Item B: Parks, Recreation and Open Space Comprehensive Plan

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Public Testimony Deborah P. Jeffries Page 5 The only specific category helow the projected 2025 goal is Neighborhood parks. But 150 acres of need is only about 12% of the total need PROS is attempting to establish. Of course, it should be remembered that the total acres of existing open space, parks and recreation not listed in the PROS exceeds 4000 acres. While the planning area may he short 150 acres of neighborhood park acres in the next 20 years of population growth, the PROS planning area is certainly not lacking in total parks, recreation and open space acres. III. Citizen Participation As previously stated, the planning area extends far outside the City of Eugene boundaries. Throughout the PROS document, community participation has been emphasized. However, City staff has neglected to state that the "'series of six public workshops", focus groups, "statistically valid community survey" and community group presentations were to City of Eugene populations. In fact, all of the "advertising" of this process was a "City of Eugene" PROS. There was never a point of clarification that this process was inclusive of property in the DT area, Metro planning area or property beyond that boundary. While Staff is quick to defend that no property owner received individual notice of this process, this should not be accepted as a defense that property owners outside the City's should have known about the City's activity simply because there were advertisements in the Register Guard or in neighborhood meetings. For example, RiverRidge Golf Complex is not located in the City limits and the 33 acres adjacent to the Willamette River is not even in the UGB. Consequently, as a property owner, I received no notices from the City or the Cal Young neighborhood association about future City plmming activity. I also have no reason to believe the City is including property outside their administrative land use boundary (DGB). Frankly, there is no excuse for this lack of clarity in the advertising. No excuse for not including citizens outside the City limits. There were nine (9) City staff participating on the PROS project management team headed by project manager, Andrea Riner. It is unbelievable that not one ofthe members thought of this omission in this almost three year process. Summary Here are my suggestion/recommendations 1. The adoption process should be stopped. First of all there is no Oregon State statute in the land use process that requires a PROS as a refmement to the Metro Plan. It is optional to local governments. 2. The Platming Commission should direct Staff to do a complete inventory of ALL ParkJRecreation and Open Space WITHIN the DGB. Since they have done all City owned areas, this should not he too difficult to add the private and other public sector property.