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---7-4011110 <br /> EUGENE Public Works <br /> Maintenance Division <br /> City of Eugene <br /> 1820 <br /> M EugeRoosevelt Boulevard <br /> Eugene, Oregon 97402 <br /> (541)682-4800 <br /> (541)682-4882 FAX <br /> Date: May 19, 1998 <br /> To: Eugene City Council <br /> From: John Etter, Parks Planning <br /> Subject: Morse Ranch Plan Status <br /> A plan that is the result of three public comment sessions in 1992 exists in a rough draft form. It was <br /> presented at the 3rd public comment session held in November 1992. With a day or so of work, it <br /> could be put in a final form. The plan contains numbers and had accompanying text, explaining what is <br /> to happen at specific points or areas with respect to development, management, or preservation. I am <br /> attaching that text <br /> The main issues at that time had to do with the off-leash dog activity, maintaining the ranch <br /> appearance, accommodating bicycle and pedestrian needs at certain points, and wheel chair <br /> accessibility in general; also, the fire hazard to some adjacent residences was considered. Some of <br /> what is in the plan was conceived in a plan prepared earlier without public input by a student of <br /> landscape architecture at the request of the Morse Ranch Historical Association. <br /> After the three public sessions there was an intension to have an official hearing that would lead to a <br /> consensus adoption of the plan. That may have been optimistic, for there were always very divergent <br /> opinions expressed about how much the park could change to accommodate recreational uses. The <br /> plan in the file represents the staff opinion of where equilibrium lies among the various points of view. <br /> In short, we feel we have mediated those divergent points with this plan. No interest has been <br /> expressed to continue the process. All sides heard each other in the process, and my sense is that some <br /> work activities, despite being consistent with that plan, would still generate complaints. <br /> I do not know of any funding or volunteer efforts that are ready to be applied at Morse Ranch Park. If <br /> new uses, new appearances, or changes in scale of current use were proposed, that would be cause to <br /> revisit the current plan draft. Until such changes are proposed, I would recommend that we use the <br /> current plan draft to guide the use, design decisions/and management of the park. <br />