2017.03.14 <br />My name is Rosemarie DeBono and I reside at 798 River Loop 2 in Eugene, Oregon. I own my <br />residence and I have resided there since 1999. <br />I am submitting my written comments about the Eugene UGB Adoption Package that was <br />discussed at the joint work session of the City of Eugene and Lane County Planning <br />Commissions on Tuesday, 2017 March 07. <br />My property is roughly one hundred feet from the west boundary of the proposed park that the <br />City is planning at the east end of River Loop 2/River Loop 1/Wilkes Drive. <br />While I understand the City and County obligation to comply with State planning laws, I <br />question why a park is being proposed in this area. I realize that the City of Eugene owns the <br />parcels that are proposed to be added to the Urban Growth Boundary. I question the methods <br />and reasoning around buying these parcels, especially since the largest parcel is agricultural land, <br />but the purchase has been completed. <br />The parcel is approximately a mile and a half from River Road with Wilkes Drive and River <br />Loop 2 being the main access roads to the property. Both of these streets are paved two lane <br />streets without sidewalks and with deep drainage channels on both sides. Both streets currently <br />suffer with speeding drivers and support a great deal of pedestrian traffic. The neighborhood <br />directly around this parcel is rural residential and agricultural. <br />I question putting a sixty acre park in this area. While I realize the notion that looking to the <br />future is good and that eventually the area will have a higher density of homes, this parcel is <br />pretty remote for a park. <br />I doubt that the area around this parcel has the infrastructure in place to support a park of this <br />size. Does that mean that River Loop 2 and Wilkes Drive will be torn up, widened, and <br />`improved' in order to deliver the needed utilities to that parcel? Similar to what has been done <br />to Irving Road and Irvington Drive? Will the LTD bus routes be expanded to run out to this <br />park? These things will greatly impact our neighborhood and not for the better. <br />Our area already has a high crime rate. The Whiteley Boat Landing at the end of Chapman <br />Drive is a known drug hangout. Putting a park next to Madison Middle School will just move <br />the drug deals closer to the school. The neighborhood does not need that. <br />The area around the boat landing and along the river currently supports a small amount of <br />homeless campers. I am concerned that the park will just bring more homeless campers into the <br />area. The City of Eugene already has a problem with their existing parks and homeless people. <br />Their staff and budget are overtaxed with trying to keep the parks safe despite the homeless <br />camps. Again, our neighborhood would be negatively impacted by this. <br />