Council votes to pave 23 alleys west of UO.

Byline: Edward Russo The Register-Guard

The largest alley improvement project in Eugene's history got the green light from the City Council on Monday.

By a 6-2 vote, councilors approved a plan to pave 23 alleys in the West University Neighborhood and assess owners for the cost, projected at $1.67 million.

The work, originally recommended by a citizens committee, is intended to improve conditions in the neighborhood, which borders the University of Oregon and is home to Sacred Heart Medical Center. The neighborhood is filled with student rentals, many of them along dirt or gravel, pothole-filled alleys.

Typically, property owners request alley paving and then the city designs the project, hires the contractors and assesses the owners for the work.

In this case, however, the city initiated the work because so many of the properties are rentals and councilors figured that the landlords would never ask for the improvements.

The owners of 160 properties along the alleys will be assessed for the work. Final costs won't be known until the project is completed in late summer.

City Councilor David Kelly, who lives in the neighborhood, said generally properties along unimproved alleys are more poorly maintained than homes along paved alleys.

The idea to pave the alleys came from a citizens committee charged with finding ways to improve conditions in the neighborhood, including reducing crime. The group also earlier suggested that the city approve a housing standards enforcement program. The program, which will allow renters to file complaints against landlords, takes effect July 1.

The Eugene Garden Club on Hilyard Street will be charged $14,600 to pave the alley next to their building. Trustee Ruth Phelps asked councilors if the nonprofit group could be assessed at a lower rate.

However, city attorney Glenn Klein told councilors that, given city rules, there was no way to give the garden club a special assessment. The only way to prevent them from paying the assessment was to remove their alley from the project, he said.

Councilors Betty Taylor and Bonny Bettman voted against the project. Taylor said she opposes any plans to assess property owners unless they request it.

Bettman said she didn't believe paving alleys would improve conditions in the neighborhood, including lowering crime. She said the paving project would set a precedent for city-initiated assessments in other neighborhoods, including some in her south-central ward.

The council also heard comments on a proposal to temporarily prevent smoking in yet-to-be-built smoking areas attached to bars and restaurants. The ban would apply in any structure that had not received a building permit by March 1.

The ban, which may last a few months, is intended to give city officials time to develop new building rules for the structures. The council also may consider banning the construction of new smoking structures altogether.

Oregon law bans smoking in most buildings accessible to the public, except in bars, bar areas of restaurants, bowling alleys, bingo halls and hotel rooms. Eugene, Corvallis and Philomath have laws that ban smoking in all buildings used by the public. However, to placate Eugene bar owners who were upset by the ban, the city has allowed taverns and restaurants to build attached smoking areas for patrons as long as they meet minimum standards for ventilation.

Public health advocates are pushing for restrictions on the smoking areas because they believe that secondhand smoke in the nearly enclosed decks, porches and patios is a threat to workers.

Bob Jensen, former owner of the Wild Duck bar and restaurant in downtown Eugene, told councilors that instead of putting more limits on smoking, the city should allow bar employees to wear breathing masks.

"Is the intent really to limit smoking, or is the intent to provide for the safety of the employees?" Jensen said.

Councilors took no action on the proposed temporary ban. They may vote on the issue on May 23.