Chase Gardens Nodal Development Plan Page 9 <br />Final Report - June 29, 2001 <br />Existing Conditions <br />Location <br />The Chase Gardens project area is centrally located in the <br />Centennial Boulevard area of northeast Eugene. The area is <br />bounded by I-105 on the north, Centennial Boulevard on the <br />south, I-5 on the east and the John Serbu Juvenile Justice Center <br />on the west (See Map A4). It is approximately 170 acres in size, <br />excluding rights-of-way for the interstate highways, Centennial <br />Boulevard, and other public roads. <br />Physical/Environmental Description <br />The land within the study area slopes gently to the northwest, <br />varying little in topography with the exception of the Q Street <br />Channel and a few tributary drainageways (See Map A8). The Q <br />Street Channel is an artificially constructed trapezoidal channel <br />about 10 feet deep that traverses the study area from the central <br />eastern border to the north-western corner. The channel is owned <br />and maintained by the City of Eugene as a flood control and <br />stormwater conveyance facility. Although most of the native <br />riparian habitat has been removed, some remains, notably adjacent <br />to the McKenna Estates and University Commons apartments. Q Street Channel <br />A main tributary, which feeds into the channel at the <br />northwest corner of the study area, is heavily treed. <br />The National Wetlands Inventory identifies the Q Street Channel and the tributary slough as <br />jurisdictional wetlands. Because they drain into the Willamette River, the Q Street Channel and <br />slough could be considered tributaries for enforcement of the Endangered Species Act, which <br />would require development to comply with local measures implementing the ”4d” rule, which <br />regulates impacts on protected Spring Chinook salmon and their habitat. <br />Most of the undeveloped land in the <br />study area is characterized by wild <br />grasses and a few copses of trees. Many <br />of the trees along Garden Way and within <br />the Historic Ensemble are over 50 years <br />old and are very large. The site’s fertile <br />soil, a function of its proximity to the <br />Willamette River, was utilized for <br />agricultural production until 1992. The <br />Chase Gardens greenhouse operation <br />propagated roses, while the land north of <br />the Q Street channel was used as a <br />Christmas tree farm. <br />The property east of Garden Way is <br />characterized by remnant filbert rows, <br />mature landscaping along I-5,Vacant Land on Centennial Boulevard <br />significant rhododendrons, and single <br />family homes on large lots.