1 <br />JANISCH Amy C <br />From:Pamela Wooddell <pjw@efn.org> <br />Sent:Tuesday, June 09, 2015 3:08 PM <br />To:KNAPP Jennifer L <br />Subject:letter for Planning Commission <br />June 9, 2015 <br /> <br />Pam Wooddell <br />52 E 23rd Ave <br />Eugene, Or <br />97405 <br />541-343-6253 <br /> <br /> <br />To Eugene Planning Commission <br />c/o Jennifer Knapp, Eugene Planning Dept <br /> <br />I sent a letter a week ago and trust that you received it. In it I expressed my concerns about the destructive effect the new <br />zoning proposal will have on my block and my concern about the plan’s perhaps unconscious bias and inequity against <br />those of modest means. I am not against the plan as a whole; I do recognize positive aspects, however, I believe it should <br />be scaled back and focus on the core area. I firmly believe it removes too many existing, quality affordable single family <br />homes from the mix and will reduce opportunity for home ownership rather than increase it. <br /> <br />I attended the Planning Commission hearing on June 2 and along with several E 23rd Ave neighbors gave a statement <br />expressing our objection to the gradual loss of these modest, well-kept, mostly owner-occupied homes. At the hearing I <br />noted that those speaking in favor of the project were either business owners or rental property owners and those speaking <br />against or expressing objections or concerns were single home owner- occupiers. <br /> <br />I have reviewed the plan’s statement of intention (page 1) several times to try to get a better understanding. The plan states <br />that its intention is to provide for a “wide range of housing types” and increase “opportunities for home ownership and the <br />supply of affordable places to live” and to “accommodate different needs and incomes levels and lifestyles”. It rather seems <br />like this plan will remove more affordable housing than it creates and will transfer ownership from lower and moderate <br />income individuals to multiple-unit owners or to those with higher income. <br /> <br />The plan also states as an intention “establishing a network of green streets and public spaces”. Overall the plan appears to <br />fill in much of the current open spaces, front and backyards, with more housing and parking. The graphics do not indicate <br />any new green spaces so this is confusing. <br /> <br />Another item under intention is “designing for human scale through design standards”. I simply do not understand what this <br />might mean. <br /> <br />Please consider reducing the area of the plan to start at 24th Ave. At the very least leave e 23rd Ave as R-1 or SFO. Please <br />consider changing 24th Ave to 3 story maximum. I agree with the goal of minimizing the expansion of the urban growth <br />boundary but this plan allows for an over-concentration of apartments. Willamette Street is soon to have fewer lanes for <br />traffic, not more. <br /> <br />Sincerely, <br />Pam Wooddell