Skinner Butte Park Master Plan - Laserfiche WebLink

New Search

,.a visitors wishing to assess the quality of the community, and therefore and is an _ important investment for the local economy ~ i,. • and job markets. i~ V~di. ail !,ji l Skinner Butte, and to a lesser degree the I rest of Skinner Butte Park, is an important element in the character of downtown Eugene. It visually anchors the city center °I when seen from many local viewpoints ` such as College Hill, Spencer Butte, the south hills and the freeway. The natural m character of the butte, which has often Q i emerged as an important theme in ~ management discussions over the years, U sets off a pleasing contrast to urban ~ This view faces south from development and helps lend Eugene its the summit of Skinner Butte "green" appeal. towards Spencer Butte. The relationship between Seen from the other direction, downtown ~ ~ downtown Eugene and ~ %..i Skinner Butte Park is very is also an essential part of the experience € important to both the city and of Skinner Butte Park. From the butte, one the park gains a vantage point over the urban center 3 in the foreground, surrounded in the distance by the ridgeline and south hills. Context and Once again it is the juxtaposition of urban and natural, seen from within the naturalistic Surrounding Areas environment of the park, that is particularly important, The urban elements of ~ The city of Eugene, quite literally, grew up downtown, however, impact the park in around Skinner Butte Park. Over the past unavoidable ways. The process of 150 years, the area that is now Skinne industrialization brought the railroad, ~ rButte Park has been surrounded by a highways and cars, power lines and lights diverse and rapidly changing landscape. that are an inescapable part of the park What began as native prairie gave way to experience, ~ agriculture, and eventually to industry. Today, the park exists surrounded by Neighborhoods j elements of each of these. The park is bordered to the southeast by DOW11fOWr1 the East Skinner Butte Historic District (see ~ "Cultural Resources," this chapter), and to Skinner Butte Park is within reach for people the southwest by the Whiteaker who work in the downtown area, and Neighborhood. The park serves a Skinner Butte Park ~ provides important relief and relaxation "neighborhood park" function to residents 1. , provides important during lunchtime, and before and afterwork in both areas, and is adequately equipped relief, recreafion and hours. As downtown develops as an active to do so. The family, civic and passive relaxafion for people urban and mixed use center, this function recreational aspects of Skinner Butte Park who live and work will become more important. Similarly, the make it a good neighbor, offering relatively downtown park has tremendous potential to serve as few negative impacts often associated with an easily-accessible recreational active recreational facilities such as sports experience and orientation pointfor visitors fields. Although special events may cause to Eugene staying in the downtown area. parking overflow into neighborhood areas, Skinner Butte Park is a likely focus for regular park use typically does not, i I Skinner Butte Park • Master Plan 2001 45 j i.