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<br />
<br />EN 'Jr.JEER
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<br />PRe, ECT~..'li\r'..JAG p;:
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<br />F ,6, N N E R
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<br />December 12, 2005
<br />
<br />T'.1avor Kittv Piercv
<br /><' ." ..,I
<br />and Eugene City Council
<br />777 Pearl St1'eet, Room 105
<br />EUfJene. Ore!!on 97401
<br />{':1 . .......
<br />
<br />RE: PROS
<br />
<br />Dear Mayor Piercy and Council l'vlembers:
<br />
<br />For your convenience, I have attached a copy of my previously \vritten testimony to the
<br />Eugene Planning Commission, dated October 17,2005. In short, 1 continue with the premise
<br />that the Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan befi.lre you is fatally flawed and not ready for
<br />adoption by the City Council. My position is based on the following:
<br />
<br />1. The plan does not take into account (no inventory done) the open space ovrned by the
<br />County, State, and BU.,.j (open space, \vetland areas, dC), nor even the \ViHametie
<br />River itself and its adjoimng vegetation and bike paths. Further, the plan has not
<br />counted open space of school sites, even though by policy the City and the school
<br />distTicts are to do joint school! parks planning. In addition, pri vate1y-owned
<br />recreation and open space t~lcilities have been totaJ1y ignored, such as golf courses,
<br />nature conservancy land, etc. T believe by 1m,;, these other govemment agencies and
<br />privately-owned parks, recreation, and open space facilities cannot be ignored. 'fo do
<br />so, the City \vii.1 leave itself open to hl\vsuits.
<br />
<br />2. The plan is premature and out of balance \-vlth the other planning dements of the
<br />comrmmity, housing, economic deve1opn1cnt/ job growth, transportation, ek, are
<br />equally, ifnot more, impOltant than the City's recreational element.
<br />
<br />3. If you adopt this Hawed plan covering only parks goals and policies, the City
<br />Council's hands will be tied in the future. The City Council will be told by City staff
<br />in the future that you cannot reviSit these goals and policies because \vhat (in the
<br />future) is before you are the maps and project lists that simply implement the City's
<br />parks, recreation, and open space goals and poEcies, and if you had problems with
<br />these goals and policies, your issues should have heen raised in 2005.
<br />
<br />Please send the Plan back to staff (as a great vision) with direction to reviev/, incorporate, and
<br />coordinate this vision into the community's hroader land use planning program (a plan
<br />providing balance with your other plann.ing elements) and bring it back to the City Council for
<br />adoption sometime in the future.
<br />
<br />:Z;lrk/
<br />
<br />Larry E. Reed
<br />Principal, Land Use Planner
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