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City, public need more details on UO project Eugene residents made a good point last week about the University of OregonÈs planned north campus development: The UO has provided too few specifics about the project. ItÈs no wonder that the project received a frosty reception from many of the people attending a public hearing before a Eugene hearings officer. The area along the Willamette River needs to be redeveloped, but it needs to be done in a responsible manner. The plan currently envisioned by the UO might be the right approach, but itÈs difficult to tell. The explanations given by UO officials were aspirational for what might happen over the next 30 years. To state the obvious, 30 years is a long time. The community and the university will have changed in ways that cannot be precisely forecast. It is understandable that university officials want flexibility in how they approach the phased project. But many of those UO staff members will leave the university during the next 30 years. Unless locked in, the aspirations and commitments made today might not hold up tomorrow. The university is seeking the cityÈs approval for a conditional use permit for 77 acres north of Franklin Boulevard, an area currently occupied by university buildings and sports fields. The project has the potential to increase student and community interactions with the Willamette River. The UO has pledged to restore the riverfront, but community members fear the proposed artificial turf fields might leach substances that could harm wildlife habitat and the river. University officials said a 200-foot buffer would exist between the river and any development, keeping any potentially harmful materials from the river. The assurances are helpful. But again, there are insufficient details to know for sure. In any project, itÈs as important to acknowledge what could go wrong as it is to include what would go right. There is a reason that MurphyÈs law Ä popularly cited as ÅAnything that can go wrong will go wrongÆ Ä has endured across the ages.