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June 30, 1992 <br /> Christine Andersen <br /> Director of Public Works <br /> City of Eugene <br /> 858 Pearl Street <br /> Eugene, OR 97401 <br /> Dear Ms. Andersen: <br /> At our general membership meeting on June 23, 1992, the Eugene Off -Leash Association <br /> (formerly the Morse Ranch Off -Leash Association) formally voted to oppose the city staffs <br /> proposed changes to the off -leash area in the East Pasture of Morse Ranch Park. Our <br /> association's opposition is based on the same points we raised in our May 18, 1992 letter to <br /> Mr. Doug Post. <br /> We have yet to receive any formal response to our May 18 letter and do not believe the <br /> issues we raised have been given the consideration they deserve. The prevailing rumor is <br /> that the City intends to implement the changes as originally proposed. <br /> We reiterate our concerns about the original staff proposal: <br /> 1. Since the opening of other off -leash areas, use of the Morse Ranch Park off -leash area <br /> has dropped dramatically. We believe the availability of other locations has decreased <br /> impacts so much that closure of the major portion of the East Pasture is unnecessary. <br /> 2. Restricting the off -leash area to the west portion of the East Pasture makes pedestrian <br /> access from some areas difficult. Loss of the existing access from Lincoln Street, which is <br /> regularly used by several dog owners who walk to the Park from Lincoln, Olive, Prall and <br /> West 35th, and lack of any pedestrian facilities along Crest Drive would make pedestrian <br /> access to the revised off -leash area extremely unattractive and potentially dangerous. <br /> 3. Limiting the off -leash area to the portion of the East Pasture west of the stream <br /> appears to increase actual or potential conflicts with other Park users. It forces the dog <br /> activity into an area nearer to the Willamette Wildlife Center, the picnic area, and the Morse <br /> home. <br /> 4. Reducing the size of the off -leash area will concentrate the impact and <br /> increases the potential for damage in the remaining area. We feel there are other <br /> alternatives which would adequately protect the stream bank, especially in light of the fewer <br /> number of users. <br /> 5. The draft proposal indicates the smaller area would be approximately 2 areas, which <br /> is approximately the size of the fenced area at the two new locations. Is there any particular <br /> information which leads you to recommend this as the "proper" size? In recent months, we <br /> have actively encouraged Park users to rotate their use to give well-used areas a chance to <br /> recover. The proposal would limit that option. <br /> 6. One Parks and Recreation Commission member expressed concern that handicapped <br /> access is not provided to the East Pasture. It appears that handicapped access could be <br /> provided more readily from Lincoln to the East Pasture than from the parking lot. <br />