were hit almost daily, no bicycles were allowed to use it as the shoulders were not safe <br />enough, and there were serious landslides at the 30th/Spring Connector twice after <br />heavy rain. The Transplan and early Refinement Plans, stated there was to be no North <br />off of 30th after the Road Advisory Board, Lane County Commissioners and the Eugene <br />City Council studied and each separately voted unanimously to not have traffic come to <br />the North as it was too dangerous for 30th and for the narrow winding streets of the <br />Laurel Wood, Fairmont, and Laurel Hill Valley Neighborhoods, nor to Central Av., Spring <br />Bv., the Glenwood Interchange or 15. It was a condition of building the overpass for the <br />development south of 30th. There was a lengthy lawsuit by the Fairmont Neighbors <br />disallowing the use of Spring Bv., Central Bv., or 30th Av. on the north side trying to use <br />tax lot 301 for development. It is now used by the City for Park Trail on the north side of <br />30th Av., it was not a Right-of-Way, not able to be transfered with sale, but for use by <br />only two people to access a piece of property which they never did. <br />After living here this long, these were wise decisions that has helped get the Oregon <br />Chub off the endangered species list, helped preserve the water quality in the <br />Willamette River below, and until recently when great numbers of fir trees were cut, <br />we've enjoyed coyotes, foxes, raccoons, deer, owls, hundreds of bird species because <br />of the orchards here, pileated woodpeckers, a variety of squirrels, red legged frogs, <br />chipmunks, even the cougar who slept in the tree above if caught off guard by a dog <br />and walker when the trail first cut through. Living on the edge of a forest works, they're <br />considered resorts because of the quality of life they add, property value goes up. <br />Many cities are now doing wildlife corridors through them, restoring damage from <br />freeways and making it part of their planning as we realize we've considered animals so <br />unimportant that we have created a serious extinction problem. <br />Another major consideration is the noise in this valley, the Laurel Hill Valley is an <br />amphitheater, sound is magnified, you hear 15 and 30th Av. constantly, but now it's <br />recreation people talking on cell phones on the trail and homeless people at night, and <br />as the neighbors here will attest, owls sound like car alarms when distressed by the loss <br />of habitat and go from around f OPM to 4AM most nights. Additionally, it is hard to be a <br />part of the current planning, today is an important UGB and TSP meeting on the same <br />day. It would be so helpful if the neighborhood groups were assessed about the real <br />plans by our visiting city counselors and city neighborhood staff. We really do <br />appreciate all your work and especially when it starts at the neighborhood level when it <br />effects all of us so deeply. <br />Katie Dixon & Bill Blix <br />2295 E. 29th Av. <br />Eugene, Oregon 97403 <br />541-343-1957 <br />