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looked better, with the big mound having been moved away from the trees. It was hoped the <br />trees could be checked by arborists to make sure they were okay. A log barrier across an access <br />road which had been placed by the City had been moved away from the perimeter, which was a <br />concern. It would be important to check to see why they were moved and if they could be <br />moved back, she said, so that people would not be able to drive right into the park. <br />Kevin Foerstler, Eugene POS supervisor and BMX contract manager, had been asked to walk <br />with subcommittee members the day of one of the first football games to see what kinds of <br />activities happened on game days. Mr. Foerstler could be available September 19 some time <br />after the 12:00 start of the game, she said. It was decided to contact the BMX president to <br />communicate about what was seen to be going well and to be put in contact with the site <br />manager to keep communication smooth. <br />Before the football season, Ms. Brand continued, the committee wanted to have some signs put <br />up to alert people about habitat areas, to keep those areas from being impacted. Mr. Richardson <br />asked that the committee write up suggested wording for the signs. Ms. Mello suggested that the <br />signage committee make the signs. She also mentioned that she had returned to the site shortly <br />after the subcommittee met at the BMX site and saw that a tractor was moving the logs to <br />perhaps surround the trees so that people could not back up to the trees. She hoped that POS <br />staff could provide some additional protection measures in the area. Ms. Brand remarked that it <br />was also important to find out who was moving the logs, since it should only be site managers <br />and not those renting motor vehicle parking space moving the logs. <br />Mr. Holloter remarked that there have been unresolved issues regarding the BMX leasehold <br />since he was CPC Chair nine years ago, and he wondered if issues had never been resolved. Ms. <br />Brand said that recently a better agreement had been reached through conversations with Mr. <br />Foerstler and the BMX president. Progress was being seen now, and it had been agreed to work <br />more closely with Mr. Foerstler to monitor the situation and communicate with the president and <br />site manager. <br />b. Government Relations <br />Mr. Sonnichsen thanked everyone for comments and signatures on the letter regarding the <br />Walnut Station Mixed Use Center. The letter had gone to the City Planning Commission, and on <br />July 13 at their work session the letter was mentioned, he said. Lydia McKinney, the Planner <br />who met with the CPC subcommittee on June 22, said the letter was one reason the Planning <br />Commission was now advocating a step -down approach to the millrace rather than having five - <br />story buildings abutting the south side of the millrace. This was the first part of a very long <br />process, Mr. Sonnichsen noted. <br />Mr. Sonnichsen said that one Eugene Planning Commissioner stated that the densification of this <br />area might rival or surpass downtown Eugene. Mr. Sonnichsen said the CPC's letter had <br />expressed concern about the cottonwood trees on the Willamette River's south bank that <br />provided a screen between the urbanization on the south bank and the Whilamut Natural Area, <br />noting they would not always be there because of a lack of necessary environmental regeneration <br />MINUTES — Citizen Planning Committee for July 16, 2009 <br />Whilamut Natural Area <br />