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MEMORANDUM <br /> November x, 1992 <br /> TO: City Council <br /> FROM: Chris Andersen <br /> SUBJECT: Disposition of Fox Hollow house and property in Ridgeline Park <br /> The City owns a house on four acres located at 32275 Fox Hollow Road which <br /> was acquired in 1983 to settle a property dispute arising from an encroach- <br /> ment on this property by the ridgeline trail. This property has been managed <br /> since its acquisition as a rental homesite and is currently vacant. Due to <br /> its vacancy, combined with the Council direction from the Eugene Decisions <br /> process regarding excess property, staff has determined most of this site <br /> could be declared surplus property and sold. <br /> HISTORY: After the Fox Hollow -to- Willamette portion of the ridgeline trail <br /> was constructed staff was notified by the owner of the parcel that the trail <br /> had encroached on their property. The options at the time were to relocate <br /> the trail, purchase just the land needed to include the trail or purchase the <br /> entire parcel. With the owner being unwilling to sell only a portion but <br /> willing to sell the entire parcel, the Parks and Recreation Executive Direc- <br /> tor elected to purchase the entire parcel. Funding for the purchase was <br /> from bonds approved by a bond election in 1978. One of the objectives of <br /> that funding being to add to the Ridgeline Park and construct trails. <br /> In considering the purchase of a property which included structures thought <br /> was given as to what new opportunities this purchase might present. The <br /> notion of a nature interpretive center, subsequently included in the Parks <br /> and Recreation Plan, was the resulting staff suggestion. Funding has not yet <br /> been available to implement this plan. In light of the recent Eugene Deci- <br /> sion funding reductions for park maintenance it is deemed unlikely the City <br /> will be able to establish such use of the property in the foreseeable future. <br /> Louise Schimmel of Cascade Raptor Care Center has approached staff inquiring <br /> about the availability of a facility suitable for her operation. She indi- <br /> cated she probably could not find a buyer for the Fox Hollow house that would <br /> benefit her operation and asked to rent it. She further submitted a propos- <br /> al, with letters of support, that indicate the vision of her program is simi- <br /> lar to that proposed in the Eugene Parks and Recreation Plan - -a facility that <br /> would spin off educational opportunities for the school programs, day camps <br /> and the public in general. <br /> There are two scenarios on how this could go. The positive aspects of each <br /> are described below. <br /> SELL SCENARIO: This removes most of a parcel that is not considered essen- <br /> tial to the Ridgeline Trail. It gets the city out of a landlord situation <br /> and the problems of keeping up structures with numerous shortcomings. It <br /> generates revenues (estimated to be about $80,000) which could then be used <br /> for other park purposes. For example this funding could be used to cover a <br />