New Search
Whilamut Natural Area and Alton Baker Park <br />Background Information <br />October 25, 2007 <br />Transfer of West Alton Baker Park from Lane County to City of Eugene <br />In 1987 Lane Country and City of Eugene agreed it would be in the best public <br />interest for the City of Eugene to ass~me ownership of the westerly portion of Alton <br />Baker Park. The included the developed park area along the Willamette, the <br />Cuthbert, and the area around the Science Factory (formerly WISTEC). Lane County <br />reserved ownership of the easterly portions of Alton Baker Park. (~~~ ~~ ~~~,~~:_) <br />Transfer of East Alton Baker Park from Lane County to City of Eugene <br />In November 1992, the voters of Lane County passed a citizen initiative ballot <br />measure (20-O1) entitled the East Alton Baker Park Charter Amendment. The charter <br />amendment prohibited development of a golf course in the eastern 237 acres of Alton <br />Baker Park, in favor of passive recreation uses, and directed that Lane County <br />establish a 15-member citizen planning commiitee to design a plan for passive uses <br />for the park. The charter amendment also directed that the committee monitor and <br />evaluate the plan's implementation. <br />Prior to the ballot measure taking effect, the three local jurisdictions executed an <br />intergovernmental agreement, dated March 2, 1993, written to honor the spirit and <br />intent of the ballot measure, including the appointment of a 15-member citizen <br />planning committee., and which also initiated a transfer of ownership. As of March 2, <br />1993 the Lane County Board of Commissioners completed transferring ownership of <br />East Alton Baker Park to the cities of Eugene and Springfield. Springfield, in turn, <br />transferred ownership to the Willamalane Parks and Recreation District. <br />East Alton Baker Park Plan <br />The East Alton Baker Park Plan recognized several pre-existing uses that were <br />inconsistent with the goals of the Plan, including the hammer throw area, parking lots <br />8 and 9, and the BMX facility. The BMX facility is recognized as an ongoing and <br />continuing use in the Plan, but no expansion of the lease area is allowed, and <br />mitigation of negative impacts to the park are recommended. <br />The plan calls for the eventual removal of the Hammer throw area entirely. In relation <br />to parking lots 8 and 9, the Plan allows the University to continue use of those parking <br />areas for Autzen Stadium events through January 2007. After that time, the Plan <br />designates those areas as landscaped park entrances with small paved parking lots. <br />Citizen Planning Committee <br />The by-laws of the Citizen Planning Committee (CPC) state their powers and duties as <br />C:\Documents and Settings\cewakac\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\OLKFD\Whilamut-Autzen_Summary.doc <br />