nd successful and tie it to
downtown and the riverfro nt development.
• Concerned a bout parking a nd traffic issues the deve lopment might bri ng.
• More information requ es ted a b out why it migh t be more expe n s ive to develop downtown
and why the p roject might be ha rd to develop w i thou t MUPT E.
The meeting ad jo urned at 6:46 p.m .
Respectfully sub mitted,
Elena Do mingo
Deputy City Recorder
MINU T ES -Eugene C i ty Cou n c il
Work Sessio n
March 12. 20 1 8 P age 2