Laserfiche WebLink
Parks,OpenSpaceandNaturalAreas <br />CurrentSituation <br />Parks,OpenSpaceandNaturalAreasareaddressedseparatelyfromRecreationServicesforthree <br />reasons.Thecurrentformsoflocaldeliveryoftheseservicessuggestsalogicaldivisionbetween <br />recreationandparks(forinstancetheCityoperatesparksservicesoutofthePublicWorksDepartment, <br />andrecreationservicesoutofaRecreation,LibraryandCulturalServicesDepartment).Secondly,open <br />spacepreservation(and/orthegradualdisappearanceofopenspaceevenifsuchspaceissimply <br />privatelyownedÒfallowÓlandofnodistinctconservationoragriculturalvalue)isakeyÒdriverÓinhow <br />residentsofcommunitiesintransitionreacttogrowth.Finally,theproximityofbothcommunitiestothe <br />WillametteRiverGreenway;and,inthecaseoftheSantaClaracommunity,proximitytothe <br />Eugene/SpringfieldUrbanGrowthBoundary(UGB),provideuniqueopportunitiesforpreservingopen <br />spacesthatcanhelptosustainelementsofthetwocommunitiesruralheritage. <br />AsdiscussedinmoredetailundertheRecreationsectionofthisWhitePaper,theRiverRoadsParksand <br />RecreationDistrictprovidesrecreationservicesandmaintainsoneparkandrecreationcenter(Emerald <br />Park)intheRiverRoadcommunity,butdoesnototherwisemanageopenspacesornaturalareas.River <br />RoadParksdoesprovidesomerecreationprogramsoff-siteinleasedfacilities.Thereisnocomparable <br />specialservicedistrictservingtheSantaClaracommunity.TheCityoperatesitsparksandopenspace <br />servicesandfacilitiesthroughadivisionofthePublicWorksDepartment.LaneCountyalsoprovides <br />parksservices,andistheoperatoroftworiversideboatlandingsontheWillametteRiveradjacenttothe <br />SantaClaracommunity. <br />TheCityisundertakingorplanningnumerousparksupgradesandacquisitionsintheRiverRoadand <br />SantaClaracommunities,primarilyutilizingdevelopment-generatedsystemdevelopmentcharge(SDC) <br />fundsandthe1998Cityparksandopenspacebondmeasuretofundtheseimprovements.TheCityis <br />presentlyconcludinganupdateofitsParks,Recreation,andOpenSpaceComprehensivePlan,which <br />includesaproposedcommunityparkinSantaClara,anumberofneighborhoodparkacquisitions,anda <br />linearparkandnaturalareaalongtheWillametteRiver.TheCityisalsointheprocessofcompletinga <br />naturalfeaturesinventory,tocomplywithnewrulesrequiredbyStatewidePlanningGoal5,with <br />particularemphasisonwetlandsandstreamcorridors.Astreamcorridoracquisitionprogramisfunded <br />throughstormwateruserfees,withseveralpriorityacquisitionsintheSantaClaraarea. <br />Inaddition,theMetropolitanWastewaterManagementCommission(providerofregionalsanitarysewer <br />services)hasacquiredalargeamountofopenspacenorthoftheSantaClaracommunityandoutsideof <br />theUGBforpoplarfarms,biosolidsmanagement,andseasonalwastewatertreatment.Giventheuses <br />contemplatedfortheseWastewaterCommissionsites,however,publicusageasaccessibleopenspace <br />mayobviouslybegreatlylimited,ifnotaltogetherproscribed. <br />Finally,aproposalwasunderpublicreviewin2005foraUGBÒlandswapÓanddevelopmentagreement <br />involvingpropertiesbothwithintheSantaClaracommunityandinanotherpartoftheCitythatwould <br />secureanew77acresiteinthenorthwestportionoftheSantaClaracommunity.Someresidentsofthe <br />SantaClaracommunityhaveproposedanalternativeparkandrecreationdevelopmentscenario. <br />Currentlythislandswapproposalhasbeenshelved. <br />RiverRoad <br />TheWillametteRiverGreenwayimmediatelyabutstheeasternedgeoftheRiverRoadcommunityfroma <br />wastewatertreatmentplantinthenortheastcornerofthecommunitytothecommunityÕssouthernmost <br />boundary.Exceptforonesmallprivatelyownedlot,theCityÕs67acresofriverGreenwayiscontinuous <br />andadjacenttotheRiverRoadcommunity,andawestbankpedestrianandbikewayhasbeen <br />constructedformostofthislength.Greenwayimprovementsandfacilitiessuchasriveraccesspointsand <br />RiverRoad/SantaClaraCommunityTransitionProject19 <br />TransitionandHeritageWhitePaperMay2006 <br /> <br />