04/28/1986 Meeting (2) - Laserfiche WebLink

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e would pollute, despoil, and irrevocably kill the beauty, and she added that the number of sites of this quality was decreasing. Ms. Cohen suggested that if the research park will be done anyway, another site should be found for it. She said she preferred a site as far out West 11th as possible, so that industrialization could be separated from residential areas. She also cautioned against allowing short-term vision to obscure long-term foresight, and she submitted written testimony. Richard Gold, 907 River Road, said he had been one of about 250 people to participate in the First Annual Historical Riverfront Community Park Picnic last Saturday at the soccer fields near the Autzen footbridge. He passed around a poster for the event, which had been held to kick off Earth Week, and he described the wide variety of activities that the area allowed. He urged councilors to think about the unique qualities of the open space before they voted toni ght. David Thaler, 2408 Nixon Street, said that at the last meeting of the Inter- governmental Riverfront Park Commission, Pat Decker had responded that no change in the council's position could occur as a result of this hearing. Mr. Thaler also said he had spoken previously on the issue of classified research, and he felt that, like intellectual "open space," the University's and city's physical open spaces should be retained unless a compelling reason existed to limit them. Mr. Thaler said the riverfront location had been chosen because it was felt to provide an interface with University research. Instead, he said the proposed form and location of the park actually was alienating the University research community, with opposition existing both to classified research and to the development of valued open space. Mr. Thaler said that concerns also had been expressed about the process for developing the project without considering alternatives or consequences. He said the Intergovernmental Commission had decided to undertake a feasibility study, and he said he thought it would be honest for the council to endorse that. He also asked that alternative locations and consequences be included in a feasibility study. Mr. Thaler said the University student governments of last year, of this year, and elected for next year were strongly opposed to the project. He also said that adopting the present plan would be counter- productive to forming partnerships among University researchers, students, and the local economY. Sandra Vaughn, 884 Lariat Drive, coordinator for the University club sports program, said she had seen growth in recreational sports and the increasing need for sports facilities on campus. She said that men's and women's soccer, rugby, and lacrosse teams relied heavily on use of the south bank sports fields both for practice and for intercollegiate competition. She said that elimination of the field would be detrimental to the field sports program and to physical education classes and recreational programs. Ms. Vaughn said she had served on a north campus user group committee formed in 1977. She said the University in 1982 had adopted policies related to development of the north campus area, including a section pertaining to reserved areas stating that "development of the south bank field shall conform to the site plan for the area adopted by the campus planning committee." She ~ said the site plan had been designed to accommodate four sports fields in the e MINUTES--Eugene City Council April 28, 1986 Page 7