Lucy Vinis, Mayor Candidate Answers to WE CAN Questions

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1.    Eugene residents, in large numbers, have expressed support for more walkable neighborhoods.  What does a walkable neighborhood mean to you, and how would you seek to bring about more walkable neighborhoods Eugene?

I moved to my own neighborhood 25 years ago because I wanted my children to be able to walk to the neighborhood school.  I consider safe walking to be a fundamental attribute of a livable community.  As I have canvassed neighborhoods in Eugene, I’ve experienced the differences across town – some neighborhoods want sidewalks, others want to retain a “country road” ambience and don’t.  Many people express confusion about priorities in road upgrades, traffic calming and maintenance.  As mayor, I would work to improve the communication and understanding of these priorities, and the particular pressures felt in neighborhoods.  I will continue to canvass even after being elected as a way to stay in touch with these immediate concerns.

2.    What are the biggest challenges to people on foot in Eugene? How would you address these challenges?

In some neighborhoods, the biggest concern is discontinuous sidewalks, forcing pedestrians into the streets and around parked cars.  In certain parts of town, Whiteaker, River Road, and Bethel, neighborhoods are divided by broad streets with fast moving traffic and infrequent protected crossings.  In Bethel in particular, side streets that should have slow, limited traffic have become short- cuts used by faster moving through traffic which creates safety hazards. As in my answer above, I will seek to clarify road improvement priorities and improve communication and responsiveness to neighborhood concerns.

3.    Given the current economic climate, families in Eugene are struggling more and more with housing affordability. What is the most important thing we can do to ensure affordable housing in Eugene?

The key to affordability is supply of a range of housing that meets the budgets of a range of incomes.  There are multiple avenues to increasing supply.  There is some prospect that the abundance of student housing will open housing to families and individuals formerly rented by students, and that rents will not rise as fast as they might otherwise.  The city has an important land bank program to create a reserve of land for future affordable housing construction, and a number of nonprofit housing providers will have access to increased state funding.  The city, and mayor in particular, play an important role in advocating for these funds.

4.    Many people identify the Capstone apartments as the type of development they do NOT want to see more of in Eugene. Can you give an example of a development that IS what we want more of in Eugene?

Among the objections to Capstone are two visible problems: it is lacking in architectural interest or craftsmanship and it is out of scale to the neighborhood, serving as a barrier rather than a complement to the cityscape.  Other projects like the Tate and the Broadway Place apartments at Charnelton are nicely designed, quality buildings.  Even though the Tate is relatively tall for that location, it works because it doesn’t shadow the surrounding lots. South Willamette has a relatively new three story apartment building near 25th that is attractive, has adequate set backs and does not overshadow the houses to the east.

5.    Eugene is projected to add 34,000 new residents over the next 20 years. How do you propose that we accommodate this growth?

I support gradual denser development that is sensitive to the scale of the neighborhoods.  In south Willamette, for example, the area already has two story buildings within neighborhoods and three story apartments along Willamette itself.  Modest growth in buildings at that scale could help accommodate growth.  This is true of many neighborhoods – duplexes and four-plexes, townhouses, and two and three story apartment buildings can gradually increase the housing supply in many parts of our city.  

6.    Eugene has a population with a lot of different points of view. What do you see as your role in to building an atmosphere of trust and open dialog?

If elected mayor, I plan to publish a monthly “state of the city” dashboard report in the newspaper, on the website and elsewhere that would give the public a consistent and predictable update on the status of current issues.  This would help avoid the communication gap that occurs between the time the council publicly discusses a policy and when it is brought back to the council after city staff have worked on the specifics.  That time lag can be many months and contributes to a level of distrust in the decision making process. 

Chris Wig, Ward 1 Candidate Answers to WE CAN questions

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1. Eugene residents, in large numbers, have expressed support for more walkable neighborhoods.  What does a walkable neighborhood mean to you, and how would you seek to bring about more walkable neighborhoods in Ward 1 and the rest of the city?

A walkable neighborhood has sidewalks, and streets that can accommodate both cars and bicycles. A neighborhood also needs to have access to local businesses such as markets/grocers, restaurants and parks. I strongly support efforts to design our streets to be truly walkable (or rollable) and friendly to people of all ages and abilities.

As a City Councilor representing Ward 1, if elected I would be accountable to the voters in Ward 1 but also would help make decisions for Eugene as a whole. I would work with our city’s public works staff to ensure we are placing adequate crosswalks and designing streets to address the goal of walkable neighborhoods throughout Eugene as a whole.

2. What are the biggest challenges to people on foot in Eugene? How would you address these challenges?

Eugene has been largely built around cars and bicycles. We have done an excellent job adding bike lanes and paths to many of our streets, but we still have areas without proper sidewalks and streets that are difficult to cross. In addition, there are several areas where stoplights have been prioritized for vehicle traffic, forcing pedestrians to wait multiple light cycles to cross. I want to work with Eugene’s traffic engineers to better address these issues, and to secure federal grant funding for bicycle and pedestrian improvements throughout the city. Long term, we need to look for better solutions to fund road maintenance and improvements, including funding pedestrian improvements.

3. Given the current economic climate, families in Eugene are struggling more and more with housing affordability. What is the most important thing we can do to ensure affordable housing in Eugene?

I strongly believe the most pressing concern in Eugene is the lack of available and affordable housing. While this affects a wide range of community members, it most acutely affects the unhoused, underhoused and rent-burdened residents of our city. The most important thing we can do to ensure affordable housing is to increase supply by building multi-unit housing that fit the scale and character of our neighborhoods. We must acknowledge that the City has limited planning and economic development tools to incentivize development consistent with our values, including fast tracking projects, tax exemptions (MUPTE), reducing fees and urban renewal funds. Planning decisions in Eugene are controversial. To make density work, we will have to build new coalitions and offer incentives on a project-by-project basis. I am a skilled communicator and proven coalition builder, and I believe I’m the candidate who is up to the task.

4. Many people identify the Capstone apartments as the type of development they do NOT want to see more of in Eugene. Can you give an example of a development that IS what we want more of in Eugene?

The Capstone apartments were built to address a need for additional student housing and brought more residents to the urban core, but the scale and construction of the buildings themselves are not consistent with the values we want to see in new development.

There are many projects in Eugene that have increased density while respecting the character and aesthetic of local neighborhoods and the values of the community. Smaller projects, including the new apartments on Friendly Street, are a great example. When it comes to affordable housing, Cornerstone’s Willakenzie Crossing is an excellent example. These buildings provide affordable housing and were constructed to last. They offer the desired density and LEED certification, while also having the resources to help residents with families.

5. Eugene is projected to add 34,000 new residents over the next 20 years. How do you propose that we accommodate this growth?

As councilor, I will fight to prevent sprawl by advocating for policies that incentivize compact urban development and the construction of multi-unit housing along key transit corridors.

Balancing our need for increased density with our desire to protect the character of existing neighborhoods will require political acumen and communication skills to build trust between city staff and neighbors. I believe leadership means bringing stakeholders to the table and facilitating compromise so everyone can get to ‘yes.’ As DPLC Chair, I’ve proven I can successfully navigate competing coalition partners and resolve disagreements so we can get back to working together.

In order to address concerns about incompatibility between existing R-1 neighborhoods and new higher density development we must rethink how we communicate planning decisions to affected neighbors and be willing to adapt to residents’ salient concerns and provide new development that fits the form and scale of the neighborhood in which it is located.

I strongly support community benefits agreements (CBAs) as a means to ensure new development serves the needs of community members in addition to creating profit for developers. I am committed to supporting (CBAs) that incentivize developers to hire local workers, contractors and subcontractors; pay workers prevailing wages; enforce the highest health and safety standards during construction; enhance energy efficiency; and create mixed income housing opportunities. CBAs are legally binding, and I would enforce these standards both by using the bully pulpit—praising responsible developers and calling out bad actors—and through clawback provisions written into the CBA itself.

6. Eugene has a population with a lot of different points of view. What do you see as your role into building an atmosphere of trust and open dialog?

It’s important to listen to and collaborate with neighborhood advocates working in good faith around issues such as siteing and community impact, and I think the City has failed to adequately inform residents and solicit their input on high-profile projects, such as the proposed South Willamette Special Area Zone and development at Kesey Square. From my experience working with legislators like Lee Beyer and Phil Barnhart, I am prepared to set a higher standard regarding constituent work. For example, I have committed to host regular constituent outreach events (town hall meetings, constituent coffees, etc.) to provide information and solicit feedback once I am elected.

In short, we need to listen, we need to build, we need to build a lot and we need to build soon.

Bob Cassidy, Mayor Candidate Answer to WE CAN Questions

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I have reviewed the questions and find them representing many of the complex and basic problems the city government needs to deal with.  Answers or comments to all these issues would fill a book.  Simplistic "bumper sticker" type answers are quite worthless.  The personal values of a candidate are the most important when it comes to making a decision on a particular issue or motion.  And the mayor does not even have a vote on an issue unless there is a tie - as you know.

I would like to put more "power" in the hands of the council and more opportunities for dialog among them…  Trust and dialog is fostered by this sort of action.  And this is very essential in our representative government… My answers would not be a sufficientsubstitute for prolonged dialog.  My concern is how we achieve these solutions with the people we elect to do the job.

Clair Syrett, Ward 7 Candidate Answer to WE CAN questions

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1.    Eugene residents, in large numbers, have expressed support for more walkable neighborhoods.  What does a walkable neighborhood mean to you, and how would you seek to bring about more walkable neighborhoods in Ward 7 and the rest of the city?

I am very fortunate to live in the very walkable neighborhood of Whiteaker where I get to experience the health and economic benefits of a walkable neighborhood on a daily basis.  I am able to walk to the grocery store or natural food store, the pet store and other businesses. In addition, I can walk to a number of different nearby parks or other amenities. I can do all of this safely because of sidewalks and other infrastructure that creates a safe and pleasant walking experience.

While not all parts of Ward 7 wish to have their streets changed to include new sidewalks, street lights or other similar infrastructure the city can still support these neighborhoods in becoming more walkable. This includes extending the river path north of Beltline, improving sidewalk and street light in those places where neighborhoods and commercial areas intersect, and improving public transit options and infrastructure especially along major and minor corridors so that people feel safe walking from home to the bus stop.

2.    What are the biggest challenges to people on foot in Eugene? How would you address these challenges?

Safety is one of the biggest challenges I see for pedestrians. This will need to be addressed through education directed at both drivers and pedestrians, traffic enforcement and engineering. I believe that with a concerted effort we can create a culture of pedestrian safety in Eugene but it will take time.

3.    Given the current economic climate, families in Eugene are struggling more and more with housing affordability. What is the most important thing we can do to ensure affordable housing in Eugene?

This is a complex issue for which there is no single solution. I believe that the city of Eugene will need to consider adopting policies that create more opportunities for low and moderate income families to find housing. These include exclusionary zoning, increased renter protection against "no cause" evictions among others. In addition we should support policies at the local, state and national level that increase economic stability for working people including raising the minimum wage and paid family leave.

4.    Many people identify the Capstone apartments as the type of development they do NOT want to see more of in Eugene. Can you give an example of a development that IS what we want more of in Eugene?

Based on input I have received from residents, city planners and real estate professionals Eugene lacks the variety of housing options one might find in a larger city. Both younger residents and those heading into retirement are looking for housing with a smaller footprint. I believe we need to create the environment for a variety of housing types to be developed in response to the market. This would mean condos, semi-detached houses, and other forms of multi-family housing as well as the new "tiny" houses we are developing as a strategy to reduce homelessness.

5.    Eugene is projected to add 34,000 new residents over the next 20 years. How do you propose that we accommodate this growth?

The city council is on track to adopt a strategy to accommodate this growth through the Envision Eugene process. That process has identified creating more density within our urban core as the main strategy for meeting our goals. Most of this development would be along major transit routes and within downtown over the next 15 or so years.

6.    Eugene has a population with a lot of different points of view. What do you see as your role in to building an atmosphere of trust and open dialog?

I think its critically important that we provide a space for all points of view to be heard. I encourage residents to educate themselves on the issues and share their views with the council. The council must strive to be transparent as we process that input and deliberate on possible action. This is the basis for a functioning democracy in my view.