<br />14 <br /> <br />River Road, designated Pacific Highway in 1923, was once the only major link between Portland and <br />California. This designation of River Road as a state highway greatly influenced much of the <br />development experienced in the River Road and Santa Clara communities. According to land use studies <br />from the 1930s and 1940s, the majority of the roads in the area were created to provide access to River <br />Road. Later, the completion of Beltline Highway (1970) and Northwest Expressway (1980) further <br />facilitated development; this development resulted in changes to the use of the land. Generally, land <br />uses shifted from being primarily farmland to an increase in subdivisions and the presence of homes. <br />Post-World War II growth brought with it the development of educational and religious facilities. In <br />1945, River Road and Santa Clara school districts joined Eugene School District No. 4, and five schools <br />were built in the River Road community. The area also experienced an increase in church construction <br />during the 1950s and 1960s. Though church construction had previously been limited to the downtown <br />core, over this period of rapid growth, construction of churches began to take place in areas outside of <br />downtown. <br /> <br />Figure 2: River Road and Santa Clara Historical Development Patterns <br /> <br />