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MEMORANDUM July 17, 1992 TO: Mayor and Members of the City Council `` FROM: Christine Andersen �„l)(�c lx)c..(—VS Dcr^ec�Fo - SUBJECT: Morse Ranch Park Issues Council members have requested information about the Morse Historical Park Committee and the process used in development of the current draft Morse Park Master Plan. This memo is prepared in response to those questions and con- cerns. The Wayne Morse Historical Park Corporation is a private organization formed to promote the development and use of Morse Ranch Park in a manner consistent with life and values of the late Senator Morse. There is no formal or con- tractural tie between the City and the Corporation. The Corporation provides volunteer services for staffing and acquisition of the historic displays on the first floor of the farm house. Attached is a paper prepared several - months ago by the Corporation's Board which adds further details about the organization. The development of a master plan for Morse Ranch and several other parks has been on the long range Parks Planning Workplan for quite a while. Resource limitations have caused many of these plans to wait several years before action can be taken. Understanding that the City was not likely to have the resources to prepare a master plan in the near future, the Board of the Wayne Morse Historical Park Corporation approached Parks Planning during the summer of 1991 with a proposal to jointly fund the cost of having an architecture student from the University work on preparation of a draft master plan. The cost of this effort was to be $500 for each party for a total of $1 ,000. Direction to this student was to come from the Corporation with review by Parks Planning. It was understood that the draft plan would be processed through public review and comment and would be appropriately modified prior to adoption as a City plan. Normally these plans have had a very low level of controversy associated with them and the opportunity to utilize support from the private sector has been encouraged in many areas of the Parks program. Unfortunately the controversy surrounding the off-leash dog park program has become an issue in the draft master plan. The Board's position in opposition to the off-leash program resulted in the omission of such a provision in the draft plan. Recognizing that the current City position is to provide off-leash dog park facilities at the Ranth,''the draft plan was submitted to the public for comment as prepared with char statements that the plan was draft and subject to modification. Strong feeTings of concern and suspicion have been expressed by both the Morse Historical Board and the off-leash dog park advocates. On July 9, 1992 comment was received at public forums held to discuss the draft master plan. Information was presented to the public indicating that