GIOELLO Nick R <br />From:Just Greg <gregringer@msn.com> <br />Sent:Tuesday, October 09, 2018 12:05 PM <br />To:GIOELLO Nick R <br />Cc:WOLLING Sue (SMTP) <br />UO 30-year conditional use permit <br />Subject: <br />IstronglyopposetheUO'sapplicationfora30yearconditionalusepermittofurtherdevelopthebanksofthe <br />WillametteRiverforcampusactivitiesbettersitedelsewhere. <br />Morethantwodecadesago,asagraduatestudentatUO,Irecallthetremendousdebatewithinthecampus <br />communityandthecityaboutthewisdomofconstructingtheriverfrontresearchpark.TheUOpromisedan <br />infusionoffunds,jobs,andresearchopportunitiesasrenownfacultyandcompanieswouldrelocateto <br />Eugene.Instead,thefirsttenantswerelocalcompaniesthatmigratedfromelsewhereinthecity,andthe <br />imaginedprofitsandscopeoftheresearchparkhaveyettofullymaterialize. <br />Subsequently,asaprofessorandenvironmentaleducatoratUO,Icontinuedtomonitorthedebateoverthe <br />"best"useofourriverfront.Eachtime,thedecisionfavoredfurtherencroachment,againwiththefalse <br />assertionthatbuildings,roads,andplayingfieldswillhaveminimalimpact.Timehasprovedthisclaimwrong. <br />Ourrivermaynotbewildorpristinenature,butthatisduetoourownarroganceandignoranceofthe <br />qualitativevalueoftheWillamette.Instead,ourdebatecontinuestodwellupontheexpectedquantityofjobs <br />andprofits. <br />Itistimetoreversethismindset.WecandobetterthantheUOproposes.TheWillamettecertainlydeserves <br />better.Iencouragedenialoftheconditionalusepermit,infavorofanenvironmental"revisioning"ofthe <br />river'splaceoncampus. <br />GregRinger,PhD <br />CourtesyProfessor,UniversityofOregon <br />988LincolnSt <br />Eugene,OR97401 <br />1 <br /> <br />