• September 30, 2013 <br />Dear Hearings Official <br />My name is Betty Grant. I currently live in River Road area. I am the mother of a 19-year-old <br />son who graduated from North Eugene high school and now attends OSU. I retired this last year <br />after working 38 years as a pediatric Physical Therapist. <br />Looking to my future, I am excited about living at Oakleigh Meadow Cohousing, where the <br />structure itself encourages sharing resources, support, and the development of meaningful and <br />lasting community relationships. Oakleigh Meadows fits perfectly with Envision Eugene's goal of <br />new development occurring within the urban growth boundary, rather than a scattering of new <br />housing intruding on farm land and open space. Oakleigh Meadow's plan is within Eugene's low- <br />density guidelines. Our development. plan provides offstreet parking both for residents. and <br />visitors in order to keep Oakleigh Lane as free as possible from parked cars. We have developed <br />parking area fencing which shields neighbors from the noise and lights invariably associated with <br />the coming and going vehicles. Buildings will be clustered together on the property in order to <br />keep as much open meadow as possible for the enjoyment of residents and neighbors alike. <br />Oakleigh Meadow's desire to build community with our neighbors means that we look forward to <br />neighbors joining with us.in enjoyment of the meadow. We will also provide valuable access to . <br />the Eugene's public Greenway, bike path and the river. I look forward to working with neighbors <br />on adopting the care of our section of the Greenway and hopefully sharing passions in other ways <br />to. care for Eugene and the state of Oregon as a whole. Oakleigh Meadow's commitment to an <br />• environmentally friendly lifestyle and the focus on the development of community is what makes <br />me so excited to be a member and future resident. <br />On a personal level, I can't wait to have a home on the bike path. Currently I live in the Santa <br />Clara neighborhood. I frequently ride my bike downtown for errands and for classes at LCC and <br />the U of O. Living at Oakleigh Meadow is going to shorten my bicycle commute by at least 20 <br />minutes! This will increase the likelihood that I will commute by bicycle an even higher <br />percentage of the time. I am very excited about easy access via the bike path both to downtown <br />and also to safe recreational riding routes north of the city. At the same time, my commitment to <br />supporting neighborhood businesses means that I will be pedaling less to haircut appointments, <br />the neighborhood library, and bicycle repair shop - as. these are all within easy walking distance <br />of Oakleigh Meadow. <br />In closing, I believe that Oakleigh Meadow cohousing is definetly compatible and harmonious <br />with the adjoining and surrounding neighborhood land-use. Yes, both Oakleigh Lane and nearby <br />McClure Street are primarily single family housing, however within a three block radius there are <br />several small apartment complexes and numerous small businesses. On the single block of <br />Oakleigh Lane itself, there is a community library (of which I am a member), a doctors office - <br />and on the corners with River Road, a shared small business parking lot on one side and and used <br />car sales lot on the other. I believe that the addition of Oakleigh Meadow Cohousing will enrich <br />the diversity of the neighborhood, benefiting everyone. We may also be a tipping point in <br />encouraging new small business development nearby to serve the area's day to day needs. <br />• I appreciate your consideration of this inventive new neighborhood model for Eugene. <br />1093 <br />