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funding at the time. He was happy that it was on the priority list, but unhappy that it was listed as a Priority 3. He felt opportunities for funding were being lost, given that it was not likely to be developed for 10 to 15 years. He observed that it was an atypical park as it was a joint operation between Lane County and the City. He asked that the project be moved up to Priority 1, or if not, that it be split into two pieces: the planning piece as a Priority 1 project, and the development piece as a project with a lower priority. Azra Khalidi , 4023-K Donald Street, averred that the City of Eugene had not had strong enough land use laws when it annexed south Eugene in the 1960s and 1970s. She noted that the construction business had become a booming industry. She was afraid that the Amazon Headwaters would be lost along with surrounding riparian areas and trees if it was not protected. She strongly recommended that the existing Amazon Headwaters land and its environs be designated as park land. She thought this should be achieved by working with Lane County. She urged the council to think regionally and act locally. Debbie Jeffries , 3800 North Delta Highway, asserted that the existing inventory the project list was based upon did not include private sector park land and also did not include land owned by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and The Nature Conservancy (TNC). She said the latter totaled 1,500 acres. She had not thought to participate in the process, given that her property was under the County’s jurisdiction. She related that in her case, as well as Eugene Sand & Gravel, there had been no participation and she had been assured that the comprehensive plan did not include her property. She said the linear park total was referenced with partner funded acres on page 5 of the memorandum, but the people who owned the property along the McKenzie and Willamette rivers were all County residents and none of them had participated. She indicated that she did not know who of the property owners intended to partner with funding as no one she had spoken to had agreed to this. She asked that the council take a hard look at the overall comprehensive plan and list and remove the people who were under County jurisdiction. Nancy Pollard , 4671 Spring Meadow, Principal of Madison Middle School, stated that the School District 4J greatly valued partnering with the City. She reiterated that the synthetic surfaces added hours of service to athletic fields. She stated that Madison Middle School just opened a new building and had been without a field for a number of years. She hoped that field development would begin this spring. She thanked the council for supporting the community’s young people. Mary Monette , 3261 Richard Avenue, co-chair of the Friends of Golden Gardens Park, stated that the group developed a 50-point proposal for step-by-step improvement of the park. She stressed the necessity of moving the park up from a Priority 5 to a Priority 1. She expressed appreciation for the council’s willingness to undertake the feasibility study. She related that the group wished to work with Eugene Fire and Emergency Medical Services immediately to develop safety measures for the park before the summer. She reiterated that the group wanted to purchase the land around the ponds in order to slope the sides. She said the first rough cost estimate they had was $400,000. She commented that the purchase of another 100 acres around the Golden Gardens Park could be used for more ball parks. She felt the location was the perfect setting for a wonderful park. She conveyed her appreciation for all of the help the group received from staff and the council. th Jon Belcher , 1240 West 15 Avenue, #4, on behalf of the Jefferson Greenway Committee, wanted to keep alive the Jefferson Amazon Greenway. He related that in 1998, a group of Jefferson/Westside neighbors developed a vision to naturalize the Amazon Canal along the Fairgrounds and maintain the passive uses of the south side of the Fairgrounds, including the City park plan that was once the Jefferson Pool site. The neighborhood group worked with the Fair Board to develop a conceptual plan (copies of which were provided to the council) that met the Fairgrounds’ needs and the vision of the neighbors who approved the MINUTES—Eugene City Council April 10, 2006 Page 18 Regular Meeting