1. To ensure preservation of those areas most visibly apart of the entire community; <br />2. To protect areas of high biological value in order to provide for the continued health <br />of native wildlife and vegetation; <br />3. To ensure provision of recreational areas in close proximity to major concentrations <br />of population; <br />4. To provide connective trails between major recreational areas; <br />5. To provide connective passageways for wildlife between important biological <br />preserves; <br />6. To contribute to Eugene's evergreen forest edge; and <br />7. To provide an open space area as a buffer between the intensive level of urban <br />development occurring within the urban service area and the rural level of <br />development occurring outside the urban service area. <br />The Staff Report evaluates the proposed development as it relates to the Ridgeline Park section <br />purposes; and the Response Committee and neighbors have expressed numerous concerns <br />regarding the compatibility of the proposed residential development to ridgeline park system. <br />However, based on the language of the South Hills Study, these restrictions relate to and are <br />encouraged only for areas recommended for preservation or park usage. They do not expressly <br />apply to properties designated for residential development. Nonetheless, even though it is not an <br />area recommended for preservation or park usage, the following analysis evaluates how the <br />proposed development furthers several of the purposes listed. <br />The subject property is located adjacent to the Ribbon Trail, which, as noted in the Staff Report <br />and by several neighbors, is a popular trail used by the Eugene community as a connection from <br />the 30th Avenue and Spring Boulevard area to Hendricks Park. In order to buffer the proposed <br />residential development from the Ribbon Trail, the proposed PUD designates 2.33 acres along <br />the entire east property line of the proposed PUD (Tract A) for preservation. Additionally, a <br />portion of each individual lot that borders Tract A, totaling approximately 2.08 acres, is also <br />required to be preserved. Combined, the proposed development preserves a total of 4.41 acres of <br />along the eastern property line as a buffer between the residential development and the Ribbon <br />Trail. The preserved areas will help to ensure the preservation of existing trees and vegetation <br />while providing a continuous visual buffer between the adjacent Ribbon Trail and the future <br />home sites. Preservation of Tract A and the preserved areas of the individual lots bordering Tract <br />A are consistent with Policy 1. <br />In addition to the preservation areas in Tract A and on adjacent individual lots, the proposed <br />PUD designates several smaller areas of land throughout the site (Tracts B, C and D) for <br />preservation, bringing the total preservation area of the PUD site to approximately 4.54 acres. As <br />the staff note, (and as depicted on the site plan, at sheets L3.3, L3.4 and L4.0) a small area of <br />Tract A will be initially disturbed in order to install a storm drainage feature. As a result, and as <br />further described in findings of compliance with EC 9.8320(4)(b) Tree Preservation, five trees <br />will be removed in or adjacent to Tract A and ten replacement trees will be required in their <br />place. These described preservations areas will be protected from any future construction and <br />removal of trees, therefore providing for the continued health of the native wildlife and <br />vegetation, consistent with Policy 2. <br />Hearings Official Decision (PDT 17-1) 17 <br />