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,/ EUGENE <br /> Parks and <br /> Open Space <br /> February 21, 2008 <br /> Robert M. Wilhite <br /> A DIVISION OF PUBLIC WORKS President, Lea Wood Homeowners' Association <br /> 1315 City View Street <br /> 1820 ROOSEVELT BLVD. <br /> EUGENE, OREGON 97402 E ugene, OR 97402 <br /> (541) 682 -4800 <br /> FAX (541) 682.4882 <br /> WWWEUGENE- OR.GOV /PARKS <br /> Dear Mr. Wilhite, <br /> This letter is both in response to your February 3 e -mail to Councilor Bettman and our <br /> subsequent February 13 conversation on site at the 400 block of City View Street. You <br /> expressed concerns regarding how the standing water within the abutting city -owned <br /> wetlands expands onto your property after heavy rains. You suggested a potential <br /> solution could be either trenching the water in short channels to drain the wetland into the <br /> Amazon, or creating a soil berm within the city -owned parcel to contain the water within <br /> the limits of the wetland. You also asked why a City sidewalk repair crew would drive <br /> into the wetlands creating ruts, when all the information you previously received from the <br /> City suggested that this type of activity should not occur. These wetlands are part of the <br /> PARKS AND OPEN SPACE PLANNING 6.4 acre Gudu -kut Natural Area. I think it would be helpful to recap some of the history <br /> that led to the City acquiring- theLdu -kut Natural Area. <br /> PARK OPERATIONS <br /> In fall 1998, Bingham Construction, Inc. submitted an application requesting <br /> authorization from the Army Corps of Engineers and the Oregon Department of State <br /> URBAN FORESTRY Lands to place fill in wetlands in preparation for development plans to construct a 130 - <br /> unit multi - family development, including parking and a community building. At the time <br /> NATURAL RESOURCES of the development proposal, the property had been owned by the applicant's family <br /> (City View Investment Inc.) for approximately 30 years. <br /> In winter 1999, the Westmoreland Wetland Advocacy Group (WWAG) voiced its <br /> opposition to the development plan. The WWAG was a non - profit, unincorporated <br /> public interest group comprised of residents living in the neighborhood, dedicated to <br /> protecting this natural area, as well as other wetlands in the West Eugene Wetlands. <br /> The WWAG effectively lobbied Senator Wyden and Congressman DeFazio to obtain <br /> federal funding (Land and Water Conservation Funds) to purchase the wetlands from <br /> City View Investment, Inc. Using these federal funds, the City acquired the 6.4 acre site <br /> for its wetland and habitat values in November 2000. <br /> Based on all the historic information we have access to, this site has likely had wetlands <br /> on it for hundreds of years. The wetlands in the Gudu -kut Natural Area are <br /> "jurisdictional wetlands" that are regulated by federal, state, and local laws. These laws <br /> prohibit the draining or filling of these wetlands. In addition, because the site was <br /> 1 <br /> EUGENE <br />