Emerald
Vol 83, No 36
Eugene. Oregon 97403
Friday, October 23,1981
Photo by Bob Baker
Just one small step. . .
The University's Army ROTC unit was out in full force Thursday practicing rappelling off the west
side of Skinner's Butte About 30 members of the unit, ten of whom were women, perfected their
rappelling techniques under the expert guidance of an ROTC instructor The University, one of
four state schools which offer a ROTC program, currently has 58 students enrolled in its program
Students on ROTC scholarship — there are seven at the University — are provided with tuition,
books, fees, some equipment and a $100 per month living allowance.
Zoning changes aim
to preserve housing
By STEVE HOOKS
Ol th* Emerald
The city wants to preserve
West University Neighborhood
residences — but some medical
officials fear proposed zoning
changes would close the door
on new clinics in that area
Students would benefit by the
zoning changes, says Dave
Lesser, off-campus housing
director. Medical facility
expansion in the neighborhood
involves clinics buying houses
normally rented by University
students and reducing the
availability of low-rent housing,
Lesser says
According to a draft of the
West University Refinement
Plan published in April 1981, 65
percent of the neighborhood
residents are students
A main feature of the
refinement plan restricts further
medical expansion in the
neighborhood, says city planner
Jody Miller Doctors associated
with Sacred Heart Hospital,
located in the neighborhood,
tend to establish practices
nearby, Miller says. At present
35 clinics already are located in
the area, she says
Miller says if the R-3 zoning
plan passes, no new clinics
would be allowed in the six
blocks stretching from 14th to
19th Avenues and bounded by
High and Hilyard streets Clinics
wanting to locate in the area
along 12th Avenue from the
hospital to downtown, zoned
R-4, will be required to obtain a
conditional use permit, Miller
said She says this requirement
applies to new medical facitlties
as well as expansions on exis
ting facilities
Medical officials from Sacred
Heart Hospital and associated
medical facilities oppose the
zoning proposals The officials
want to expand in the area
because residential land is
cheaper than commercial land,
Miller says. Officials also say
restricting expansion will hurt
both Sacred Heart Hospital and
the local economy.
Miller says the West Universi
ty Neighbors supports the zon
ing proposals because
residents are wary of continued
medical facility expansion.
Mickey Duke, executive
director of the Lane County
Medical Society, says the city
and the neighbors are "unduly
worried” about the possibility of
expansion. He says the medical
community is not concerned
about expansion in the R-3
area, and the city "must be able
to accomodate clinic growth" in
the 12th Avenue corridor
between the hospital and
downtown.
“We're not at all comfortable
with any kinds of restrictions,"
Duke says. “Our position is that
existing zoning is very appro
priate and handling the problem
just fine
Duke says the zoning
changes would create red tape
and discourage new doctors
from locating in the area He
added that Sacred Heart has
grown into an important
regional facility, which now has
specialized patient care New
doctors are needed so the hos
pital can continue serving the
region effectively, Duke says
Although the city has done
studies, Duke says, the studies
weren't detailed and failed to tie
the facts together He said his
organization did an
independent study and found
only three acres of residential
area were suitable for
expansion
In determining land availabili
Continued on Page 2
Rebate checks total
$117 million in 1981
More than half a million
property tax relief checks are in
the mail this week
The Oregon department of
revenue mailed checks totaling
$117 million to qualifying home
owners and renters Under the
Homeowner and Renter Relief
Program, 450,000 checks, to
taling more than $109 million,
went to low- and middle-income
families
In addition, about 70,000
checks were sent to renters who
had incomes of more than
$17,500 These separate Renter
Relief checks, totaling $7 8 mil
lion, represent 4.7 percent of
the individuals’ 1980 rent How
ever, the maximum payment
under the program dropped
from $400 to $212 this year,
according to the revenue
department
Most of the checks will be
received within two weeks.
Residents who filed HARRP or
Renter Relief claims this year
can contact the revenue
department if they haven't
received their checks by Nov. 2
Oregon residents who have
moved since filing for the
refunds should leave a forward
ing address
Some residents may receive
reduced refunds or no refunds if
they failed to pay their state
income taxes The 1981
Legislature authorized the
revenue department to withhold
these relief payments because
the programs are funded by
state income tax collections.