This month's Envision Eugene Newsletter provides updates on the Urban Reserves project, Historic Preservation Loan Program, Town Square, Eugene-Springfield Consolidated Plan, and the River Road Santa Clara Neighborhood Planning process. We hope you'll find this information useful and reach out if you have questions. As always, you can find more information on all of our work by visiting our website.

We kicked off 2020 with three meetings for residents within the Urban Reserves study area, with over 125 attendees. It was an opportunity to get updated on the project, hear about next steps, and have questions answered. At the end of January, we also gave project updates to the Eugene City Council and the Lane County Board of Commissioners.

Now, we want to hear from you! Staff are collecting input on our analysis through March 6th, as we continue to refine it and develop Urban Reserve options. To share your thoughts, participate in our virtual open house on the Urban Reserves Engage Eugene page. Review the presentation and meeting materials—then complete our short survey. 

Urban Reserves planning identifies land outside of Eugene’s urban growth boundary (UGB) so we are better prepared if we need to expand in the future for new homes, jobs, schools and parks. We are planning as far out as 2062, when Eugene’s population is expected to exceed 262,000 residents. Identifying the best areas to grow into requires balancing our community’s priorities, such as preserving farms and natural areas, while following state guidance and using the best data available. To learn more about Urban Reserves, including our technical analysis story map, our interactive web map, and our full suitability analysis results, visit our project webpage. 

Save the Date!

Next, we are developing Urban Reserves options that we will share at two drop-in meetings for anyone interested in seeing the results of our work. The meetings will be on April 1st at lunch and April 2nd in the evening at the Downtown Eugene Public Library, 100 W 10th Avenue. More information, including exact times, will be sent out closer to the meetings.

For more information on Urban Reserves, please visit www.eugene-or.gov/UrbanReserves or contact project manager Rebecca Gershow at 541-682-8816.

The Historic Preservation planning team is excited to announce the relaunch of the historic loan program, a resource that has been inactive for many years. Established in 1976 to support private investment in the restoration, rehabilitation, repair and maintenance of historic properties, the program has benefited more than 70 Eugene properties and loaned over $330,000. The program provides financial assistance to owners of historic landmarks located within the City of Eugene designated in either the National Register of Historic Places or that are City of Eugene Landmarks. 

For more information and application materials on this program and other incentives please visit our webpage or contact Program Manager, Rodney Bohner at 541-682-5437.

“Historic preservation has many advantages. But most of all, it’s simply a matter of good sense. It’s smart to protect older buildings and neighborhoods because they’re aesthetically appealing, they’re useful, and they help us understand ourselves as individuals and as a nation.”

-National Trust for Historic Preservation

On February 4, 2020, 175 community members came together at Whirled Pies for the Town Square Open House for a project update and a chance to see the latest designs. The Town Square project is located at 8th Avenue and Oak Street and will include the construction of an all-season, permanent Farmers Market Pavilion, a new Eugene City Hall, and upgrades to the existing Park Blocks to help the Saturday Market continue to thrive.

At the Open House the project architects from FFA Architecture showed off the latest drawings for the Farmers Market Pavilion, four different massing options for the City Hall as well as a to-scale model of the Town Square project area with adjustable blocks to represent the Farmers Market Pavilion and City Hall. The project landscape architects from Cameron McCarthy Landscape Architecture and Planning presented the Town Square Concept Plan and showed different ways that the Town Square can represent Eugene's rich and diverse culture in our most central public space. 

There was a lot of excitement in the room, as attendees were able to speak directly to members of the project team, including City of Eugene staff and consultants.The event also featured an all ages, interactive art project as well as free pizza for all participants. To view the most recent designs visit our webpage.

For questions or more information, contact Josh Berman at 541-682-5475.

The Cities of Eugene and Springfield are working to identify the needs of people and families with limited incomes and to develop strategies to expand affordable housing opportunities, human services, economic opportunities, and neighborhood improvements. The Cities have been working to gather community perspectives to identify community needs and identify the best strategies to achieve these goals. 

On February 12, approximately 130 community members participated in the Open House on Affordable Housing and Community Development at Whirled Pies. The Open House was an opportunity for the community to learn about and provide feedback on the proposed priority needs and strategies for the 2020 Eugene-Springfield Consolidated Plan, which will guide the use of federal resources received by the Cities of Eugene and Springfield for the next five years. Community members learned about accomplishments from the current Consolidated Plan and ranked the draft priority needs and strategies for the 2020 Consolidated Plan. They asked questions, engaged in conversations with staff from the Cities of Eugene, Springfield, Lane County, and affordable housing providers. The event featured an all ages, interactive art project, and free pizza.

The City Council held a Work Session on February 24. The draft Consolidated Plan will be available on March 1 and will be followed by a 30-day public written comment period. A public hearing will be held on April 1, and City Council is scheduled to take action on April 27. The 2020 Consolidated Plan will be submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development by May 15.

For more information, visit our webpage. For questions or more information, contact Stephanie Jennings or Teresa Kennedy at the City of Eugene or Erin Fifield at the City of Springfield. 

 As a subset of the ongoing neighborhood plan for River Road and Santa Clara, the River Road Corridor Study is examining land use along River Road in greater detail. The Corridor Study includes economic and demographic studies and will result in proposed land use changes. Staff, community volunteers and a design team created two high-level concepts for adding density along River Road while meeting the goals of the neighborhood plan. These two concepts went through extensive public review with open houses, an online survey, and input from technical experts. The design team took all of that input and created a new “preferred concept” that incorporates elements of the earlier drafts.

At the February 24 Eugene Planning Commission work session, the project team presented the preferred concept, which includes proposed zoning changes to allow more housing options, create opportunities for mixed-use projects, and better transition between different building types. The draft zoning is accompanied by proposed design standards to ensure that new development is compatible with the existing character and creates a vibrant, walkable neighborhood. For more information, watch the webcast or view the meeting materials.

The preferred land use concept will continue to be vetted by the community members at a series of small-group meetings, and will be presented to decision-makers for input this Spring. To learn more and attend a meeting, visit our webpage. 

To learn more about the River Road-Santa Clara Neighborhood Plan or the River Road Corridor Study, contact project manager Chelsea Hartman at 541-682-5686.

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