At this month's (March) General membership meeting, we are going to vote on the option to open up a pathway that is currently closed which links Castleberry Loop with Meyers Rd. The meeting will be held, at 7pm, March 15 at Gaffney Lane Elem. school.

At the beginning of the school year this year, Gaffney Lane Elem. School and the School District stopped busing kids from Pioneer Ridge Apt. (near Meyers Rd and Hwy 213). According to Oregon State law, a school does not have to provide bus service if kids live within a mile radius of the school they are attending.

Parents from Pioneer Ridge Apt. are upset with the School District's decision. One concern is the traffic on Meyers Rd. and the other is the distance the children have to walk to school.

As a suggestion, Gaffney Lane Elem. school asked Oregon City if they would open up the pathway that connects Meyers Road and Castleberry Loop. The pathway was closed several years ago, after a request from several neighbors living on Castleberry Loop complained about the pathway being used for illegal actions (i.e. drugs, shortcut for burglery getaways, and the steepness of the pathway causing skateboards to roll right into Meyers Road).

At our March General meeting we will give everyone an opportunity to stress their concerns regarding opening the pathway. We will then take a vote. From the majority decisions, Gaffney lane N.A. will pass on the reccommendations to Oregon City for their action. Oregon City and the City Commisioners will make the final decision. Please plan to attend!! You can also read about it in our newsletter and you can e-mail me with your comments.

By Derrick Beneville

pathway for kids

I live at Pioneer Ridge Apartments. Previously to this I ownded a house in a cul-de-sac with the same issue of having a path opened for the children. I strongly oppose this idea. Children in this day and age have not learned the value of respecting their neighbors. In my previous neighborhood (in Oregon City)...the children wrecked landscaping, used very profane and suggestive language/motions to the women in the neighborhood and stole/destroyed bird feeders, bird baths, etc. They also shoved trash into newspaper holders...or simply busted the holders...I can go on and on...but I think my point is made. I appreciate that some parents feel that Meyers Road is unsafe, however, if these same parents cannot teach their own children to stay on a safe sidewalk, how can we assume that they are able to teach them to respect the property of others, let alone their elders. I also drive on Meyers Rd everyday...it is not unsafe, nor is it that busy. If the State of Oregon feels that the walk on the sidewalk from Pioneer Ridge Apartments to Gaffney Lane school meets State regulations in this area, than there should be no problem. Not to mention who is going to have to pay for this? Probably the homeowners property tax dollars...the same homeowners who stand to have there hard work destroyed. I hope that you take this opinion into serious consideration when going before the Commission and/or the City. Thank You.

pathway for kids

Thank you very much for taking the time to check out our website and your response to this issue. Hopefully you can make it to our general membership mtg this Thurs. March 15 at 7pm at Gaffney Lane Elem. school. If not, I will read your response at the meeting. Gaffney Lane Neighborhood Assoc. is YOUR neighborhood association, and I hope you will become involved. Being involved can be as little as responding to an issue like you did. we are not a home owner association and have no dues. We are a liason between the citizens and city of Oregon City. Please use this website for current activities on our community calender including help clean-up Meyers Rd during city wide clean-up day April 21. also, we have newsletters that come out 5 times a year. Give me your address and we will send you one. Please pass the word to all those who live in Pioneer Ridge Apt. and again thank you for your comments.

By Derrick Beneville-chairman

Follow-up of pathway controversy

This letter was written as a result of the March 15, 2001 General Membership meeting in which this was a
topic of discussion. I will keep you informed of any future developments concerning this matter.

March 26, 2001

Mr. Brian Nakamura, City Manager
City of Oregon City 320 Warner
Milne Road
Oregon City, OR. 97045

I am writing in regards to a letter sent to Mayor John Williams dated January 22, 2001, from Kitsie
Parkinson, Principal for Gaffney Lane School. Gaffney Lane School requested that the easement between Meyer Road and Castleberry Loop be reopened so the children who live in the Pioneer Ridge Apartments can use it to walk to school.

As you know approximately two years ago the City closed off this easement due to the request of several neighbors who live near this easement. The reason it was closed was due to a series of cars thefts in the area where the pathway was used as a get-away; it was also used as a place to use illegal substances; and most importantly for the safety of the children who used the pathway. This non-illuminated pathway has a significant incline towards Meyers Road, which is a very busy road. Many of our children own bicycles,
skateboard, roller blades and scooters and the chances of rolling right into Meyers Road are high.

When Gaffney Lane Neighborhood Associate heard about the request to re-open this pathway, we informed our members and presented the pros and cons for reopening this easement. With the use of our web site, our newsletter and our general membership meeting on March 15, 2001, we requested input from our members. We even made a special flyer that was sent to everyone living at the Pioneer Ridge Apartments as well as the residences closest to this easement that would be impacted the most.

As Chairman of the Gaffney Lane Neighborhood Association I collected the votes that were received, by
e-mail, verbally, by petition, by telephone call and by hand vote at the March 15 general membership meeting. 33 votes were received to keep the easement closed and 2 votes were received to reopen the easement. With these votes, Gaffney Lane Neighborhood Association recommends that the City of Oregon City leave the easement closed. I have attached copies of all the supporting documents for your files.

As a separate note, the only reason the request to reopen the pathway was done in the first place is because the Oregon City School District stopped busing the children of the Pioneer Ridge Apartments to Gaffney Lane School. We understand it is because of budgetary reason and by state law they do not have to if they are within one mile from the school. We have measured the distance that children from Kindergarten to 6th grade have to walk to reach the school. They have to walk 7/10th of a mile to get to school with at least half of it occurring on busy Meyers Road. A copy of this letter is being sent to the School Board and
to Gaffney Lane School strongly urging them to work with the parents of ioneer Ridge Apartments and hopefully find a way to transport the children to school.

Please keep us informed when this issue will be presented to the City Commission for their review and their decision regarding this matter.

Sincerely,

J. Derrick Beneville
Chairman of Gaffney Lane Neighborhood Association

CC: Barry Rotrock, O.C. School District, Kitsie Parkinson, Gaffney Lane School, Mary Palmer, O.C.
Public Affairs Manager


By Derrick Beneville-chairman