City council begins proceedings to acquire train station
■ The city hopes to acquire
some nearby land along with
the Amtrak station
By Darren Freeman
Oregon Daily Emerald
Eugene City Council voted 5-2
Monday to authorize eminent do
main proceedings to acquire the
downtown Amtrak station and
some adjacent properties with
high hopes of enhancing train ser
vice.
Though the city now has au
thority to condemn the property
and force Eugene’s Jenova Land
Company to sell the Amtrak sta
tion and surrounding area, a buy
sell agreement between both par
ties is more likely.
“This is an unusual condemna
tion process,” Director of Public
Works Christine Andersen said.
City Council supported con
demnation authority to meet a fi
nancial deadline set by Amtrak,
which pledged to donate
$500,000 to the city for purchas
ing and renovating the train sta
tion. Amtrak requires proof by
Sep. 30, the end of the federal fis
cal year, that the city would use
the money for the station even if
Jenova isn’t willing to sell.
Though the city and Jenova
won’t strike an agreement by the
Sep. 30 deadline, both parties are
confident that condemnation will
be unnecessary.
“[Negotiations are] quite amica
ble at this point,” said Hugh
Prichard of Eugene real estate
agency Prichard Evans & Elder
Inc. Prichard, who represented
Jenova at Monday’s City Council
meeting, said the only unresolved
issue is the exact size of the prop
erty in question and that an agree
ment was about a month away.
In addition to the Amtrak sta
tion and grounds, the city hopes to
purchase some nearby parking
lots. Both parties are completing
detailed appraisals of the proper
ties, and the city plans to make
Jenova a fair market value offer
when the size of the purchase is
definite.
After a settlement with Jenova,
the city plans to renovate the site
to make it more accessible, conve
nient and visually appealing.
Funding for the acquisition and
renovation of the station includes
$2 million from the 1998 federal
highway bill and another $500,000
from Amtrak. The city also applied
in August for $1 million in Federal
Enhancement funds.
“It’s important to provide better
alternatives to people who rely on
cars too much,” said David Rein
hard, Eugene Public Works
Transportation Engineer. Trains
are an ideal alternative, Reinhard
said, because they create less pol
lution than do cars, are energy ef
ficient and don’t cause traffic
jams.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Student Sexual Misconduct Code
1. Do you really need to get written consent
to have sex, under the new code?
No! The new code does call for “explicit
consent,” which means “voluntary, non
coercive, and clear communication indicating a
willingness to engage in the particular act.”
Verbal consent must be obtained unless the
sexual act is clearly mutually initiated.The best
way to give and gain consent, whether the act
is mutually initiated or not, is very simple —
JUST ASK.
2. Is there going to be a permission police
that will barge into my bedroom?
No! Of course, the university won’t create a
“permission police.”The new code isn’t a
regulatory measure, but will serve as a
guideline for determining whether sexual
misconduct has taken place in situations
where someone files a complaint.
In fact, these changes weren’t initiated by the
university.They were originally created by a
group of students after a Take Back the Night
March in spring 1995.The students felt that the
old code didn’t provide a safe environment for
survivors.
3. Can I have sex with someone who has
been drinking?
There is not a yes or no to this question.
Studies indicate that alcohol is involved in 75
90 percent of all campus sexual assaults.The
conduct code states that, if a person is intoxi
cated, they are unable to give meaningful con
sent. Since the definition of intoxicated is
different for every person, initiating sex with
someone who has been drinking is risky.
4. Does the Student Conduct Code apply if
an assault happens off-campus?
Yes, with a few conditions. First, the perpe
trator must be a currently enrolled student at
the university. In addition, the survivor’s grades
or performance at the university has to have
been adversely affected or the perpetrator
must pose a threat to the campus community.
The new code extends jurisdiction off campus
to reflect the reality of students’ lives. Eighty
percent of students live off-campus in apart
ments, fraternities, sororities, or other housing.
Therefore, a majority of rapes occur off-campus
and this extension of jurisdiction reflects the
fact that it doesn’t matter where rape happens
— rape is rape!
007119
Know the Facts! Spread the Word!
Sponsored by the Unwanted Sexual Behavior Task Force
For questions, call the Office of the Dean of Student Life, 346-3216,
or the ASUO Women’s Center, 346-4093
For a complete copy of the sexual misconduct code,
look at the policies in the schedule of classes, or go to
http ://oregon. uoregon. edu/~ conduct/index. html
All statistics from I Never Called ]t Rape, by Robin Warshaw
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