The Eugene City Council approved the vacation of an alley way and another small area of land near the site of the University’s proposed new arena.
The approval means the University can now buy these two properties from the city, which brings the University one step closer to constructing the $200 million arena that will be located at East 13th Avenue and Franklin Boulevard.
The city council approved the sale with a 5-3 vote after discussing the issue for over an hour. To approve a property vacation, the council must rule that it is in the public interest to sell the land.
University spokesperson Phil Weiler said the University requested the vacation 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.
Before agreeing to sell the properties, council members debated the value of the land to the Eugene tax payers.
“I think that rushing this decision is not in the public interest,” Councilor Bonny Bettman said. “My motivation here is to make the alley vacation be in the public interest.”
Bettman began the work session yesterday with a motion to increase the purchase price of the parcels by nearly $1 million.
The University had already deposited $482,950 with the city as payment for the properties pending the council’s approval, Steve Ochs, associate planner for the City of Eugene, said.
Bettman said she felt the proposed price did not accurately reflect the cost the tax payers would incur by losing public land, including the loss of four parking meters and the cost of constructing a sidewalk.
However, after several councilors pointed out that it would be difficult to assign another value to the properties without postponing the decision to re-negotiate the price with the University, Bettman withdrew the amendment, opting to instead table the decision and re-negotiate the cost of the properties.
At a public hearing on the topic July 21, University officials said postponing the decision on vacating the properties could potentially cost the University millions of dollars.
Even with the acquisition of these two properties, the University must obtain a building permit from the city, which may be granted after it receives a Conditional Use Permit, before it can begin construction.
“The UO manufactured this sense of urgency to get us to prematurely grant them this alley vacation so that they can get this part under their belt, but they’re going to really sit on this for several months,” Councilor Alan Zelenka said.
Other members saw the situation differently.
“We’ve had all the time and information we need to make a well informed and thoughtful decision,” Councilor Jennifer Solomon said.
[email protected]