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City of Eugene and LCOG Planner Receive Nature Conservancy Leadership Award <br /> On October 29, at an awards ceremony at the Oregon Zoo in Portland, the City of Eugene and Steve Gordon of Lane <br /> Council of Governments (LCOG)each received Conservation Leadership awards from The Nature Conservancy of <br /> ( Oregon for their work in the West Eugene Wetlands. The community partnership award recognizes the contributions of <br /> `j`,the City of Eugene and Mr. Gordon, in conjunction with The Nature Conservancy and other partner organizations, to the <br /> West Eugene Wetlands Partnership. <br /> Eugene Mayor Jim Torrey accepted the award on behalf of the City. "This incredible partnership and project in the West <br /> Eugene Wetlands are great examples of how a community like Eugene can balance economic development and <br /> conservation objectives,"said the mayor. <br /> According to The Nature Conservancy, the City of Eugene"shaped a <br /> future in which streams and wetlands were protected while well-planned <br /> development proceeded." Some of the most significant City programs and <br /> strategies that the organization cited were the implementation of an <br /> inclusive approach to wetlands management that involved collaboration <br /> with other environmental agencies, developers and the community; <br /> density transfers, a technique that diverts future development away from <br /> environmentally sensitive areas; and a wetland mitigation bank, a system <br /> that allows developers to build in one area in exchange for the <br /> commitment to protect or restore wetlands in other areas. 0 <br /> Mr. Gordon, natural resource program manager for LCOG,was <br /> instrumental in planning and lobbying both at the local and national level, beginning with the adoption of a Comprehensive <br /> West Eugene Wetlands Plan in 1992. His efforts, in conjunction with the partnership, have yielded more than $35 million <br /> dollars in public and private funds and resulted in the restoration and protection of more than 2,500 acres of habitat in west <br /> Eugene, including globally imperiled Willamette Valley wet prairie. <br /> The West Eugene Wetlands Partnership is a collaboration between the City of Eugene, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, <br /> The Nature Conservancy, U.S.Army Corps of Engineers, Oregon Youth Conservation Corps, U.S. Fish &Wildlife Service, <br /> McKenzie River Trust, and Willamette Resources and Educational Network (WREN). Since 1995, the partnership has <br /> acquired and restored wetlands in west Eugene, creating open space recreational and educational opportunities for the <br /> residents of Eugene and contributing to improved natural habitat and water quality. It has one of the most successful track <br /> records of any similar program in the region and is considered a national model for innovative and collaborative wetlands <br /> management. <br /> For more information about the award or The Nature Conservancy, call (503)230-1221 or visit www.nature.org. For more <br /> information about the West Eugene Wetlands Partnership, call Eric Wold,wetlands supervisor, at 682-4888. <br /> Update on Low-Income Housing Projects <br /> Two long-planned, low-income housing projects have received critical funding allocations from the State of Oregon and are <br /> now set to move forward toward construction. Both projects received an allocation of Federal Low-Income Housing Tax <br /> Credits. Once occupied in mid-2005, they will become two of over 1,270 new or acquired low-income housing units in <br /> Eugene since 1989. <br /> Santa Clara Plaza <br /> St.Vincent DePaul (SVDP)will construct the $7.8 million Santa Clara Plaza on a Eugene landbank site on Santa Clara <br /> Avenue. Rents will range from $300-400 per month and will be affordable to households at 41 -43%of area median <br /> income. Fourteen units are to be set aside for special needs populations with lower rents affordable at 37-38%of area <br /> median income. The targeted special needs populations include: homeless, parenting, teens, developmentally/physically <br /> disabled, and transitional families. <br /> The project design seeks to foster community interaction through ample outdoor community space and a centrally located <br /> community building. The sixty units are comprised of 19 one-bedroom, 22 two-bedroom, and 19 three-bedroom <br /> apartments. The use of five complementary building design types will create a visually appealing project. <br /> Special features include energy efficiency measures. Solar water heaters and drain heat recovery systems will <br /> be included, resulting in lower utility costs for the tenants. SVDP is also exploring the use of pervious concrete in order to <br /> reduce stormwater runoff. <br /> EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 3 <br /> October 30,2003 <br />