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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 16, 2004)
Renewal plan faces challenge A petition contesting the proposed Riverfront Urban Renewal District may pass the issue to voters this fall By Parker Howell News Reporter Voters may need to approve the city's plan to fund projects in the Riverfront Urban Renewal District af ter opponents of the plan submitted a petition challenging it April 9. The Eugene City Council had approved the new district on March 8. The urban renewal district covers areas east of downtown, including the Eugene Water and Electric Board headquarters and the Riverfront Re search Park. The plan also includes a controversial proposal to reroute Broadway to run east of the planned federal courthouse site. Petitioners collected 4,235 signa tures but only needed 3,722 valid signatures of registered voters to put the referendum on the ballot. If ap proved, the referendum would give voters the opportunity to approve or reject the urban renewal district. The city has forwarded 4,166 signa tures to Lane County for final ap proval and county officials have until April 26 to verily the signatures. . Differences between the present and future assessed value of property within the urban renewal district would create ^ taxes to be used for public improve ment projects in the district. Opponents cite different reasons for opposing the plan, saying the district would divert money from other needed services and may lead to construction along the Willamette River. Housing and Neighborhoods Man ager Richie Weinman said the referen dum could appear on either a Sep tember special election ballot or during the Nov. 2 general election. Eugene resident Ruth Duemler or ganized the petition effort, coordi nating about a dozen signature gath erers. Duemler said the petition met with public support, and she be lieved enough signatures were col lected to place the referendum on the ballot. "People were eager to sign," Duem ler said. "We are not against development — we want the public to have a say in how their money is spent as taxpayers." Ruth Duemler Eugene resident Duemler said urban renewal is not the city's best use of tax revenues. "I think (people) are fearful of spending so much money (on urban renewal) when we have other priori ties," she said. Duemler said petitioners were not opposed to developing the area, however. "We've seen some very fine build ings go up without urban renewal funding," Duemler said. "We are not against development — we want the public to have a say in how their money is spent as taxpayers." Eugene resident and land-use ac tivist Zachary Vishanoff said he hoped the city would cease work on urban renewal until more public hearings were held. 'The problem is, urban renewal has a bad track record in terms of ac countability," Vishanoff said. Vishanoff said he didn't feel the city had solicited enough input from resi dents about urban renewal plans. "What I would like to see is the city having a real dialogue with people on urban renewal," he said. "I'm pes simistic about the city's decision and timetable on this thing." Ward 3 City Councilor David Kel ly, who voted in favor of creating the district, said he supports the plan as a tool to help improve the down town area. "I think that central-city revitaliza tion is really important for Eugene's continued health," Kelly said. Kelly said the plan will reshape the entrance to downtown and increase accessibility to the Willamette River for pedestrians who aren't familiar with the area. He said he would like the plan to be "a good deal more specific" in terms of the projects it allows. Kelly said he pushed for a clause in the plan that refers any projects of $250,000 or more to the council for approval. Citizens would be able to have a say in such projects through the council, he said. If voters reject the Riverfront plan, Kelly said that "significantly less" de velopment would occur in the area. "We're going to see less activity and less success of the area," Kelly said. Kelly said some opponents are concerned about rerouting Broad way because it would be too close to the river. However, he said the road would actually be south of the rail road tracks. "You can have a debate as to how close to the river that is," Kelly said. Kelly emphasized that money ear marked for urban renewal would come from tax increases in the area that would not likely be generated at all without the urban renewal district. Contact the city/state politics reporter at parkerhowell@dailyemerald.com. CAMPUS SFjife H || mmm lillW'iUK Friday and weekend • Art exhibit featuring Bachelor of Fine Arts painting by Meghan Calhoun and Miki'ala Souza, BFA sculpture by Lee Ann Peterson and BFA ceram ics by Rosemary Raburn, LaVerne Krause Gallery, Lawrence Hall, Friday, 10a.m.-3p.m. • Oregon Ballroom Dance, Room 220, Gertinger Hall, Friday, 7:30-11:30 p.m. • Play reading directed by Jennifer Thomas, Robinson Theatre, Friday, 7:30 p.m, • Welcome Back Swifts event - thousands of Vaux’s Swifts will enter the Agate Hall chimney to roost for the night. The birds begin circling about 30 minutes before sunset, Agate Hall, Friday, 7:30 p.m. A second swifts event is planned April 23. • Repertory Dance Company Concert Tour, Dougherty Dance Theatre, Gerlinger Annex, Friday-Saturday, 8 p.m. • Historic Preservation lecture featuring a presentation by Tama Tochihara en titled “Lost and Found: Preserving the Japanese Gardens of the Issei in Seat tie,” and by Jose Gamez entitled "Painting the Town: Muralism and the Poli tics of Identity in East LA." Room 282, Lillis Hall, Saturday, 9-10:45 a.m. • 29ttvannual Hui O' Hawai'i Lu'au featuring authentic Hawai'ian food, traditional dancing and live music, McArthur Court, Saturday, 4:30 p.m. • Chamber Music Series Concert entitled “Masters of Indian Music,” Beall Concert Hall, Saturday, 8 p.m. • Outdoor Fiber-In, sunny weather: EMU East Lawn; rainy weather: EMU Fishbowl, Sunday, 2-4 p.m. • University Symphony, Beall Concert Hall, Sunday, 3 p.m. - poppiV— Lunch Monday through Saturday Dinner 7 Nights a Week 992 Willamette Eugene, Or 97401 343-9661 enter to win PAUL'S Bicycle Way of Life 2480 Aider & 152 W. 5th & Oasis Plaza TWO CONCERTS AT BEALL HALL, UNIVERSITY OF OREGON Co-presented by University of Oregon School pf Music Ethos Percussion Croup plays Sensuous rhythms ot Brazil Argentina Latin lazz Plus a little Rock 8 Roll 1 ailing itO« post mwmmww Masters ot Indian Music Pandit Samir Chatterjee Pandit RameshMisra Ethos Percussion Croup ,x (#2-5000 ^\Vieror« TICKETS: $15, 20, students $12 2004 ASUO Elections Voter’s Guide Correction Question: Shall the ASUO Constitution be changed to strike the following language? Section 6.15 The ASUO recommended incidental fee assessment for each of the following Major Programs: 1) ASUO Programs 2) The Athletic Department, and 3) The incidental fee portion of the EMU budget; excluding replenishment for expenditures from the previous year's building reserves, shall not exceed a 7% increase over the previous year’s student incidental fee assessment, unless individually approved by an initiative or referendum shall under Section 14 of this Constitution. If placed on the ballot, the measure shall specify the exact amount in both percentage and dollars by which the 7% limitation will be exceeded. Explanation: The Oregon University System policies governing the maintenance and funding of building and equipment reserves has been changed. Where the old model was based on a two part allocation, an annual percentage addition as well as a replenishment of the past year’s expenditures, the new model is based solely on a five year plan for expected expenditures. The language we ask to strike was added last year to accommodate the old OUS system and requirements. Submitted: Maddy Melton, ASUO President 03-04 » * J t ii L 4 A > C )t I sj K w j J u u it ^ J» w 4
