Editor’s note: This article has been amended from its original version. Clarification appended.
The Eugene City Council has postponed a decision on whether to sell the University a small publicly-owned alley near the proposed site of the new arena that the University must acquire before beginning construction.
The struggle over the alley and adjoining street is the University’s latest hurdle in building a new basketball arena on the corner of East 13th Avenue and Franklin Boulevard.
Because the properties are city-owned, the Council must approve the University’s purchase – formally called a vacation. However, the Council can only do this if it is in the best interest of city development.
The city held its first public hearing on the issue on July 21, where supporters of the sale and those in opposition had the opportunity to address the Council.
Supporter and business owner Michael Schwartz argued that if the Council delays decision-making on this issue, it will cost the University, and indirectly the city of Eugene, millions of dollars.
“If they have to wait another year, the cost goes up and somebody has to pay for it,” Schwartz said. “That cost will be borne by the people around Eugene.”
Proponents urged approval of the sale before the Council’s three-week summer recess.
However, the Council decided to accept public comment on the issue until August 4 and make a ruling on September 14.
In total, 17 people spoke in favor of the University purchasing the property, 5 speakers considered themselves neutral and 3 were against the sale.
Alice Warner, who spoke in opposition of the alley vacation, argued that because the University’s Conditional Use Permit for the site has not been completed, the city should wait to hand over the properties before it knows what the University plans to do there.
University spokesperson Phil Weiler said that the conditional use permit requires the University to outline both what it plans to build on the site and how it will address problems that the new facility will bring.
According to the Council agenda item summary, “the (permit) is a separate land use decision which will be rendered by the City of Eugene Hearings Official after a public hearing.”
Weiler said that the University is seeking to purchase these properties because it already owns property on three sides of the Villard Alley from East 13th Avenue to East 15th Avenue and the triangular portion of East 13th Avenue near Franklin Boulevard.
“It is now an alley that doesn’t go anywhere,” Weiler said. “It would make sense to create a parcel.”
[email protected]
Clarification: Not all those in opposition at the hearing argued that because the University’s Conditional Use Permit for the site has not been completed, the city should not hand over the properties. Alice Warner, who spoke in opposition, did say that the city should wait to transfer the property until conditional use permit details are finalized.