Public Comments submitted at City Council Public Hearing (9-21-2015)

Received in Public Hearing City of Eugene Planninq & Development SEP 212015 File HA15-1 -*Z 15-1 Written Statement for Eugene City Council Public Hearing for Consid&4": of an Ordinance for a Metro Plan Amendment and Zone Change for the Rest Haven Memorial Park Site Robert R. Milks 388 Dellwood Drive Eugene, Oregon 97405 Chairman of the Board of the Treehouse PUD Homeowners Association Treehouse PUD Homeowners Association Liaison to the Southwest Hills Neighborhood Association Notification for this Rest Haven Memorial Park ("Rest Haven") Public Hearing I provided written testimony and oral testimony (additional comments to submitted written testimony) at the Eugene Planning Commission's Public Hearing for a Metro Plan Amendment and Zone Change for the Rest Haven (July 14, 2015). I would have provided written testimony for this public hearing had I not received notification of this hearing approximately one hour before the deadline for submitting written testimony (5:00 p.m. on September 14, 2015). Later on September 14, I alerted Board members of the Southwest Hills Neighborhood Association about this public hearing. They were surprised to learn of this public hearing. From September 18 until September 21, talked to many home owners who have homes immediately adjacent to or are located closer to the Rest Haven property than my home, and they told me they had not received any notification of this public hearing. Therefore, it would not surprise me that you, Mayor and Eugene City Council, have received little or no written testimony for this public hearing. I am greatly concerned with the City of Eugene's notification process for this and other land use issues in Eugene. Rest Haven My major concern about the Metro Plan Amendment and Zone Change is Rest Haven is being treated by the City of Eugene ("City") as if it were simply a privately owned parcel of land in the South Hills of Eugene. I believe this treatment is wrong. For whatever reason(s), Rest Haven has been designated Parks and Open Spaces and Public Land for decades. I believe this makes Rest Haven a special area in South Eugene. Furthermore, I do not believe the issue of amending the Metro Plan and re-zoning Rest Haven should be decided by just the City and the property owner with only limited input of an extremely small number of South Eugene residents who happen to live within an arbitrary 100 to 500 feet from the Rest Haven property lines. I believe the decision making process should be inclusive of residents in a much greater area in South Eugene who heavily use Rest Haven as a park and open space.