[Community] Tin C.A.N. Tuesdays, messages from the string. June 6, 2006

[Craig Topham]

Welcome to another Tin C.A.N. Tuesdays, messages from the string.

Finally, I have something worth talking about.

This afternoon I sat down with a City of Eugene Associate Planner, Lydia
McKinney. We talked a little about Eugene’s planning processes in general,
and more importantly about the Timberline Hills PUD (PDF 06-5). The
application is a request to construct a 250 unit planned development on Tax
Lot 302. This meeting we had was more of a fact-gathering endeavor for me
than anything else. I have much to learn, and that is an understatement.

It was an eye opening experience to discover this microcosm of bureaucracy
that exists within the planning department. So many laws, so many deadlines,
appeals, procedures, criteria, so many duplicate copies to be made, and
hearings, and recommendations, and requests, and deadlines, oh I said that
one already. All I can say is, “wow”.

Frankly, it’s quite mind-boggling, so the question is; do we want to engage
this issue of the Timberline Hills?

>From what I am able to gather from the Public Notice (attached) the time to
involve an effective public voice on this particular development project has
passed. The more pertinent application for the overall project was made
before this one; however, I think this could be a chance to get folks
interested in tuning into our web site, an opportunity to increase our
numbers even though this is the last major development project in the
Churchill area. Is that actually clay I see seeping up through the asphalt
on Bailey Hill?

So here is the part I ask people for advice. Do we want to do anything about
this? Do we want to send out a flier to the folks immediately affected by
this project? Could we hold an “emergency” meeting to discuss the impacts?
Would it be worth our time? Should we chain ourselves to the trees until
2010 when the bulldozers start coming through?

The floor is open.

See ya’ll around.

~Craig