Letter to 4J School Board and Superintendent Russell

The board of Save Civic Stadium greatly appreciated the 4J board’s reception of public comments during its Feb. 3 meeting regarding the proposed sale of two north lots on the boundary of the Civic Stadium property. In this letter, we would like to state our concerns regarding matters to be considered at the next board meeting on Feb. 17, 2010 and also suggest concrete options for obtaining the best possible data (including public input) that will support 4J in making timely decisions regarding Civic that are both fiscally sound and fully informed.


We welcome the news that the 4J board has decided to hold off pursuing the revocation of Civic Stadium's historic status with an eye toward eventual demolition, and we especially appreciated the reservations expressed by those board members who voiced concerns about this possibility at the Feb. 3 meeting. At the same time, we urge the board to reconsider another item that remains on the Feb. 17 agenda: the decision on the rezoning of the two north lots mentioned above, as an initial step toward the immediate sale of these properties.

Recognizing that 4J does not intend to maintain ownership of Civic Stadium, and also believing 4J would wish to receive the maximum financial benefit from the disposition of this property, we ask the board to consider allowing a short amount of time for an objective, professional land re–use analysis (see next page) that could provide a wealth of information that would identify:

1. Prospective buyers, tenants and uses for the property
2. What it would cost to rehabilitate the facility, and how that might be paid for
3. Who would be the best candidates to solicit in the RFP process, when the time comes for that – and what sorts of information and data should be made available in the RFP to ensure the best responses
4. Whether or not it would be cost–effective for 4J to replace existing soccer and baseball fields at a cost of $300,000 – $400,000 in the short term, when it may be that these fields can be incorporated into a larger, more all–inclusive plan.

The move toward the short–term sale of the north lots may bring a measure of immediate financial relief to 4J in this time of budget constraint, but it does not support an open exploration of the added value those lots might provide in the ultimate disposition of the property (including potential income maximization for 4J) if they were available as part of a larger sale that included them. We therefore urge the board to consider the question: Are there long–range financial benefits that might outweigh the short–term gain of property sale?

Moreover, we respectfully remind the board that Civic Stadium is not merely a surplus property equivalent to others in 4J’s inventory, but an historic community asset. It was an extraordinary gift of land, labor, materials and grand foresight: a legacy gift with a rich history – and with rich potential that the current 4J timeline and priorities may not allow to be fully realized.

The expectation in the original transfer of ownership of Civic was that the school district would act as steward of this gift on behalf of the community, in support of the purposes intended. As that steward, 4J owes it to the community to conduct a fair, open and thorough process that considers the full range of possibilities that might result in the greatest long–term benefit for the community – including the optimum financial benefit for both 4J and the community at large.

We greatly appreciated board member Jim Torrey’s expression of concern for adequate public input into the 4J decision–making process, and we underscore that point in encouraging the 4J board to actively solicit public input before moving forward with the decision to rezone the north lots. While there is currently a public hearing scheduled for Feb. 25, so that the public may comment on the Land Use Decision Process (should it be approved in the Feb. 17 meeting), there are essential pieces of information yet missing that would support a full and fair hearing on the matter of the sale of any part of the property. This information could be gathered and disseminated in a reasonably short timeframe, supporting a well–informed exchange between the public and the 4J board.

Toward that end, we urge the board to support a professional, objective, short–timeline feasibility study that would identify the range of uses, potential costs and possible buyers for the Civic Stadium property. There are numerous entities that can conduct this kind of analysis, all of which can tailor a study to meet specific needs. An example is Ripken Design (see attached document, detailing their approach), which specializes in evaluating the preservation potential of historic ballparks – and also identifying productive economic uses for stadium sites, should the ballpark alternative not be viable. The cost for a study of this kind would be in the range of $40,000, and Save Civic Stadium is prepared to commit $10,000 towards this or another objective analysis, with a further commitment to contributing grantwriting and other fundraising expertise toward the total cost.

The timeline for a study of this type can be less than three months (in Ripken’s case, 60–75 days) – in other words, a very rapid turnaround considering the magnitude and long–term implications of 4J’s decisions regarding the disposition of Civic Stadium. A study like this would provide the 4J board and the citizens of Eugene a wealth of information in a timely fashion, which would help determine potential best–case scenarios and next steps. If an RFP process is then commenced – after a study like this is conducted – its chances for success will be hugely multiplied.

Save Civic Stadium is completely open to supporting the best–qualified consultant that can complete a thorough analysis and exploration of viable outcomes. While we have a definite preference for a particular outcome (Save Civic), we are committed to supporting the greatest community benefit and welcome the informed input of the citizens of Eugene as well as an objective assessment by an outside party – either of which might suggest a different outcome than the one we prefer. But that’s a risk that must be taken to arrive at the best–informed, most fiscally responsible and civically minded outcome.

We believe that for 4J board leadership to fast–track decisions about Civic Stadium is not in the best interest of either the community or 4J – especially when an extended time window of a few months could result in a much richer set of opportunities. Moreover, we would like to see 4J give the people who have been doing a tremendous amount of research and community outreach a chance to participate in mutual problem–solving. Our own board and volunteers, for instance, have been exploring ideas and possibilities with sports teams and leagues, coaches and parents, the City of Eugene, the City Council, the Chamber of Commerce, individual business leaders, neighborhood groups, professionals such as architects, planners, attorneys, real estate developers, and more – all of which could be channeled to support a collaborative effort with 4J in seeking an optimal outcome. It would be an enormous and sadly missed opportunity if this groundswell of goodwill, talent and community effort is made irrelevant by a process that favors short–term results over a carefully considered, inclusive and planful approach that emphasizes long–term public benefit.

In sum, we urge the 4J board to:

1. Table the decision to rezone the north lots
2. Conduct a professional, objective feasibility study to assess the possibilities
3. Hold a public hearing (or series of hearings) after the completion of a study
4. Hold off on initiating an RFP process until a feasibility study is completed, with the goal of maximizing the RFP results

We look forward to working with the 4J board to seek the best outcome for our community.

Sincerely,

Dennis Hebert,
President, Save Civic Stadium

Save Civic Stadium Board of Directors:
Alan Beck
Joyce Berman
Jonathan Brandt
Don Dickman
Tom Halferty
Dennis Hebert
Val Hoyle
Trey Imfeld
Scott Landfield
Lisa Raleigh
Christine Thompson