HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC Newsletter - 09/09/04EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER
September 9, 2004
City of Eugene
777 Pearl Street, Room 105
Eugene, Oregon 97401-2793
(541) 682-5010
(541) 682-5414 (FAX)
www. ci.eugene.or, us
EVENT ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, KICKS OFF LATEST DELTA PONDS PROJECT
PARADE ENTRY, DEPOT DEDICATION EVENT CELEBRATE PASSENGER RAIL SERVICE IN EUGENE
CITY PROJECT TO EXPLORE IMPROVEMENTS FOR CHAMBERS AREA
LIBRARY ASSISTANT JOB INFORMATION NIGHT
THE INTERNATIONAL SEPTEMBER PROJECT
L YLE LOVETT AT THE CUTHBERT
TWO PROJECTS AT DRAGONFLY BEND IMPROVE STREAM, RIPARIAN, AND PRAIRIE HABITATS
Event on Monday, September ~3, Kicks Off Latest Delta Ponds Project
All councilors are invited to help kick off the latest in a series of projects to restore and enhance the northern portion of
Delta Ponds in north Eugene on Monday, September 13. The ceremonial event is scheduled to take place at 10:30 a.m.,
just off Goodpasture Island Road, south of Kingsley Road. Parking is
available at the River Terrace apartment complex at 1150 Darlene
Lane.
Eugene Mayor Jim Torrey will join officials from the Bureau of Land
Management (BLM), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, local Rotary
clubs and other dignitaries to celebrate the start of construction of a
new pedestrian path and boardwalk viewing trail in the northern
section of the natural area that consists of ponds, riparian and
wetland habitat in the head of the city.
The partnership for the Delta Ponds north path project and
associated improvements includes the City of Eugene, Rotary
International, the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, the
BLM, and local property owners. In total, more than $120,000 in
funds and in-kind donations are pledged to build a 350-foot-long, six-
foot-wide concrete path, a 300-foot boardwalk, and a 1,300-foot
gravel path extension. The enhancements will allow wildlife viewing
and other passive recreational uses in an area rich in natural habitat
but difficult to access.
Local Rotary clubs are donating the labor and materials to construct
the boardwalk and gravel path extension as a Rotary Centennial
Project. Local property owners John and Renate Tilson donated part
of the land for the project. The City will spend approximately $50,000
to build the concrete path. The City and Rotary commitments will
leverage a portion of a $250,000 state park grant to develop
recreational facilities in the Delta Ponds. In addition, the project will
be further enhanced by a $380,000 BLM grant to remove invasive
vegetation and plant native trees and shrubs in this and other areas in Delta Ponds.
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September 16, 2004
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is moving ahead on a $6.2 million project to increase river flows through the Delta
Ponds to provide better habitat for salmon and native plants and animals. Preliminary work on that project, which
includes the construction of additional recreation facilities, could begin next spring. For more information, contact Carolyn
Weiss, Delta Ponds Recreation Program Manager, at 682-4914.
Parade Entry, Depot Dedication Event Celebrate Passenger Rail Service in
Eu.qene
Councilors have two opportunities this month to show local support for passenger rail
service. The Eugene Celebration parade on Saturday, September 18, will include an
entry jointly produced by Amtrak and the City of Eugene. Marchers in the parade entry
will toot on wooden train whistles as an accompaniment to a rousing selection of
recorded train music.
The dedication of the newly rehabilitated Eugene Depot will take place on Monday,
September 20, at 10 a.m., with Councilor Scott Meisner as master of ceremonies.
Invitations are being mailed today to more than 250 people, including the Mayor and
City Council. To take part in the parade entry, or for more information on the
dedication event, call Eric Jones, public affairs manager for Eugene Public Works, at
682-5523.
City Project to Explore Improvements for Chambers Area
This month marks the beginning of an important City project for residents and businesses in parts of the
Jefferson/Westside and Far West neighborhoods. In late September, the City of Eugene Planning Division will initiate a
series of neighborhood discussions about the effects of new development on neighborhood character. The project,
focusing on properties in the vicinity of West 11th Avenue and Chambers Street, is called Chambers Reconsidered, and
will concentrate on the preparation of design standards and guidelines to be applied to new residential and commercial
infill and redevelopment projects in the study area.
The Chambers Reconsidered project is an outgrowth of previous work related to implementation of the mixed-use
development concept in the Chambers area that occurred in 1998 and 2002. From those discussions, area residents
expressed broad support for crafting standards that would provide for development that was more compatible with the
existing neighborhood character and for making improvements for pedestrian safety and comfort. This project will focus
only on those two goals.
The mixed-use development concept is at the heart of Eugene's transportation and growth management strategies.
These strategies are the result of broad community support for the Eugene Growth Mana.qement Policies that were
adopted by the City Council in 1998. Those policies support a vision of Eugene's future that would maintain the existing
urban growth boundary as long as possible by encouraging higher density, mixed-use development in select locations
throughout the metropolitan area. Both the Metro Plan and Growth Management Policies envision mixed-use
developments taking place in a hierarchy of activity centers that start at the neighborhood scale, extend to commercial
centers at varying scales, and culminate in large employment centers. Mixed-use development is a major step towards
realizing citizens' vision of Eugene's future.
The development of design standards and guidelines for the Chambers district will enable this neighborhood to evolve
slowly while meeting citizen needs and expectations, and improving the quality of life for all residents. Because the
Eugene Planning Division seeks to promote livability in Eugene by balancing the needs of all citizens, involvement of
Chambers area residents, businesses, and property owners in the final plan will be encouraged.
The first public meeting on the Chambers Reconsidered project will be September 21, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the
Multipurpose Room at Cesar Chavez Elementary, 1510 W. 14th Ave. For more information, contact Allen Lowe at
682-5113 or allen.d.lowe~ene.or, us.
Library Assistant Job Information Night
Have you ever wondered what library assistants do at the Eugene Public Library? You're invited to attend an information
session about Library Assistant 1 positions at the Eugene Public Library on Thursday, September 16, 5:30-7:30 pm, in
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September 16, 2004
the Bascom-Tykeson Room at the Library. Human Resource and Library staff will be available with information to share
and to answer questions about working at the library. No preregistration is necessary. For additional information, please
contact Kate Rowles, 682-5788, or kate.m.rowles@ci.eugene.or, us.
The International September Proiect
On Saturday, September 11,2004, people will gather at hundreds of public places all over the world to share their ideas
about democracy, citizenship and patriotism. The September Project is a "collection of people, groups, and organizations
working to create a day of engagement, a day of conversation, a day of democracy." On September 11, the Eugene
Public Library, host for this important, free event, will provide participants with the following:
· Bill of Rights bookmarks at the display table on first floor of the Downtown branch, and at Bethel and Sheldon
branches.
· Voter registration at a table set up near the rotunda, staffed with members of the League of Women Voters (LWV), a
non-partisan organization.
· A memory book for collecting comments from patrons about democracy, free speech, patriotism, etc. which will
serve as a time capsule to be opened every year on September 11 to see how we are changing.
· Books and materials pertaining to the Constitution and many aspects of American history. On September 11, these
will be prominently displayed on the first floor near the LWV table; throughout the month of September, the display
will be located on the 2nd floor in the non-fiction area.
"We hope many residents will come in and exercise their freedom to read and to celebrate our free community-supported
library," said Reference Assistant Margaret Harmon-Myers. For further information, please contact Adult Services
Manager Gloria Gehrman at 682-8377.
Lyle Lovett at the Cuthbert
On September 23, 2004, Lyle Lovett will delight concert-goers at the Cuthbert Amphitheater with his wry and witty
country talent.
The Texas songwriter will be celebrating his latest release of original songs, "My Baby Don't
Tolerate," his first in seven years. Expect equal parts Texas swing, country ballads and
truly original songcraft.
Mr. Lovett is known for his country, gospel and blues. He has won four Grammy Awards,
including a Best Pop Vocal Collaboration Grammy for "Funny How Time Slips Away,"
recorded with Al Green. He also enjoys a successful acting career, having appeared in five
Robert Airman films and also in "The Opposite of Sex" in 1998.
Come on out to the Cuthbert and hear this country music legend rock the house Lyle style.
For more information, contact the HuIt Center Ticket Office at 541-682-5000.
Two Proiects at Draqonfly Bend Improve Stream, Riparian, and Prairie Habitats
In summer 2002, the City of Eugene used a combination of federal, state, and local funds to purchase a 70-acre site in
the
West Eugene Wetlands. The site, which is called Dragonfly Bend, is situated immediately north of Meadowlark Prairie,
and is bordered on the east by the A-1 Channel of Amazon Creek and on the west by the Amazon Diversion Channel.
With the help of Kipco, a local contractor, the City's Wetlands
Program began implementing two major habitat improvement projects
at Dragonfly Bend this summer. The first project is focused on
enhancing the stream and riparian habitats on the A-1 Channel.
Funded by a $740,000 Cooperative Conservation Initiative grant from
the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the project involves
excavating and re-contouring the A-1 channel so that Amazon Creek
can form multiple channels, islands, and pockets of deep water within
the channels. In addition, prairie habitats will be established
immediately adjacent to the channels, and the streamside vegetation
will be re-planted with a diversity of native riparian trees and shrubs.
These types of changes will greatly improve habitat for western pond
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turtles and Fender's blue butterflies as well as improve shading of Amazon Creek. The channel banks, which are
currently very steep, will also be re-contoured to create a more gradual slope, allowing western pond turtle and Fender's
blue butterfly to move more easily between the creek and the adjacent prairie. Following excavation and re-contouring,
the entire site will be re-planted with a wide diversity of native plants that are typical of these habitats. The majority of
stream channel work should be completed by October 15.
The second project is focused on enhancing the 50 acres of wetlands that lie to the west of the A-1 Channel. Funded by
the City's wetland mitigation bank, the project will generate 24 mitigation credits, which can then be sold to satisfy
wetland mitigation requirements for local development projects. The primary objectives of this project are to remove
agricultural drainage ditches that were on the site, kill the existing non-native vegetation, and re-plant the entire site with
a high diversity of wetland prairie and vernal pool species. For more information on these projects, please call Terry
Colvin, Project Manager, at 682-5398, or Eric Wold, Wetlands Program Supervisor, at 682-4888.
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