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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAdmin Order 58-25-11 -- Closure of Greenspace Coburg Road at MLK Jr BlvdAdministrative Order -- Page 1 of 4 ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 58-25-11 of the Traffic Engineer of Public Works Maintenance's Traffic Operations Team of the City of Eugene CLOSURE OF GREENSPACE / UNIMPROVED PORTIONS OF COBURG RD ADJACENT TO THE INTERSECTION OF MARTIN LUTHER KING JR BOULEVARD 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 to a portion of the Coburg Road right-of-way, specifically to the unimproved area or “greenspace” that is adjacent to the functional roadway for Coburg Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. The closure is needed to protect 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 Coburg Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard but public access to this area is not needed and is actually counter to traffic engineering principles. (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 Coburg Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard (as shown in Exhibit A) is needed to protect public infrastructure (bridge supports, trees, vegetated and rocked slopes, stormwater drainage systems, iron and chain link fences). (g) The use of abutting property. The abutting land use is commercial. No such use requires that this area remain open. (h) The intensity of use of the street by vehicles and pedestrians. In addition to the vehicular use of the portion of the right-of-way to remain open, the multi- use path facility on the eastern segment of Coburg Road and transitioning to the southern segment of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard will remain open. This order will not impact, and may improve, accessibility of use by vehicles and pedestrians. Administrative Order -- Page 3 of 4 (i) The physical condition and characteristics of the street and abutting property. i. The greenspace located along Coburg Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard is located within City right-of-way. This greenspace within the right-of-way is shown outlined in red on the attached map (Exhibit A). The Site is a vegetated with landscaping, turf, and stormwater treatment for Coburg Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Coburg Road is designated as an emergency ice or snow removal route. Coburg is a Major Arterial and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard is a Minor Arterial with a speed limit set at Speed 35. This stretch of Coburg has approximately 46,000 vehicles daily for both directions. This stretch of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard has approximately 16,000 vehicles daily for both directions. ii. Within the last seven years there have been 26 crashes at Intersection of Coburg Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. iii. The abutting properties on the street segments include one- and three-story buildings with asphalt surface parking lots. (j) Emergencies. i. Emergency service vehicles are accommodated through bi-directional travel on Coburg Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. (k) The public health, safety and welfare. Since January 2024 the area subject to this Order has been visited 20 times addressing significant amounts of human waste, needles, excessive trash, cooking and camping fires, and damage to the high-end turf and landscape beds. While the cleanups 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 the greenspace of Coburg Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard as shown in Exhibit A. (m) Construction within or adjacent to the street. No construction is currently taking place on the portion of the greenspace of Coburg Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard as shown in Exhibit A. (n) There is no designated parking for this area. Clu b Rd Coburg Rd M a r t i n LutherKing JrBlvd C obu r g R d 0 40 80 Ft 1:900 ´ Caution: This map is based on imprecise source data, subject to change, and for general information only. Map Date: 3/18/2025 Greenspace Coburg Rd and MLK Jr. Blvd Legend Taxlots Streets Water Bodies