Public Testimony Batch 15 - through 5:00pm on 2026-02-10

University of Oregon February 10, 2026 RA 25-01, CA 25-02, Z 25-03 Final Open Record Submission 3 internal plans and policies (East Campus Area Plan, Campus Plan) to meet the need for new housing. Additionally, these plans show that all remaining viable development sites for residence halls are within the Limited Institutional area. The plans emphasize the importance of reserving the remaining land within the central academic core for future academic instructional uses. University academic instructional uses are typically more intensive than residence halls because they serve a broader population and support a wider range of daily activities. Academic instructional facilities accommodate large volumes of students, faculty, staff, and visitors moving through classrooms, labs, lecture halls, offices, and shared learning environments. Their schedules may span from early morning to late evening, with high turnover and peak-hour surges tied to class periods. Conversely, residence halls function primarily as living spaces for a defined population, have predictable patterns of use, and significantly lower hourly occupancy turnover. The operational demand, circulation loads, and service needs of academic instructional uses, therefore, create a much higher level of use intensity than in student housing and residence halls. Examples of existing academic instruction uses within or near the East Campus Area include William W. Knight Law Center, Straub Hall, and Erb Memorial Union. The Limited Institutional plan area within the larger East Campus Area is well-suited for residence halls because it is proximate to academic buildings, support services, athletic and recreational facilities, and open spaces; served by public transit and pedestrian infrastructure; and close to commercial activity along Franklin Boulevard, 19th Street, and Agate Street. Clear and Objective Standards for Housing Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS) 197A.400 provides that local governments may only adopt and apply only clear and objective standards, conditions, and procedures regulating the development of housing, including needed housing. ORS 197A.018 defines “needed housing” as including “housing for college or university students, if relevant to the region.” In their January 27, 2026, Memorandum, City planning staff notes that “residence halls are housing and therefore are subject to clear and objective standards, as required by state law.” More explicitly, ORS 197A.400(1)(b) states that the adopted standards, conditions, and procedures “[m]ay not have the effect, either themselves or cumulatively, of discouraging needed housing through unreasonable cost and delay” (emphasis added). FNA proposes new code amendments that would require Conditional Use Permit approval for residence halls in the LI area and Site Review approval for all new developments in the LI area. FNA asserts compliance with EC 9.8424(1) as justification for Conditional Use Permit approval and “a regulatory process that requires assessment and mitigation of impacts on the surrounding neighborhood” as justification for Site Review approval. Cumulatively, FNA’s proposal would subject residence halls to two new land use approval processes (Conditional Use Permit and Site Review) and all other developments to one new land use approval process (Site Review). Conditional Use Permit applications are reviewed under Type III procedures, with the Hearings Official rendering a decision. Site Review applications are reviewed under Type II procedures, with the Planning Director rendering a decision. Both types of applications are appealable, with the Planning Commission serving as the review authority for Conditional Use Permit applications and a Hearings Official serving as the review authority for Site Review applications. In accordance with