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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 14, 1973)
Committee hears bikeway plans By WALTER GREENWOOD Of the Emerald SALEM (Special) — Proposals for conversion of two lower Willamette Valley rail lines into recreational trails, and criticism of Highway Division bikeway operations were among statements made before the House Committee on En vironment and Land Use in Salem Monday. The hearing was the first of two the committee is holding con cerning bikeway and recreational trail funding proposed for the Highway Division in the 1973-75 budget. Assistant state highway engineer Ed Hunter spoke first, detailing the Highway Division’s work on bicycle trails since the “bicycle bill,” which allocates one per cent of Highway Division expenditures to bikeway con struction, became law in Sep tember, 1971. Hunter said that funds available under the bill totaled about $3.8 million during the current biennium, and that $4.09 million is proposed under the 1973-75 budget. Noting that the amount allocated for city and county bikeway expenditures during the current biennium was $766,000, Hunter indicated that it would take a city years to build a bikeway system using its share of the funds. Eugene, he said, has a bikeway plan which will cost $200,000, but the city’s annual share of bikeway funds is only $10,000. Judson Smith of Portland criticized the Highway Division for refusing to allow cities to manage expenditure of state bikeway funds within city limits. Smith also scored the division for poor workmanship in widening highway shoulders for bikeways, and for being ex travagant in making such im provements. As an example of the last point, Smith mentioned that utility poles were moved when highway shoulders were widened, although the poles did not in terfere with cyclists. Finally, Smith claimed that motorists benefit from bikeway construction, yet the entire cost of such improvements is paid from bikeway funds. Doyle Johnson, city coun cilman from Sweet Home, about 30 miles northeast of Eugene, proposed that the state obtain a 25-mile stretch of unused Oregon Electric railroad right-of-way. Johnson indicated that studies by a high school class he teaches showed that the line, which runs from the valley through Sweet Home and along the Calapooia River into the foothills of the Cascades, has excellent potential as a recreational trail. Representing the Coburg Planning Commission, architect Richard Danielson presented a similar plan for the little-used Southern Pacific rail line which runs from Springfield through Armitage Park and Coburg north past Brownsville. Danielson noted that a number of historic houses are located near the line in the Coburg vicinity. Southern Pacific officials have agreed to look at the plan, Danielson said. Recreational Trails Coor dinator Jack Remington of the Oregon Recreational Trails Council outlined a plan for a state-wide recreational trails system. Remington said that four north-south trails have been proposed. The Pacific Crest Trail in the Cascades is nearly complete, he said. A feasibility study for a coastal trail indicates that such a trail could extend along 95 per cent of the coast line, he said, on the beach and on existing trails. Other long trails Remington mentioned are the Willamette Valley Trail, following the river, and a proposed high desert trad which would extend from Oregon to But amendments suggested Landlord-tenant bill praised By HARRIET JOHNSON Of the Emerald SALEM (Special) — The Senate committee on State and Local Government held hearings Tuesday for proponents of the landlord-tenant bill (SB159). The proposed legislation would define landlord-tenant relationships by outlining the landlord’s responsibilities to return deposits at the end of tenancy, to provide “habitable” living conditions, and to ram burse tenants for self-made repairs. The tenants under the proposed legislation would have the right to withhold payments if repairs are not done by the manager, and they would be obliged to keep a “clean and safe” dwelling with reasonable access to the lan dlord. The new act would also abolish the landlord’s lien (his right to seize housing and goods if the rent is overdue twenty days), and take away the landlord’s right of tenant eviction for the act of joining a tenants union or some other form of complaint. Both parties under the new act would be required to act in good faith. IMs ■ ■nr 2 CUBAN FILMS “Memories of Underdevelopment” “Why Moncada?” Feb. 14 at 7:00 & 9:30 p.m. 177 Lawrence Hall $1.00 admission A benefit for the youth hostel, Switchboard and Children's Community School One of the supporters from the Eugene area was Jonathan Hoffman, an attorney. Hoffman felt the new law was “at least a step, albeit a small one” in the direction of solving housing problems. He recommended some amendments to the proposal. Hoffman argued for the retention of the term “reasonable habitability” in the act, because * the term offered “flexibility” in the law. Hoffman would prefer that the courts be allowed to determine the extent of that definition on individual cases. An attorney of the law firm contracted to the ASUO, Tom Hammon, stated that 24 of his cases with the University students dealt with tenant problems. He emphasized that the bill will “equalize bargaining power” with respect to withholding security deposits, the landlord’s lien and maintenance. Representing the Amazon Tenants Union, Walter Harrison said tenants of the University owned cooperative fear that the new law would not cover them. He proposed an amendment to the bill which would remove educationally sponsored facilities from exclusion in the bill. Mart Balvin presented eleven endorsements of the bill from organizations around the Salem area. Senator Vera Katz (D Portland) and Representative Bill Grannell (D-N. Bold) were two legislators at the hearing for the bill. Several citizens also testified about personal problems in different areas across the state. Oregon College of Education was represented by Linda Yates, who submitted OSPIRG’s Renter’s handbook as evidence of the type of rental agreements students are forced to sign. OSU’s Bill Buren, of the Legislative Affairs Office, proposed an amendment to exclude older homes, especially those built for one family habitation, from the bill’s requirements for repairs. Buren said the cost of such repairs would force costs to be increased beyond the means of students. Opponents of the bill will have their chance with the committee lext week. A hearing for the opposition to the bill will be held at 8:30 A.M. February 22. Summer Study in Sapporo Japan INFORMATION SESSION AT 11:30 & 12:30 Feb. 14 (ROOM POSTED) PSU ACCREDITED PROGRAM June 10 to Aug. 25 Arizona, east of the mountains. Bob Straub, former state treasurer, had several suggestions about the state’s trails program. The Highway Division, Straub said, should spend trails funds exclusively for land acquisition. Construction and maintenance, he said, should be done by volunteers. Straub emphasized his belief that the legislature must give the Highway Division the right of eminent domain for con demnation of recreational trail rights-of-way. The Willamette Greenway, Straub said, was estimated to cost $15 million in 1967, but current estimates have risen to $30 million or more. Costs will continue to rise, Straub said, unless the Highway Division is given the power to obtain trails land by condemnation. ODE "W' Happy Valentine’s Day to the nicest person I ever knowed! All my love, li am MoumtainMusic at its Greatest. 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