This month's EUG Planning Newsletter includes updates on the Urban Growth Strategies project, the pre-approved ADU library, a new middle housing permit resource, the public health standards project, and a short survey about home energy scores.

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.

Urban Growth Strategies Public Meetings

This fall, City staff will hold work sessions with the Eugene Planning Commission and City Council, as well as the Lane County Planning Commission and Board of County Commissioners, to discuss proposed actions to reduce barriers to housing and jobs, encourage compact development, and increase capacity for housing. On November 24, City staff will ask the Eugene City Council to initiate the formal adoption process for the first round of Urban Growth Strategies components. These components will include:

• Five new chapters of the Envision Eugene Comprehensive Plan (community engagement, compact development, housing, community health, and land use)

• Eugene’s parcel-specific land use designation map

• A variety of changes to Eugene’s Land Use Code to support housing and jobs development, including designating Climate-Friendly Areas, allowing Micro Village Housing, revisions to the City’s multi-unit design standards, and more.

If the City Council chooses to initiate the adoption process, Planning Commission and City Council will hold work sessions, public hearings, and deliberations in 2026. The adoption process includes additional opportunities for the community to engage in the project before City Council makes any final decisions.

Interested in learning more? The upcoming Planning Commission and City Council work sessions are great opportunities to learn more about the Urban Growth Strategies project. 

Upcoming Meetings

The dates below are tentative. The City’s Public Meetings webpage will always have the most up-to-date information.



• October 28, 2025 – Eugene Planning Commission: Policies and Actions Updates
• November 12, 2025 – Eugene City Council: Policies and Actions Updates
• November 24, 2025 – Eugene City Council: Request to initiate land use code and plan amendments for Urban Growth Strategies
• December 2, 2025 – Lane County Board of Commissioners: Request for support to initiate land use code and plan amendments for Urban Growth Strategies
• December 9, 2025 – Eugene Planning Commission: Policies and Actions Updates
• December 16, 2025 – Lane County Planning Commission: Policies and Actions Updates

We have officially filled the City of Eugene’s Pre-Approved ADU Library. Now available to you are 13 neat-as-a-pin designs. Because every site is unique, there are a few steps that need to be taken before you’re free to fly towards construction, but these designs allow you to dump more energy towards the fun stuff. Let’s back up and remember how we got here.

In 2020, we launched a novel program built to encourage residential property owners to construct accessory dwelling units on their property. This was possible due to a senate bill in 2017 that allowed accessory dwelling units to be built on any residential property. The law of the land was set. Eugene took some of that ownership back and customized the State’s model code to be more suitable to Eugene’s high standard of design. In collaboration with the architecture community, a crowdsourcing-style program was conjured and ultimately made a reality. City staff worked hand in hand with architects who, to put it mildly, poured their hearts into designs and fine-tuning those designs into master plans and final approved plans. These are what make up the library.

As a part of a sophisticated suite of housing production strategies and tactics, this program is a true labor of love that demonstrates a constructive private sector + public sector partnership. Can it be improved? Yes, and we will be reaching out to interested parties, contributing architects, and property owners to discuss the next steps and emerging versions of the program.

For more information about the program and some pro tips, visit the Pre-Approved ADU Program website.

We will continue to feature the Pre-Approved ADU designs and to provide updates on incentives.

Here are the designs!

1. Original Məxiɫp ("Maheeshp") ADU by CedarStone 
2. Deschutes by Cultivate, Inc.
3. The Joel by City of Eugene
4. The Core by GMA Architects
5. The Grange by Willard C. Dixon | Architect
6. Mira by Spacehouse
7. The Pine by Studio.e Architecture
8. The Reach by Aligned Architecture
9. The Domino by Drake Architecture and Design
10. Klamath by Cultivate, Inc.
11. The Pod by Aligned Architecture
12. The Willow by Arbor South
13. The Ethan by Arbor South

We’re excited to announce the launch of Eugene’s new Middle Housing webpage. Staff from Building and Permit Services developed this resource as a one-stop permitting hub when planning middle housing projects like duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, townhouses, and cottage clusters in Eugene. It is designed to demystify the process and help you move forward with confidence. This is the first iteration, and staff will continue to expand and update it to better serve the development community.

Explore the Middle Housing webpage.

What You'll Find

• Definitions and allowed types — Learn how Oregon law (HB 2001) and the Eugene Land Use Code define “middle housing” and explore the five permitted types in Eugene.
• Zoning & eligibility guidance — Find out where middle housing is allowed, what property criteria apply, and how to check zoning maps.
• Middle Housing Land Division (MHLD) — Learn about timing considerations and how that affects permit sequencing.
• Step-by-step “How to Get Started” — The page highlights key considerations and provides a checklist to help you prepare prior to submitting your permit application.
• Project consultation option — Schedule a free, staff-led meeting before submitting your permit. The Middle Housing questionnaire helps staff understand your project and streamline your review.

This new webpage is more than a resource. It is a tool to help reduce uncertainty, strengthen submittals, and accelerate review timelines.

Visit the new Building & Permit Services Middle Housing webpage today, bookmark it, and make it your go-to resource as you plan your next project.

Let’s build Eugene’s next chapters — one thoughtfully designed middle housing home at a time.

The Public Health Standards project is an effort to identify possible changes to Eugene’s land use regulations to address the concerns of residents living near industrial areas within City limits. 

On October 14, 2025 at 5:30pm, the Eugene Planning Commission will hold a virtual public hearing on a proposed land use code change to improve the coordination with public health regulatory partners. Review the meeting agenda and materials, including instructions on providing public testimony.

The proposed land use code change would require developers of property zoned E-2 Mixed-Use Employment, I-2 Light-Medium Industrial, and I-3 Heavy Industrial to provide documentation that they have obtained or are on the path to obtain all required water, land, and air permits prior to the issuance of a building permit. This proposed code change is in response to Eugene City Council direction during their June 18, 2025 meeting on next steps on the Public Health Standards Project.

Following this initial public hearing, the Planning Commission will deliberate and make a recommendation to the City Council. The City Council will hold a separate public hearing, then deliberate and make the final local decision on the proposed land use code amendment.

Learn more and stay engaged on the project’s Engage Eugene page.

The City of Eugene wants your input! Energy inefficiency in homes can drive up utility costs, reduce comfort, and affect health. It can also contribute to emissions associated with climate change. A Home Energy Score is a tool that rates a home’s energy use and highlights opportunities for cost-saving improvements.

The City is considering possible ways to integrate home energy scores into standard real estate transactions. This could help improve transparency in the real estate market, increase awareness about home energy use, and guide homeowners towards making voluntary home improvements that can improve energy efficiency.

Please take five minutes to share your thoughts through this short survey or survey in Spanish. Learn more about the project on Engage Eugene.

It’s important to us that community members know when someone has applied to develop their property through the land use application process. City staff are always happy to discuss a project before the formal review, and can provide information about what the formal review process will be to ensure that you have a fair opportunity to review and comment on a project. Sign up to start receiving emails that list recently submitted projects.

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