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h.=,,. , <br /> ' U.S. Department of Justice J ~ ~ e . 3( <br /> 4=~W~ Karin J.Immergut 5~M?OIN' 12~ <br /> r.: <br /> g ~ REC MANA~~ United States Attorney <br /> BY ~~Y ~ District of Oregon • <br /> MAR 13 20Go 1000 SW Third Avenue, Ste. 600 (503) 727-1000 <br /> Portland, OR 97204-2902 Fax: (503) 727-1117 <br /> March 9, 2006 ~ <br /> The Honorable Kitty Piercy, Mayor <br /> City of Eugene <br /> 777 Pearl Street, Room 105 <br /> Eugene, OR 97401 <br /> Re: City Parking Garage <br /> Dear Mayor Piercy: <br /> I read with considerable concern the March 8 article in the Register Guard entitled, "Crowd <br /> vows to fight Whole Foods, parking garage before City Council." The article was sub-titled on <br /> « , <br /> Pa » <br /> e C4 <br /> as Gar <br /> g a e: O <br /> g pponents say there s no need. I am writing to express my concern about the <br /> sentiment of this opposition, and to provide you with my opinion that there is indeed a strong need <br /> for this parking garage at the proposed location. <br /> A recent Building Security Assessment Report of the Wayne Morse Courthouse had this to <br /> say about the parking issue: <br /> "At this point in the construction process, there does not appear to be a plan to build <br /> a public parking area as part of the facility. As such, most visitors to the U.S. Courthouse, <br /> as well as a large number of employees, will have to park along adjacent city streets or in <br /> public parking lots a few blocks away. Many, if not most of these pedestrians will have to <br /> cross busy city streets in order to access this facility. ,The Federal Protective Service is <br /> concerned that this could heighten the risk of a pedestrian being struck by a motor vehicle. <br /> A second concern to the Federal Protective Service is that many employees or <br /> visitors will have to walk back to their parked vehicles through areas with a moderate level <br /> of criminal activity. This risk is elevated during the winter months when employees and <br /> .visitors maybe leaving the facility at night." <br /> One of our Assistant United States Attorneys, Ms. Leslie Baker, has already been struck and <br /> seriously injured by a hit and run vehicle in a cross-walk on the same street our employees will be <br /> required to cross to obtain. access to the. new courthouse. Seventh Avenue, where Ms. Baker was <br /> hit, turns into Mill Street as it divides under the overpass. Indeed, Mill has even heavier traffic than <br /> 7`h because in addition to the 7`h Avenue traffic, there is an on-ramp from the freeway which empties <br /> onto Mill Street. <br /> A recent Register Guard article entitled, "Drivers Court a Dilemma," spoke of the parking <br /> <br /> . problem. The article :read, in pertinent part, ..the building will have only 80 parking spaces in <br /> <br />