Area projects get $51 million boost.

Byline: Jeff Wright The Register-Guard

A $5 million federal appropriation for street improvements around the new U.S. federal courthouse means that the city can save urban renewal funds for other development priorities, Eugene Mayor Jim Torrey said Monday.

The courthouse is the big-ticket item among local projects funded in an omnibus spending bill passed by Congress over the weekend. There's also $4 million headed to Lane Transit District to buy five buses for its planned rapid-transit corridor between Eugene and Springfield, and $1.25 million for the Eugene Airport.

Torrey, who served as lead presenter when local agencies' "united front" lobbying group visited Washington, D.C., last spring, said the courthouse project funding is great news - especially in light of President Bush's efforts to tighten spending on transportation projects.

He credited Oregon's congressional delegation, especially U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio, for working hard to secure the funding. Without DeFazio's seniority and standing in the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, "I can assure you we would not have gotten this," Torrey said about the courthouse funding.

"Normally, you'd expect it to take 10 years to get something like this," Torrey said. "This came at an amazing speed."

Local governments didn't get everything they asked for, however. Among the items not funded: $15 million for the Interstate 5/Belt Line Road interchange and nearly $2 million for an extension of the South Bank Trail in Eugene. A proposed west Eugene wetlands education center also missed out.

Other projects got a lot less than requested.

Local officials originally asked for $6 million for courthouse road improvements - but will gladly settle for $5 million. Torrey said he already has talked with state transportation officials and others this week to explore how to come up with the remaining $1 million.

Among other things, the courthouse work will extend Sixth Avenue east along the railroad tracks to Franklin Boulevard at Hilyard Street, widen Eighth Avenue between Mill and Hilyard streets, and extend Ferry Street north from Eighth Avenue to the new Sixth Avenue.

The street improvements are key to redeveloping the area and getting 42,000 cars a day around the planned $70 million courthouse now under construction. The funding means work on the street improvements can begin next spring as scheduled, Torrey said.

The federal General Services Administration refused to approve the courthouse project until the city committed to the road improvements. An anxious City Council pledged to commit urban renewal dollars to assure the project if the federal dollars didn't come through.

Now, Riverfront Research Park Urban Renewal District money can be considered for other development needs around the new courthouse, Torrey said. As for congressional "pork," the use of federal dollars to pay for roadwork serving a new federal courthouse is entirely legitimate, he said.

Also receiving less funding than requested was dredging of the Siuslaw River. Port of Siuslaw officials had asked for $508,000 but received only $125,000.

The money isn't enough to sustain average seasonal dredging needs on the Siuslaw over multiple years, said Port of Siuslaw Manager Tom Kartrude.

However, Kartrude said he's grateful for any amount above zero - as proposed by President Bush for most "low commercial use" ports. The Army Corps of Engineers "can't put money into a nonexistent fund," said Kartrude. "But as long as we're on the list, they have the ability to move funds around."

Also receiving money for dredging was the Port of Coos Bay with $6.1 million.

The federal bill also includes $1.25 million to pay for an instrument landing system for the new runway at Eugene Airport. The appropriation is the latest in more than $7.3 million that DeFazio has helped win for the airport since 1989, said spokeswoman Kristie Greco.

DeFazio said in a written statement that the bill includes more than $51 million in federal money for projects throughout his 4th Congressional District. That figure includes $13 million for Pacific coastal salmon restoration.

Nonetheless, DeFazio said he "reluctantly" supported the bill because of reduced support for small businesses and other needs, and too much money earmarked for Mars spacecraft and military and economic aid to other countries.

The allocation to LTD means that the transit district is still on schedule to begin rapid transit in September 2006, said administrator Linda Lynch. The $4 million will cover 80 percent of the cost of an initial fleet of five sleek rapid-transit buses, she said.

The bill includes nearly $1 million for repairs to Fern Ridge Dam, where pipes in the dam's drainage system have corroded, compromising the dam's stability. The money will be used to develop a plan for rehabilitating the drainage system.

A related $200,000 will help restore Fern Ridge Lake's ecosystem, and $250,000 will help restore the Delta Ponds in Eugene. The plan is to connect the ponds to the Willamette River to establish a flood plain habitat, and to improve water flow and quality.

For the first time, jurisdictions represented in this year's "united front" lobbying team included the city of Coburg. For its troubles, the city won $300,000 to help with sewage infrastructure needs, as well as seeing $3 million allocated for improvements to its I-5 interchange.

Other jurisdictions represented this year were the cities of Eugene and Springfield, Lane County, LTD and the Springfield School District.

The united lobbying approach has been so successful that other communities around the country are copying it, Torrey said. "I kind of liked it when we were the only ones," he said.

FEDERAL FUNDING

Local projects funded in Congress' omnibus spending bill

U.S. federal courthouse road projects: $5 million

Lane Transit District rapid-transit buses: $4 million

I-5/Coburg exit interchange improvements: $3 million

Eugene Airport new runway instrument landing system: $1.25 million

Fern Ridge Dam repairs: $993,000

Mobility International disability exchange: $500,000

Coburg wastewater infrastructure improvements: $300,000

Delta Ponds restoration: $250,000

Lane County Youth Services (mental health for at-risk youth): $250,000

Springfield Schools Plus after-school program: $200,000

Fern Ridge Lake restoration: $200,000

Port of Siuslaw dredging: $125,000