Mayor, Councilors, and City Manager; 2-21-24 <br />Regarding your ongoing discussion of the "RR -SC Neighborhood Plan" and 'code' in general; below is a <br />photo update (photos taken yesterday) of the 'Howard Meadows' development — also a question and <br />comment or two. I sincerely hope you have each had or will take an opportunity to visit the site to gain <br />valuable perspective. <br />IMO (which is as subjective as it gets) - based on recent State rulings and what City 'code' and City <br />Planning now allow: it really is appalling to see the negative impacts a developer (if they choose) can <br />have on individuals, neighborhoods and our, collective, Eugene community. <br />Many of 'Howard Meadows' potential negative impacts, mentioned in previous comments, are quickly <br />becoming very real. Following the "for every action there's a reaction" refrain, the question now is; what <br />comes next? It is understood that, unfortunately, some decisions are out of Eugene policy -makers' <br />control. For those development decisions that are in your control, it is imperative to make good, <br />proactive ones. 'Howard Meadows' serves as a cautionary example of how important that is. <br />The threat of erosion and potential flooding problems for neighbors of 'Howard Meadows' is obvious <br />now. The City -approved, non-sensical (IMO) design to raise the elevation of 'Howard Meadows' did not <br />include measures to address stormwater concerns related to the property -line embankments the fill <br />created. Now, rain erodes those embankments and the 8'-10' wooden fence the developer is installing <br />will be the only 'retaining' apparatus. Photos don't really do it justice. See the situation on the ground at <br />'Howard Meadows' to realize how perpetually awful and potentially dangerous it is for those neighbors. <br />To combat the invasion of privacy 'Howard Meadows' brings with it, one neighbor plans to make the <br />developers' 8'-10' fence twelve -feet tall, to block the new buildings' ground floor sight -line. They also <br />plan at least two twenty -foot -tall 'art installations' to block the second story sight -lines. Their reasoning; <br />both will be safe constructs and any 'code' they might violate will be contested and eventually <br />overturned, they believe, at the State level - as being too subjective. <br />Neighbors dread what it will look like when the 40 -plus new households of 'Howard Meadows' start <br />looking for parking spaces nearby. What lessons did the City and County learn from the'ECCO <br />Apartments' example? What lessons did those neighbors learn? What action can either City or County or <br />neighbors take to mitigate the matter? To get a good sense of the issue, time your site -visit to 'Howard <br />Meadows' to coincide with the time parents come to pick up kids from the 3 schools nearby. <br />Gardening is central to the 'quality of life' for many of 'Howard Meadows' long-established neighbors <br />and to the 'character' of River Road (the "River and Garden District"). Now, buildings are so tall and close <br />that those on the West side of the development will not get sun on their plots until almost noon. They <br />ask; 'isn't there a solar 'code' meant to protect adjoining properties from that?' <br />The only constant is change, as we all know. Not long -ago residential density was, obviously, a fraction of <br />what it is now and Council was discussing 'Context Sensitive Design' as a development strategy. I hope <br />you and the County will recognize — and are able to act on - solutions in the 'RR -SC Neighborhood Plan' <br />meant to bridge sensibly and equitably the 'then' to the 'what comes next' for our community. <br />Sincerely, <br />Steve Norris, River Road <br />34 <br />