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Kit Staples <br /> 3105 Lincoln St <br /> Eugene, OR. 97405 <br /> #683-4876 <br /> Nov. 5, 1995 <br /> To Eugene Parks/Public Works: <br /> Recently the Eugene Public Works/Parks Department received a <br /> letter from the neighbors of the Wayne Morse Ranch Park concerning the <br /> ongoing parking problems related to the dog off-leash area. I am writing <br /> to express my disappointment in your response. <br /> Shortly after you must have received the neighbors' letter, you <br /> posted signs in the pasture indicating that the East Pasture was closed <br /> from 8 PM-8AM. Also, new signs directing (but not requiring) people to <br /> park in the parking lot rather than the street were posted. You followed <br /> this up with having a Parks employee at the park all this last week <br /> handing out printed new "guidelines" to people as they went into the <br /> pasture from Lincoln Street. <br /> In a nutshell, this has all been a waste of time and money. Once <br /> again the city has thrown good money after bad in an attempt to look like <br /> you're actually doing something. Even with the employee there, people are <br /> continuing to park on Lincoln and let their dogs off-leash to and from the <br /> gate to the pasture which means dogs are still running in the street and <br /> traffic is still a problem! It goes without saying that when that employee <br /> is finally let off this duty, the situation will only get even worse. The <br /> bottom line is that when this off-leash area was first started, there was <br /> no gate on Lincoln, but the city installed one to seemingly pacify the off- <br /> ' leash users. This at the same time that you posted the first signs asking <br /> people to use the parking lot instead of the street! Do you detect a <br /> contradiction here? The off-leash users who still insist on flaunting <br /> rules and common courtesy are obviously not going to pay any attention to <br /> your signs. They have had several years now to prove their willingness and <br /> ability to play by the rules and have repeatedly shown they cannot or will <br /> not. <br /> The obvious solution is to lock the gate on Lincoln. This will <br /> undoubtedly anger some of the off-leash users, but they would not be <br /> prohibited from using the park. They would simply be expected to use it in <br /> a more legal and therefore more considerate manner. Is this really asking <br /> too much after all this time? <br /> Sincerely, <br /> Kit Staples <br /> cc: Tim Laue, Eugene City Council <br /> cc: Chris Anderson <br />