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‘,41i 1 # / ; CASCADES RAPTOR CARE CENTER & Environmental Learning Program ` A'v‘ _ - P.O. Box 5386, Eugene, OR 97405 ' (541) 485 -1320 FAX (541) 485 -4586 � t ' I , c 0 January 31, 1999 °* ) Carole Martin City of Eugene - Finance Dept PO Box 1967 Eugene OR 97440 RE: Request for Extension of Financing, Land Sale Contract No 94 -00254 - 32275 Fox Hollow Rd Dear Carole: Cascades Raptor Center (CRC) hereby submits the following report and request for an extension of the financing for the referenced property. HISTORY: CRC approached the City of Eugene (City) through the Parks/Public Works Department in 1992 looking for property for use both as a wildlife rehabilitation facility and development into a nature center. The referenced site, 32275 Fox Hollow Road, had been purchased by the City some years prior because of an error in siting the Ridgeline Trail. The owner of the property refused to sell the portion on which the Trail had been built, and the City bought the entire parcel. It was rented as a residence for approximately $100 /month for several years (the agreement with the seller was that the house would be used, not allowed to fall into disrepair) but had been empty for some six months when John Etter directed my attention to it as a possibility. At the time of the development of the Parks Master Plan, the property had been incorporated as a prospective interpretive center. This property was ideal for our purposes because of its location and proximity to the Ridgeline Trail, terrain, and layout. It is easy to find for visitors and people bringing in birds for care, close enough to the City for easy access for school groups, other visitors, and for developing a strong volunteer base. Yet, its wooded setting is quiet, private (no buildings can be seen from the road) and provides both wooded and open terrain for siting appropriate habitat cages for the resident birds. Located some 500 feet above the valley, it has excellent long distance views both to the north and south for mental stimulation of the soaring birds with their powerful eyesight. The property included buildings that were immediately convertible to our use in a configuration which allows us to isolate the rehabilitation birds from visitors coming to see the permanent residents. And its siting next to the Ridgeline Trail allows school and other groups an extension of their visit for hiking or birdwatching nearby, as well as attracts hikers from the trail. The neighbors have all been quite supportive and many previous residents have stopped by, including the original owner/builder (now retired in Sisters), the owner who sold it to the City (now in Portland), two of the tenants who rented here under City management, and the grown children of the original builder (one local, one from the Midwest). The atmosphere is a very healing one, with lots of wild bird activity, squirrels, deer, amphibians and reptiles. When the Eugene City Council voted in November 1993 to approve the land sale contract selling this property to CRC, it was with the understanding that CRC was engaged in work that would be of substantial benefit to the community and in keeping with the original inclusion of this property in the Parks Master Plan. email: raptors @efn.org www.efn.org/ -- raptors Cascades Raptor Center is a 501(c)3 non - profit organization (Federal ID No. 93- 1038827) dedicated to wildlife rescue and public education to enhance appreciation, respect, and stewardship of the natural world.