New Search
MEDLIN Johnny R <br /> From: steve daniels [stevo c@efn.org] <br /> Sent: Tuesday, October 09, 2007 11:40 AM <br /> To: FAN Board <br /> Cc: Nancy Ellen Locke; STEFFEN Adam R; Katja Heide; HALLETT Jackie C; BALDWIN Loma J; <br /> RICHARDSON Philip S; BETTMAN Bonny S; MEDLIN Johnny R; HOSTICK Robin A; <br /> Tamara Campbell; David Strom <br /> Subject: Friendly Area Neighbors <br /> I attended the Friendly Area Neighbors board meeting last night. <br /> I learned that a significant percentage of board members are not interested in hearing <br /> what other neighbors think. Perhaps it is the norm for neighborhood associations to <br /> represent primarily the interests of the board members; I don't know. But I would like to <br /> express my discomfort with how unwanted the non -board member neighbors felt in trying to <br /> communicate in that forum. None of us would have bothered to show up if we felt we were <br /> representing only ourselves. Not all of us live right on the park, but all of us use the <br /> park almost daily. We came after years of speaking directly with neighbors who regularly <br /> come from a large radius around the park to congregate. <br /> I know that the hostile environment of these meetings prevents some people from choosing <br /> to be on this board. I am not as concerned with what the results of the park decisions are <br /> as much as I'm concerned with knowing everyone who wanted to be heard was listened to and <br /> taken into account. <br /> Leonie Daniels <br /> On Oct 8, 2007, at 12:09 PM, David Strom wrote: <br /> > Nancy Ellen, <br /> > I wanted to also responded to your question: <br /> > To whom does a neighborhood park belong ?? <br /> > Of course the park is owned by the City of Eugene and with in some <br /> > limits given by zoning they can do what they want with it. In another <br /> > sense I think the City wants the <br /> > neighbors to take ownership of the park. If the neighbors <br /> > feel connected to the park they are likely to make sure that <br /> > inappropriate things like drug sales, sex and drinking don't happen <br /> > there. These things have all happened at Friendly Park, but they <br /> > aren't a problem because the immediate neighbors have ownership of the <br /> > park. Many of the immediate neighbors have open fences that allow us <br /> > to keep an eye on things. If something is broken in the park or there <br /> > is a hazard we let the city know. If someone shows up selling drugs <br /> > they get told to move on... <br /> > At other parks in Eugene, West University and Scobert, come to mind, <br /> > the neighbors haven't always had ownership of the park and problems <br /> > have ensued. Even at Friendly Park, I'm told that before the current <br /> > group of home owners moved in that some parents were afraid to let <br /> > their children go there. <br /> > I think much of the point of the city separating some of their budget <br /> > into Neighborhood Matching Grants is to encourage ownership of the <br /> > parks by the neighbors. In the case of Friendly Park the NMG strategy <br /> > seems to have gotten off the track. Instead of getting the immediate <br /> > neighbors involved, it is ending up with a project that none of them <br /> 1 <br />