Item A: Ordinance Adopting New PROS Comprehensive Plan

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To: From: Eugene's Mayor & City Councilors Dan Arkin 655 Goodpasture Island Rd #28, Eugene, OR. 97401 December 12, 2005 PROS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN ADOPTION - PUBLIC HEARING TESTIMONY Datc: Re: I am a member oftheMayor's Advisory Committee that worked for over two years on the comprehensive revision of Eugene's long-term plan for parks, recreation and open space needs proje(~ted over approximately the next twenty years. 1 came tonight to explain somt~ ofwbat. Ollr committee tried to accomplish and to offer a few remarks about a couple of criticisms oft.he plan raised by others. I believe each of the PROS Plan committee members feels we did our honest, level best tt) craft a plan that took into account as full a. spectrum of \vorthy goals and values as we could envision. No one of us would pretend that we covered everything pt~rfectly or got each major or minor detail ahsolutely right. But if pressed to sum up in a single word the guiding principle that we followed above aU else, I believe the committee would agree on the word "balance." In fact, here is how J said this a year ago, right after a committee meeting, as an idea for an introduction to the plan: Just as its beautiful rivers wonderfufly define and enhance the City of Eugene I s famous natural setting, Eugene is known for the variety and intensity of the many different views running like passionate currents through our vibrant cultural bloodstream. Our committee has tried to capture as many as possible of Eugene's multiple, often competing aspects and values, and to fashion out of the best of those an exciting yet practical long-term plan that honors and captures the essence of everything Eugene. Recognizing how difficult -- how impossible -- it is to please everyone here in Eugene, nevertheless the committee members and participating city staff hope we have created a visionary document filled with concepts, actions, principles and goals worthy of this unique city. From the several issues, suggestions and criticisms regarding the PROS Plan that I've heard voiced in different hearings and settings, I want to select and address these three: 1. The fact that the plan considered and contains suggestions about not duplicating, and in fa(.~t coordinating and possibly cooperatively developing, various kinds of recreation venues and programs outside the city's boundaries caused much concem. The staif and committee were under no illusion about how the plan and the city could control matters outside the city's jurisdiction. Our thoughts were focused how to best integrate anything Eugene might do into the larger regional picture without unnecessarily duplicating things Dan Arkin Page 1 12/12/05