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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 8, 2007)
TO THE EDITOR Farmers Market. So many solutions in one neat little pack- age. Opportunity knocks but once, Eugene. Franklin Vandermeer Eugene CALL TO ARMS Responding to Jerry Diethelm’s article, “Inner Rewards” (1/25), was a call to arms for us. We are students in professor Mark Gillem’s urban design studio at UO and are engaged in researching, analyzing and devel- oping alternatives for the much deliberated Franklin corridor, stretching from Glenwood at the eastern end to the Park Blocks (i.e. Saturday Market site) on the west end. The newly constructed U.S. Courthouse stands in an opportunistic position, as Jerry touched upon, located between the down- town core and the Willamette River, with the Millrace canal running adjacent to the prop- erty, and several sites that are prime for de- velopment (including the recent Whole Foods site). A landmark building, such as the courthouse, in a growing urban environment, such as Eugene, can be utilized as a stepping stone in an inspirational leap towards a bright future. If development standards are initiated for surrounding properties, if public open space and waterways around the courthouse are de- signed, and if the public helps direct this process to meet the specific needs of Eugene’s unique social and recreational lifestyle, the city can work towards a vision for a more integrated and celebrated commu- nity environment for Eugene along the Franklin corridor. Visit www.franklincorridor.org for more information. Carl Liebhardt and 13 other UO architecture students RUNNING OUT OF LAND In response to the EW article “Teetering on Sprawl” (1/25), sprawl can come from you or toward you. Eugene is simply choos- ing the latter. Ironically, forcing young fami- lies to the outlying areas (Eugene is one of the few school districts with declining enroll- ment) increases sprawl because larger cities typically develop at higher densities. Mr. Pittman wrote: “Since 1950, Eugene’s population density has declined 29 percent due to urban sprawl.” The accuracy of the state- ment depends upon what is being measured. The number of persons per household has de- creased significantly since 1950 — reducing density. Eugene has more open space and set- back requirements today — reducing density. However, average lot sizes have decreased sig- nificantly and more people are living in multi- family units, which increases density. The 1993 Legislature required that juris- dictions exit periodic review with a 20-year The Perfect Valentine supply of residential land. We began period review before that bill took effect, thereby avoiding the state mandate. A periodic review that should have taken seven years took 14. We are now exiting periodic review with less than a nine-year supply of land, a land study that is based upon 1995 data and an inventory that is increasingly constrained. We are scheduled to run out of land about the time we begin our next periodic review. However, it takes about 10 years from beginning a new land study to the creation of building lots. We have a problem. We can choose to ig- nore it or we can employ good planning prin- ciples and deal with it. Roxie Cuellar Director of Government Affairs Home Builders Association of Lane County 20% OFF Hair Removal Treatments (GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE) FREE CONSULTATION Expires: 3-28-07 860 Beltline Rd. Springfi eld 541-681-8599 UNMENTIONABLES Yes, over 3,000 Americans have been killed in Iraq and how many Iraqis? How many innocent men, women and children? To me what is even more despicable are the numbers unmentioned, uncounted, the many maimed or almost killed both from this coun- try and in Iraq who will never have a full life or any kind of proper care to speak of. The silent and forgotten many who don’t seem to count by those who add up the dead without concern for the horrific numbers of almost dead, the appalling toll climbing on a daily basis. I weep for these forgotten many and count them by multiplying the dead tenfold. I hang my head in shame to be from a country with a leader who has too much pride to admit defeat or the possibility of mistake. Rheychol Paris Yachats RIM EACH OTHER Once again you have shown that this paper has gotten away from what it should be. Your paper at times has some good arti- cles, written not well but at least it gave the community something other to read. This last issue (1/18), I am totally disgusted. How can you justify putting a picture of young kids on the front and on the back put in such disgust- ing writing. I refer to “Savage Love.” This idiot who is not qualified to write anything, and for sure is not a professional. A slime ball who can only write porn, and you print it. WHY? This community deserves better than a piece of garbage. I will do whatever I can to stop this. I am sending a copy of the article to the Attorney General’s office and to the pros- ecutor here in Eugene, and anyone else I can. If this is the type of crap you want to put in your paper and give it away free so every kid has access to it then I believe you should move your paper out of town. At least The Register-Guard prints news. You spout your paper as an alternative; is FEBRUARY 8, 2007 5
