The University will use two recently-acquired properties to build parking lots that will reduce the volume of street parking near its new arena.
The two sites for the future lots, within blocks of the arena, are the former Joe Romania Chevrolet dealership and the former Oregon Department of Transportation lot, according to the University’s Oregon Arena Conditional Use Permit Application filed Monday.
The University had originally planned that the arena’s parking needs be met in the form of on-street parking in the Fairmount Neighborhood, a decision that raised many concerns among neighborhood residents.
Because the City Planning Office had initially ruled that the development of the arena be classified as “University or College” – a classification that enables the University to build whatever building it feels necessary – the University was able to use on-street parking to meet parking space requirements for the facility.
The Fairmount Neighborhood Association appealed the decision, saying that because the arena was going to be used for community events and concerts it did not meet the “University or College” classification standards.
The Association won its appeal in June, which meant that in addition to filing a time-consuming conditional use permit application with the city, the University would need to locate all off-street parking solutions.
“The conditional use permit is more restrictive on how parking needs can be met,” Julie Brown, University spokesperson, said. According to the application, the new lots will provide nearly 550 additional parking spaces.
The University only recently acquired the former ODOT and Romania sites; however, it had not intended to use them for arena parking.
“Plans had not been fully developed on how they were going to be used, but the University was hoping to use them for other things,” Brown said.
In addition to the two new parking lots, the University has identified more than 2,000 parking spaces classified as “on-site” spaces in the underground parking structure that will be built beneath the arena and on the University campus itself.
Brown said the University is still working closely with the neighborhood association to address concerns regarding traffic congestion, on-street parking, noise and trash that the arena events will bring.
The University’s permit application addressed other issues that the increased traffic to the area would bring, including proposing several modifications be made to key intersections and streets near the arena to help ease traffic congestion.
[email protected]