Park District Feasibility Study Meeting – April 17

In 2006 the citizens of Eugene passed a bond that included purchasing 100 acres in the south Eugene hills.  $1.1 million was spent on 26 acres of the Amazon headwaters, and millions more on the Suzanne Arlie 515 acre park in the hills.  They city also spent $400,000 of bond money  to subsidize the proposed Kidsports complex in south Eugene, an area flooded with athletic facilities and centered on the edge of College Hill, the University and Amazon Park.

Santa Clarians had to wait eleven years for the recent 7 acre waterfront purchase for $450,000 that occurred after the Santa Clara Community Organization pointed out that the property was for sale.  There were also some small parcels purchased for neighborhood parks.  Six of the nine Santa Clara neighborhood parks are undeveloped and we have no dog park.  The city did purchase 35 acres for a community park is in a ‘Butterfly’ configuration.  There are no plans to develop the park in the near future.

In 2014, Eugene’s parks and open space director Craig Carnage said the 2006 bond goals are guidelines, not mandates.  Once again in 2018, Eugene citizens are being asked for bond money for goals, not mandates.

How have Seattle, Bend, Springfield, Tualatin Hills, Redmond and over a dozen more Oregon cities dealt with the financing and politics involved in city run park systems?  By switching to separately funded park and recreation districts.  Interested?

Volunteers at work. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a developed park at Ferndale? Where the city takes care of it and not us?

PARK DISTRICT FEASIBILITY STUDY COMMITTEE
Tuesday, April 17th
7:00 pm

Community supporters would like to invite you to attend an organizational meeting to explore the feasibility of creating a Metropolitan Park District to serve the recreational needs of the Eugene area. When speaking to neighborhood groups throughout the greater Eugene area for the past 5 months, we have noted great interest in this type of district and received very favorable results.

Now it’s time to take the next step! We would like to put together a committee of Metropolitan Park District supporters that can organize a process to achieve the goal of completing a feasibility study.

Skinner Butte park. One of many highly developed parks in the city and south Eugene area. Wouldn’t it be nice to ride a bike to something similar in the River Road area that the city maintains?

This is needed to determine if a Metropolitan Park District would be in the best interest of Eugene residents. This organizational meeting will be held Tuesday, April 17th at 7:00 pm at River Road Park and Recreation District, located at 1400 Lake Drive. And will be facilitated by Joel Robe.