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f r <br /> MEMORANDUM <br /> December 24, 1992 <br /> TO: Commissioner Ellie Dumdi <br /> Commissioner Marie Frazier <br /> Commissioner Steve Cornaachia <br /> Commissioner Jack Roberts <br /> Commissioner Jerry Rust <br /> FROM: Lee Beyer, Planning & Development Dept. <br /> SUBJECT: GOLDEN GARDEN LAND TRADE <br /> I am seeking to obtain your informal reaction to a land trade proposal which <br /> has been made to the City of Eugene. The trade involves land which was orig- <br /> inally given to the City by Lane County for development of public recreation- <br /> al purposes. At this point, the Eugene City Council has not formally acted <br /> on the proposal and will not do so until late January or perhaps later. I <br /> should be clear in saying that the City Council is not committed to any ac- <br /> tion on this matter at this point. To allow the trade to be made will re- <br /> quire the Board to either clarify or amend restrictions which were placed on <br /> the land when it was deeded to the City. <br /> BACKGROUND: The land in question is a parcel of approximately 36 acres <br /> which is predominantly composed on ponds. The ponds were created by Land <br /> County as a gravel "borrow -pit" during the construction of roads in the area. <br /> The parcel fronts on Golden Garden Avenue (the urban growth boundary in that <br /> area) and is currently outside of the UGB and the City. The County trans- <br /> ferred the site to the City in the 1970s with a deed restriction that the <br /> land should be used "for park purposes only." <br /> Planning for use of the site has been considered in the Eugene Parks Master <br /> Plan. The Plan recognizes the site as part of a future major park which <br /> would include 18 to 36 holes of golf. The Plan assumes that the City would <br /> acquire approximately 200 acres of land surrounding the site. The City does <br /> not plan to move forward with a park in this area in the immediate future. <br /> Growth in the area does not warrant park development at this point. <br /> Early this year the owners of the land surrounding the City's 36 acres ap- <br /> proached the City with an offer to trade part of their land for part of the <br /> 36 acres. Their purpose was to "square-up" their land to allow development <br /> of a public golf course. After careful exploration of the concept, from a <br /> City staff perspective, it would appear that a land trade, if properly struc- <br /> tured, could meet the public objective of creating another public golf course <br /> and still allowing development of a neighborhood park. <br />