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July 25, 2003 <br />Mayor Jim Torrey <br />Eugene City Councilors <br />City of Eugene <br />777 Pearl Street <br />Eugene OR 97401 <br />Dear Mayor Torrey & City Councilors: <br />We are concerned about Amazon Pool's daily use of public parkland as a parking lot. We have suggested to <br />city staff that the pool patrons could utilize a safe, extremely close, already developed parking lot at Roosevelt <br />Middle School, thereby addressing concerns about wetlands encroachment, pedestrian safety, and neighborhood <br />livability. Unfortunately, city staff resists this very easy and viable alternative, and our frustration with <br />inadequate responses leads us to seek your intervention in the matter. <br />As the attached photos illustrate, the area being used for parking is extremely close to the wetlands mitigation area <br />of Amazon Creek. City staff asserts that this parking area is being used for short -term, temporary, overflow <br />parking. However, those of us living in the area visit often and find that, in fact, the lot is used every day, all day, <br />even when adjacent paved parking areas are not full (i.e., it's not "overflow" parking). <br />No adopted city plan or park plan allows for this parking lot! Staff has asserted that, since a new <br />comprehensive park plan is in the planning stages, and since a similar (but smaller!) lot is shown on draft maps <br />for that area, staff should be allowed to go ahead and start implementing the plan (or, in this case, an extension of <br />the plan) years ahead of its adoption. Such an argument makes a mockery of the planning process and is clearly <br />illegal. <br />Private businesses have to conform to the parking lot requirements of the Eugene City Code. City agencies, <br />including the Aquatics department, must likewise follow the city requirements. This parking lot does not meet the <br />city requirements in a number of ways. Its use should thus be discontinued immediately. <br />Most importantly, adequate adjacent paved parking already exists! The Roosevelt Middle School, with close <br />to 100 paved parking spaces, is closed all summer long — exactly when overflow parking for Amazon Pool is <br />needed. Roosevelt is on the same side of Hilyard St. as the pool, and Roosevelt's parking areas could easily be <br />connected to the pool area with bark paths, thus more effectively protecting the safety of pool patrons who <br />currently park across Hilyard and dodge traffic in their crossing attempts. Amazon Neighbors stands ready to <br />work with city staff to effectuate the use of Roosevelt's parking lots in whatever ways we can be helpful. <br />Sincerely, <br />aul & cy Cauth <br />2714 University Street <br />345 -4938 3 2-2 S <br />`-/ <br />"r 3f - A <br />12 $ o - 0 6- � 9 Ave. <br />j6u.�e,'P o/t 9703 <br />1 43 - sa 61 <br />3� <br />3 -�8s8 <br />4-�, k <br />kli <br />ek 4o-5 <br />r oll - 0/1 J <br />