Item C: Ordinance on Downtown Urban Renewal Plan Amendment

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ECC UGENE ITY OUNCIL AIS GENDA TEM UMMARY Work Session: Ordinance on Downtown Urban Renewal Plan Amendment Meeting Date: May 10, 2010 Agenda Item: C Department: Planning & Development Staff Contact: Amanda Nobel Flannery www.eugene-or.gov Contact Telephone Number: 541-682-5535 ISSUE STATEMENT The council will review comments on a proposed ordinance to amend the Central Eugene Project (Downtown) Urban Renewal Plan received from the public, Planning Commission, and overlapping taxing districts. As a result of the review, the council may direct the City Manager to prepare amendments to the ordinance prior to consideration of the ordinance on May 24. BACKGROUND The council’s discussion of downtown revitalization is part of a larger conversation on local economic development actions. (See Attachment A for a summary of council discussions and actions and public involvement over the past year on fostering a vibrant downtown and boosting the local economy.) On March 8, 2010, the URA Board initiated a process to amend the Downtown Urban Renewal Plan as a funding option for a package of downtown projects. The proposed amendments would: 1)increase the maximum indebtedness (spending limit) by $16.15 million to a total of $49.15 million to cover the four specific projects described below, 2)expand the Downtown District boundary to be able to provide assistance for a potential Veterans Affairs (VA) clinic project, and 3)terminate the Downtown District as soon as sufficient funds are collected to pay for those projects. th The four projects are: 1) assistance to Lane Community College (LCC) for development on the 10 and Charnelton Development Site; 2) additional downtown urban renewal assistance in funding the Broadway Place Garages so that the garages remain available and in good condition to support other development and redevelopment in downtown (and, at the same time, to enable improvements to public th safety downtown); 3) assistance with a VA clinic, if the 12 and Willamette site is selected by the VA; and 4) infrastructure improvements to the Parks Blocks to provide better opportunities for the Farmers’ Market. State law requires a “substantial plan amendment” for the council to increase the maximum indebtedness or to increase the district boundary by more than 1 percent. The substantial amendment process requires a mailed notification to all Eugene property owners; review by the Planning Commission; notification to other impacted taxing districts; and a public hearing. The proposed ordinance for the 2010 amendments is included as Attachment B. (The proposed plan as amended and the report on the plan are included as Z:\CMO\2010 Council Agendas\M100510\S100510C.doc