Eugene Neighborhood Matching Grants – Time to apply

Posted on September 11, 2015 by Gary Haliski

The City of Eugene Neighborhood Matching Grants cycle is now open with $50,000 available for neighborhood improvement and community-building projects. Several grants have been awarded in the Santa Clara Community, including a grant to install a kiosk, benches and bicycle rack at Awbrey Park.  Community involvement and building relationships are key components and are encouraged by requiring that the project budget include a match amount equal to, or greater than, the grant request.

TannerKiosk

Projects must include a match equivalent to the request for funding which may come from volunteer efforts or donations and may include, but are not limited to:

  • Physical improvement projects that involve recreation or public safety facilities, natural resource features, public art and spaces, or community gardens. Projects that improve universal accessibility are also encouraged.
  • Public school partnership projects that benefit school children and the immediate neighborhood.
  • Neighborhood-based events and celebrations.
  • Capacity building initiatives that serve to create, diversify, or increase participation in a neighborhood-based organization or promote an understanding of issues important to neighborhood residents.
  • Outreach, research, education or organizing projects that address planning-related topics such as transportation (pedestrian or cyclist safety), land use (neighborhood or area planning) or public safety (disaster planning, neighborhood mapping, neighborhood safety). 

  • Grant guidelines and application materials are available on the City’s web site, eugene-or.gov/matchinggrants and at the Permit and Information Center located at 99 W 10th or by calling Cindy Clarke at 541-682-5272.

All projects will be required to undergo a pre-review by October 30, 2015.

Do you have an idea for a grant, but need a little guidance? Contact SCCO board member Gary Haliski at sccoorg@gmail.com

Posted in General Interest | Leave a comment

LTD MovingAhead Meeting – Next Monday Sept 14

Posted on September 8, 2015 by Gary Haliski

Attend the MovingAhead open house from 4:00-6:00 p.m. on Monday, September 14 at the Eugene Public Library to provide your input about transit ideas in each corridor. Your input will inform what transit choices should be studied further (let’s get our voices heard).   MovingAhead will continue to look at how to improve corridors for those who walk, bike, use mobility devices, and take transit.

Your participation is critical to developing and prioritizing projects that accommodate all users along these corridors. A safe, accessible transportation system supports great neighborhoods and helps keep us and our economy healthy.
corridor exampleCAN’T ATTEND THE OPEN HOUSE?

That’s no problem. Go to MovingAhead.org to participate in the online open house and click on the River Road option.  The link to giving your input is in the right hand column of the River Road Corridor page.

Learn more about the project, study the corridors being investigated, and provide your comments. You have until September 21 to participate online, so don’t wait!
For more information about MovingAhead, visit MovingAhead.org or sign-upmoving-ahead-logo on the mailing list.

You can also contact the project team at questions@MovingAhead.org.

Posted in Transportation | Leave a comment

Meeting recap – Beaver-Hunsaker – please take action

Posted on September 4, 2015 by Gary Haliski

TransPlanBannerSenior Transportation Planner Becky Taylor (Lane County) and Transportation Planning Engineer Chris Henry (City of Eugene) attended the September 3rd SCCO meeting to seek more information about the Beaver-Hunsaker and Beaver-Wilkes transportation projects.

Both projects are in the 20 year Transportation Plan, but the planners need more information from the stakeholders (Santa Clara residents and businesses) to help develop a fully-accessable Beaver-Hunsaker system and to determine if a Beaver-Wilkes connection is needed.

Comments from local residents were very consistent regarding Beaver-Hunsaker:

  • The fact that riding a bike along Beaver-Hunsaker is dangerous was repeated many times.
  • There is no true bicycle lane, just a fog line that sometimes has just a few inches of pavement before turning to gravel.
  • It was also noted that the apartments on the Beaver-Hunsaker curve are being converted to affordable housing and that there will likely be more affordable housing built at that location.  The residents of the housing units will undoubtedly need safe pedestrian or bicycle passage to LTD bus stops or the transit station.
  • Only serious bicyclists venture onto River Road because of the speed of traffic and the number of turns made by cars onto streets and into driveways.  Safe bicycle routes need to be established to encourage bicycling in Santa Clara.

Comments on the potential Beaver-Wilkes connector:

  • Residents who live east of River Road pointed out that a Beaver-Wilkes connector is needed to take pressure off of the corner of Hunsaker and River Road.  There is a large 130 house project underway along River Road that will dramatically increase the automobile load on River Road.   Three smaller developments are under way on the east side of River Road that will add even more traffic.  A Beaver-Wilkes connector would keep some of the traffic from the three smaller projects off of River Road.
  • Additionally, there are no north-south bicycle routes east of River Road and bicycling on River Road is scary. Many potential bike riders choose not to ride rather than risk riding on River Road.
  • A Beaver-Wilkes connector would establish a bike corridor to Beaver that could start as far north as East Beacon.  Bicycles could use Scenic for a long stretch and then make their way to Wilkes.  Then hopelly head to Beaver via a new connector.  From Beaver it would be a quick trip to Division, then to the path under Beltline and onto the river bike path.

One of our residents, Casey McCright, asked the planners how we could help the projects to happen sooner than later.  The reply was that the planners need to hear from people in Santa Clara.

You can direct comments to Becky Taylor at the county via email or ask questions by calling 541-682-6932.

Documents for those who love documents:

Beaver-Hunsaker Corridor Study (Includes Beaver-Wilkes extenstion)
Beaver-Hunsaker Project Scope and Map
Beltline Improvements from River Road to Coburg Road.

PS.  I am encouraging anyone who attended the meeting to use the comment form below to perhaps add to the recap of the meeting.

Posted in Beaver-Hunsaker & Multi Use Path, Transportation | Leave a comment

Parks Survey Due by Sept 12

Posted on September 3, 2015 by Gary Haliski

Screen Shot 2015-09-03 at 8.01.47 AMIf you haven’t filled out the park survey, please do so by September 12.  The city has mentioned in the past that they haven’t heard from Santa Clara on some key issues, so here is our chance.

This well written  and quick to fill out survey offers opportunities to write in your comments.  You may want to comment that you would like the community park near Madison Middle School built sooner than later, that you would like more soft trails, more river trails, etc.

With the multitude of new housing projects popping up in Santa Clara, the need for park improvements in our community will continue to grow.  Click here and scroll to the  bottom of the page to find the survey.

Posted in Parks - Dog Parks | Leave a comment

SCCO meeting Thursday, Sept 3. Beaver-Hunsaker input needed

Posted on September 1, 2015 by Gary Haliski

PLANNING A REDESIGN OF BEAVER — HUNSAKER

BEAVERHunsakerThere will be a redesign of Hunsaker and Beaver Streets.  Our September 3rd meeting will feature an early discussion about what that redesign will look like.

Becky Taylor, senior Transportation planner for Lane County is interested in hearing what issues need to be considered in this redesign and is interested in hearing from those of us who use this road regularly.

SCCO Meeting
Thursday September 3, 7 p.m.
Messiah Lutheran Church, 3280 River Road

Posted in Beaver-Hunsaker & Multi Use Path, Transportation | Leave a comment