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Jefferson Westside Neighbors The Jefferson Amazon Greenway (JAG) Plan arose from the desires of the Jefferson Westside Neighbors and the Lane County Fair Board to jointly define and develop a vision for the Amazon Canal and the adjacent open public lands from Jefferson Street to Van Buren Street. The idea originated with neighbors, and the Neighborhood Association's JAG committee worked out the following goals: * Naturalize the Amazon * Retain the passive nature of the fields to the south * Improve the area's pedestrian, bike and automobile transportation. The Neighborhood unanimously supported the goals; we then walked the site with Fair Board members. The Fair Board had similar ideas for the area but also proposed placing soccer fields in the open space. After much discussion about size and treatment, these were incorporated into the conceptual plan. The Neighborhood then reviewed, refined and approved the plan, which is enclosed for your consideration. Its most important components: * Naturalization of the Amazon (will take the most time and design work and receipt of regulatory approval)..Convert the waterway from a trapezoidal drainage ditch to a more naturally graded, undulating stream, thus improving water quality. Devise ways to demonstrate treatments enhancing water quality and native habitat in an urban environment. Provide educational displays on the Amazon's role in our lives and how we can help it thrive. * Community Greens will continue to serve as a place to walk dogs, fly kites, watch sunsets, and interact with neighbors. These uses will be compatible with youth soccer games and occasional overflow parking for Fairground events. * Improvements in transportation will eliminate runoff problems from the current gravel parking area and better regulate O'Hara School and Fairgrounds traffic circulation. Provide an alternate path for pedestrians and bicyclists, to reduce conflicts with automobiles during large Fairgrounds events. Work out a north -south bike connection through the Fairgrounds. All in all, the plan offers a unique opportunity for an attractive interface between the Neighborhood and the Fairgrounds. It also represents a continuation of joint efforts that began with the redesign of Fairgrounds entrances on 13th Avenue. And it will also provide for City parkland that has lain fallow since the Jefferson Pool was closed some twenty years ago. We now present our plan for your approval and for the financial support needed to help make it a reality. We pledge our continuing energy and support. David Hinkley — Co -Chair Paul Thompson — Co -Chair