HomeMy WebLinkAbout23_10_10_1730 Eugene Planning Commission Work Session Packet
AGENDA
Phone: 541-682-5481 Meeting Location:
www.eugene-or.gov/pc Hybrid Meeting
(See How to Access this Meeting on next page)
The Eugene Planning Commission welcomes your interest in these agenda items. This Planning
Commission Work Session is in hybrid format without the ability for public comment. Members of
the public can watch or listen in using Zoom or phone in options. Information about online or other
options for access and participation is available on the last page of this agenda.
For the hearing impaired, assistive-listening devices or an interpreter can be provided with 72 -
hour notice prior to the meeting. Spanish-language interpretation may also be provided with 72-
hour notice. These services may not be available during the Planning Commission meeting
based on service availability but may occur as a follow up service. To arrange for these services,
contact the Planning Division at 541-682-5675.
TUESDAY, October 10, 2023 – Regular Meeting 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Commissioners: Ken Beeson; Diane Behling; Tiffany Edwards; Lisa Fragala (Vice Chair); Dan
Isaacson (Chair); Jason Lear, Chris Ramey
The Commission will begin the meeting with the City’s Land Acknowledgement statement:
A.WORK SESSION: RIVER ROAD/SANTA CLARA NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN ADOPTION
PACKAGE OVERVIEW
Staff: Terri Harding, 541-682-5635, THarding@eugene-or.gov
Since time immemorial the Kalapuya people have been the Indigenous stewards to our region,
building dynamic communities, maintaining balance with wildlife, and enacting sustainable land
practices. This land acknowledgement is a way of resisting the erasure of Indigenous histories and
to honor Native communities by inviting truth and reconciliation. Following treaties between 1851 and
1855, Kalapuya people were dispossessed of their Indigenous homeland by the United States
government and forcibly removed to the Coast Reservation in Western Oregon. As we consider the
impacts of colonization, we also acknowledge the strength and resiliency of displaced Indigenous
people. The City of Eugene is built within the traditional homelands known as Kalapuya Ilihi. Kalapuya
descendants are citizens of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Community of Oregon and the
Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians of Oregon, they continue to make contributions in our
communities here and across the lands. We express our re spect for the inherent political sovereignty
of all federally recognized Tribal Nations and Indigenous people who live in the State of Oregon and
across the nation. Therefore, the Planning Commission recognizes that what we do today will affect
the many generations who will come after us.
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B.WORK SESSION: RIVERFRONT URBAN RENEWAL PROPOSED PLAN AMENDMENT
Staff: Amanda D’Souza, 541-682-5540, ADSouza@eugene-or.gov
C.ITEMS FROM COMMISSION AND STAFF
1.Other Items from Staff
2.Other Items from Commission
3.Learning: How are we doing
HOW TO ACCESS THE MEETING
This work session will be in hybrid format without the ability for public comment. Planning
Commission and staff will meet in person (or virtually if needed). Members of the public can
watch or listen in using Zoom or phone in options below.
To watch a webcast of the meeting live:
1.Visit: https://www.eugene-or.gov/2109/Planning-Commission-Webcasts
2.Join on your computer, tablet or smartphone
Visit: https://eugene-or-gov.zoom.us/j/88568352100
3.Join on your phone
Dial one of the below numbers and enter the Webinar ID: 885 6835 2100
+1 833-548-0276 (Toll Free); or
+1 833-548-0282 (Toll Free); or
+1 877-853-5257 (Toll Free); or
+1 888-475-4499 (Toll Free);
For higher quality, dial a number based on your current location.
International numbers available: https://eugene-or-gov.zoom.us/u/kbEgyMKe59
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AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY
October 10, 2023
To: Eugene Planning Commission
From: Terri Harding, Principal Planner
Elena Domingo, Associate Planner
Subject: Work Session: RIVER ROAD-SANTA CLARA NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN AND METRO PLAN
AMENDMENTS AND RIVER ROAD-SANTA CLARA NEIGHBORHOOD-SPECIFIC CODE
AMENDMENTS (City Files MA 23-5 and CA 23-3 & County File 509-PA23-05532)
ISSUE STATEMENT
The City of Eugene and Lane County have been working with the River Road Community Organization
(RRCO) and Santa Clara Community Organization (SCCO) to create a new Neighborhood Plan since
2017. After thorough community outreach, goal and policy development, analysis, coordination,
review cycles, and legal review, an adoption package has been assembled and is ready for the public
hearing process. The adoption package consists of amendments to the Eugene Code related to allowed
uses and development standards in the River Road and Santa Clara areas, as well as amendments to
the Eugene-Springfield Metropolitan Area General Plan (Metro Plan) to repeal the 1987 River Road -
Santa Clara Urban Facilities Plan, adopt a new River Road – Santa Clara Neighborhood Plan, and amend
the Metro Plan to remove Chapter II Section F from the Metro Plan. The Eugene Planning Commission
will hold a work session on the Neighborhood Plan adoption package on October 10, in advance of the
joint City/County public hearing scheduled for October 17, 2023 at 6:00 pm.
At this meeting, the Eugene Planning Commission will hold a work session to learn about the proposed
adoption package. Following the work session, the Commission will hold a joint public hearing with the
Lane County Planning Commission. Thereafter, both Planning Commissions will deliberate and make a
recommendation on the proposed Metro Plan amendment, the proposed adoption of the new River
Road – Santa Clara Neighborhood Plan, and the proposed repeal of the 1987 River Road Santa-Clara
Urban Facilities Plan. Only the Eugene Planning Commission will deliberate and make a
recommendation on the proposed code amendments because they will only apply to properties within
the Eugene city limits. A summary of the adoption package components is provided in Attachment A.
BACKGROUND
The River Road and Santa Clara neighborhoods are composed of a patchwork of properties within the
City of Eugene (incorporated) and Lane County (unincorporated). For over 30 years, land use and
development within the River Road and Santa Clara communities have been governed by the River
Road-Santa Clara Urban Facilities Plan (1987). An updated, forward-looking plan was needed for this
large part of the community.
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RRCO and SSCO dedicated innumerable volunteer hours to developing a foundation of community
input on which to build the neighborhood planning process. This work included past community and
planning efforts, such as the Santa Clara-River Road Outreach and Learning (SCRROL) and Santa Clara-
River Road Implementation Planning Team (SCRRIPT) projects.
Launched in fall 2017, the neighborhood planning process was a collaborative effort among RRCO,
SCCO, the City of Eugene, Lane County, and other stakeholders throughout both neighborhoods. The
process had six phases: Reaching Out, Neighborhood Visioning, Neighborhood Priorities, Policy
Development, Action Planning, and Adoption, with opportunities for community and stakeholder
feedback throughout every phase. The Community Advisory Committee (CAC), comprised of volunteers
nominated by the community organization boards and approved by the Eugene Planning Commission,
played a key role in all phases of the project, and continues to advocate for neighborhood priorities as
the project enters the adoption phase.
The neighborhood planning process created a vision for growth and development in a manner that
respects the area’s unique characteristics and opportunities, which will guide decision-making in River
Road and Santa Clara for decades to come. The Neighborhood Plan vision is consistent with Envision
Eugene, the community vision for how growth is managed in Eugene’s Urban Growth Boundary (UGB),
in a way that protects and enhances quality of life and reflects shared community values, while
tailoring the citywide vision to the local context.
The Neighborhood Plan focuses on the topic areas of Economic Development, Transportation, Parks
and Natural Resources, Land Use, and Community. To reflect the community values, aspirations, and
priorities expressed during outreach, each topic area includes vision statements, goals, policies, and
actions.
The draft Neighborhood Plan is included as Attachment B. The proposed amendments to the Metro
Plan are included in Attachment C. The proposed City of Eugene Land Use Code Amendments are
included in Attachment D (updated September 28, 2023). These regulatory components work to form
the framework for guiding policy decisions in River Road and Santa Clara. In addition, City, County, and
community partners will work together to advance actions included in the non-regulatory Action Plan.
City staff committed to meeting annually with neighborhood leaders to update community priorities
and collaborate on implementation projects.
Over the past six years, highlights of the neighborhood planning public engagement have included:
•Project web page and Engage Eugene page
•Periodic e-newsletter updates to 1,600+ people
•5 community meetings at North Eugene High School
•40+ Community Advisory Committee meetings
•16,800 postcards mailed to all residents and property owners within the River Road and Santa
Clara Neighborhoods
•Emails to project interested parties providing updates at various times over the project phases
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Please see the project Public Engagement Summary at Attachment C (Exhibit A) for a full description of
project engagement.
Neighborhood Planning Process
As noted above, the River Road-Santa Clara neighborhood planning process included six key phases,
with opportunities for the Planning Commissions to learn about and provide feedback on the project
along the way. A more detailed written explanation of the project phases and group roles can be found
on pages 16-18 of the draft Neighborhood Plan.
• Spring 2017 – 2018: The first three phases of the project - Reaching Out, Visioning, and
Neighborhood Priorities focused on asking community members what they value in their
neighborhoods now and about their hopes and visions for the future.
• 2018 - Spring 2019: The fourth phase, the Policy Development Phase, focused on drafting
policies that relate to the vision and neighborhood priorities. The draft policies are organized
under eighteen high-level goals. Both the goals and policies were written by the Community
Advisory Committee and vetted by topic area Working Groups and the project management
team. The policy language has been refined by staff to incorporate initial legal feedback, to
better reflect the actions associated with those policies, and to provide general clarification.
• Summer 2019 - Spring 2021: The fifth phase, the Action Planning Phase, focused on drafting,
evaluating, and prioritizing actions, which the community identified as possible strategies to
implement the Neighborhood Plan policies. The project team provided updates on the Action
Planning Phase and received feedback on land use code related actions to focus on in the
Adoption Phase at the March 22, 2021 Eugene Planning Commission work session and the April
6 and April 20, 2021 Lane County Planning Commission work sessions.
• May 2021: The Eugene City Council and Lane County Board of Commissioners directed staff to
move into the Adoption Phase and prepare the River Road-Santa Clara Neighborhood Plan
adoption package for community review.
• Summer 2021-Fall 2022: Work continued preparing and refining a draft corridor code. By late
fall 2022, several challenges to the project including the pandemic, staff changes, and new state
rules caused the staff team to reconsider the path to landing the project. While the vision
statements, goals, policies, and actions remain largely intact, staff proposed shifting certain
implementation tools such as zoning and land use code amendments to better align with new
rules affecting middle housing, climate friendly development, and housing production.
• November 2022-June 2023: The project staff team spent five months between November 2022
and March 2023 discussing with the CAC how to best land the project within existing resource
and state law constraints, while meeting as many of the neighborhood objectives as possible.
Staff proposed a compromise that includes the most critical neighborhood-specific land use
code amendments identified through the corridor planning work but does not create a new
zoning district or rezone properties. In March 2023, the CAC voted to send the draft
Neighborhood Plan, Action Plan, and Neighborhood-specific Code Amendments out to the
community for feedback.
• May-June 2023: A variety of outreach events and tools were offered in May and June, including
virtual information sessions, a community survey, River Road and Santa Clara Community
Organization meetings, and a Community Meeting held at North Eugene High School. A project
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update was presented to the Eugene Planning Commission on May 23, 2023, and the Lane
County Planning Commission on June 6, 2023.
•July-August 2023: The project staff team assembled comments from the outreach tools and
events and shared them with the CAC. The comments at this stage in the process were
generally supportive, although some community priorities are not addressed by the current
plan and will require ongoing work by the City, County, and community partners. The CAC
voted on July 27, 2023 to move the revised adoption package forward to public hearings. The
CAC recommendation letter, as well as recommendations from RCCO and SCCO are included in
Attachment E.
Formal Adoption Package
Based on the process described above, project staff refined the adoption package, including
assembling the Neighborhood Plan and non-regulatory Action Plan, drafting plan and code
amendments, writing findings, and summarizing the project’s public engagement and technical
analysis.
A complete adoption package has been assembled for the City of Eugene and Lane County Planning
Commissions for review and recommendations, before proceeding to the City Council and Board of
Commissioners for their consideration, including a joint public hearing and separate actions.
Components of the adoption package are summarized in Attachment A.
The components of the City of Eugene adoption package attached to this AIS include:
•Attachment B: Draft River Road Santa Clara Neighborhood Plan
•Attachment C: Proposed Eugene-Springfield Metropolitan Area General Plan Text
Amendments
•Attachment D: Proposed City of Eugene Land Use Code Amendments (neighborhood-
specific)
The components of the Lane County adoption package attached to this AIS include:
•Attachment B: Draft River Road Santa Clara Neighborhood Plan
•Attachment C: Proposed Eugene-Springfield Metropolitan Area General Plan Text
Amendments
Both bodies will also consider the repeal of the 1987 River Road Santa Clara Urban Facilities Plan.
PROCEDURAL SUMMARY AND PLANNING COMMISSION ROLE
The Eugene and Lane County Planning Commissions have already had an important role throughout
the project, participating in multiple work sessions as the Neighborhood Plan was developed and
providing feedback and direction to the project team and the City Council and Board of Commissioners.
The process for the formal consideration of the legislative adoption package complies with City and
County procedural requirements for adoption of a Type II Metro Plan Amendment and all the City
procedural requirements for a Type V Code Amendment. The legislative process includes public notice
and a hearing before the Eugene and Lane County Planning Commissions.
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Notice of the October 17, 2023, joint planning commission public hearing was provided consistent with
the notice requirements for a Type II Metro Plan Amendment and a City of Eugene Type V land use
code amendment. This includes notice sent to Eugene neighborhood organizations, the Oregon
Department of Land Conservation and Development, and other community groups and individuals who
have requested notice. Consistent with ORS 227.186 (Measure 56), a separate notice was also
provided to owners of properties affected by the proposed code amendments that apply to C-2
Community Commercial zoned land within the city limits. Notice of the public hearing was also
published in the Register Guard consistent with local code requirements.
At this stage, the commissions’ roles are to hold work sessions, participate in a joint public hearing and
subsequently make separate recommendations on the appropriate portions of the adoption package
to their respective governing bodies. The recommendations of the planning commissions must be
based on the applicable approval criteria for the proposed amendments. The applicable approval
criteria and proposed findings addressing those approval criteria will be provided in the Agenda Item
Summary for the October 17 public hearing, which will be published on October 10.
NEXT STEPS
The joint public hearing is scheduled for October 17, 2023 at 6:00 pm. After the public hearing, each
Planning Commission will hold its own deliberations and make separate recommendations to their
respective governing bodies.
Staff recommends that the Planning Commissions hold the record open for one week following the
public hearing, until 5pm on October 24, 2023. Testimony received by this date will be indexed and
provided to the Commissions for their deliberations. Any testimony received after October 24, 2023
would not be considered by the Planning Commissions for the initial recommendation but will be
forwarded to the City Council and Lane County Board for their consideration.
The Eugene Planning Commission deliberations and potential recommendation to the Eugene City
Council is scheduled for November 14, 2023. The Lane County Planning Commission deliberations and
potential recommendation to the Lane County Board of Commissioners is scheduled for November 28,
2023.
Following the planning commission recommendations, the Eugene City Council and Lane County Board
of Commissioners will hold work sessions, a joint public hearing, and deliberations to consider the
Planning Commissions’ recommendations on the adoption package. These meetings are anticipated in
early 2024.
ATTACHMENTS
A. Summary of Adoption Package Components
B. Draft River Road Santa Clara Neighborhood Plan
C. Proposed Metro Plan Amendments
• Exhibit A, Public Engagement Summary
D. Proposed Eugene Land Use Code Amendments
E. CAC, RRCO, and SCCO Recommendation Letters
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FOR MORE INFORMATION
Staff Contact: Terri Harding, Principal Planner
Telephone: 541-628-5635
Email: tharding@eugene-or.gov
Project page: https://www.eugene-or.gov/3558/River-Road---Santa-Clara-Neighborhood-Pl
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Attachment A
Summary of River Road-Santa Clara Neighborhood Plan
Adoption Package Components
Metro Plan Amendments
The proposal involves a Metro Plan Amendment to be considering by the City of Eugene and Lane
County to:
• repeal the 1987 River Road Santa-Clara Urban Facilities Plan
• adopt the new River Road- Santa Clara Neighborhood Plan
• remove Chapter II Section F from the Eugene-Springfield Metropolitan Area General Plan (Metro
Plan) and references to this section in the Table of Contents and Chapter II Introduction
Land Use Code Amendments
The proposal involves a City of Eugene Land Use Code Amendment to establish River Road and Santa
Clara neighborhood-specific code amendments within the city limits, as follows:
• In the C-2 Community Commercial Zone, applies the following design standards:
o Limit building height to 60 feet (current limit is 120 feet).
o Apply transition standards (setbacks, landscaping, and/or fencing) to new buildings and
building additions that increase the square footage of floor area by 20% or more for any
development on property abutting Low Density Residential (R-1) zoned land.
o Require buildings fronting River Road to provide a main entrance facing that street or to
the corner where River Road and another street intersect.
o Increase the minimum percentage of the street facing building façade that must be
within the maximum front yard setback, from 25% to 80%.
o Require minimum percentage of windows along the ground floor of street facing
facades and prohibit blank walls of more than 20 linear feet of any façade.
o Require weather protection features over all building entrances.
• In the C-2 Community Commercial Zone, prohibits the establishment of the following uses:
o Motor Vehicle Sales/Rental/Service, excluding recreational vehicles and heavy trucks
o Motorcycle Sales/Rental/Service
o Recreational Vehicles and Heavy Truck, Sales/Rental/Service
o Agricultural Machinery Rental/Sales/Service
o Boat and Watercraft Sales/Service
o Equipment, Heavy, Rental/Sales/Service – includes truck and tractor sales
o Storage Facility, Household/Consumer Goods, enclosed
• In the R-1 Low Density Residential Zone, allows the “Display and Sale of Agricultural Products
Grown Offsite” as a permitted use and include limits to size of display, hours of operation, and
signage in keeping with “small scale.”
• Amends Table 9.8010 and corresponding figure to remove reference to the 1987 River Road-
Santa Clara Urban Facilities Plan and add the new River Road- Santa Clara Neighborhood Plan
• Adds adjustment review criteria specific to River Road-Santa Clara under EC 9.8030(39).
• Removes policies in EC 9.9610 related to the 1987 River Road- Santa Clara Urban Facilities Plan
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Attachment B
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Table of Contents
Table of Contents .......................................................................................................................................... 1
Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................................................... 3
Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 5
How to Use the Neighborhood Plan ......................................................................................................... 7
Regulatory Framework and Relationship to Other Plans and Policies ................................................... 10
How We Got Here ....................................................................................................................................... 13
Neighborhood History............................................................................................................................. 13
Past Community and Planning Efforts .................................................................................................... 15
Developing the Neighborhood Plan ........................................................................................................ 16
Planning Process Phases ......................................................................................................................... 19
River Road Corridor Study ....................................................................................................................... 22
Neighborhood Plan Visions, Goals, and Policies ......................................................................................... 23
Economic Development .......................................................................................................................... 24
Transportation ........................................................................................................................................ 25
Transportation Maps .......................................................................................................................... 26
Parks and Natural Resources .................................................................................................................. 30
Parks and Natural Resources Maps .................................................................................................... 31
Land Use .................................................................................................................................................. 33
Community .............................................................................................................................................. 35
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List of Figures
Figure 1: River Road-Santa Clara Neighborhood Plan Map .......................................................................... 6
Figure 2: River Road-Santa Clara Historical Development Patterns ........................................................... 14
Figure 3: River Road-Santa Clara Vision Map.............................................................................................. 23
Figure 4: River Road-Santa Clara Existing Transportation Map .................................................................. 27
Figure 5: River Road-Santa Clara Future Transportation Map .................................................................... 28
Figure 6: River Road-Santa Clara Street Jurisdiction Map……………………………………………………………………….29
Figure 7: River Road-Santa Clara Parks and Natural Resources Map ......................................................... 32
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Acknowledgements
Thank you to the community members who have dedicated countless hours to the development of this
Neighborhood Plan and the future of the River Road and Santa Clara neighborhoods. Special thanks to
the Community Advisory Committee for providing leadership and playing an active role throughout the
process. This work would not have been possible without you.
Community Advisory Committee Members
Jon Belcher
Carl Below
Luke Callahan
Terah Cleveland
Rick Duncan
Cameron Ewing
Jerry Finigan
Beth Gerot
Louisa de Heer
Susan Kittleson
Mary Leontovich
Ed McMahon
Michele O’Leary
Kate Perle
Harry Sanger
Rebecca Sprinson
Ann Vaughn
Louie Vidmar
Hans Wittig
Working Group Members
Bruce Barney
Vickie Barnts
Beverly Barr
Todd Berger
Peter Bolander
Joe Castino
Betty Grant
Lisa Hudson
Kevin Jones
Hillary Kittleson
Hamid Madami
Cathy Martinit
Jacqueline McClure
Jerry Mohr
Nora Morgan
Jim Neu
Steve Norris
Brian Parmelee
George Price
Christina Prince
Meredith Prochot
Gaston Ramos
Carleen Reilly
Pat Reilly
Becky Riley
Joel Robe
Vicki Roessler
Christine Rush
Julie Schaum
Jolene Siemsen
Jan Spencer
Miaya Sustaita
Cat Tanzer
Alpha Wilson
Catherine Zukowski
River Road Community Organization Board Members
Jon Belcher
Charlsey Cartwright
Mysti Frost
Dan Isaacson
Susan Kittleson
Stefan Ostrach
Clare Strawn
Carly Sylva-Gabrielson
Jacque Wurster
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Santa Clara Community Organization Board Members
Jerry Finigan
Tim Foelker
Patrick Kerr
Dawn Lesley
Jerry Mohr
Kate Perle
Terri Reed
Louie Vidmar
Matt Vohs
Triple Bottom Line Sounding Board Members
Bill Aspegren
Allen Hancock
Randy Hledik
Ela Kubok
Daniel Lombardi
Emily Reiman
Kristen Taylor
Alicia Voorhees
Members of the project staff team changed somewhat over the course of the planning period. At the
time the River Road-Santa Clara Neighborhood Plan was adopted, the following staff were part of the
core project team:
City of Eugene
Terri Harding, Principal Planner & Project Manager
Alissa Hansen, Planning Director
Elena Domingo, Associate Planner
Leah Rausch, Associate Planner
Zoli Gaudin-Dalton, Assistant Planner
Annie Loe, Urban Designer
Rob Inerfeld, Transportation Planning Manager
Carolyn Burke, Parks & Natural Resource Planning Manager
Fabio Andrade, Equity and Community Engagement Manager
Lane County
Jared Bauder, Associate Planner
Lindsey Eichner, Principal Planner
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Introduction
The River Road and Santa Clara neighborhoods are a patchwork of properties located in the City of
Eugene (incorporated) and in Lane County (unincorporated). For over 30 years, land use and
development within the River Road and Santa Clara communities have been governed by the River
Road-Santa Clara Urban Facilities Plan (1987). An updated, forward-looking plan was needed for this
large part of the community.
The River Road Community Organization (RRCO) and Santa Clara Community Organization (SCCO)
dedicated innumerable volunteer hours developing a foundation of community input on which to build
the neighborhood planning process. This work included past community and planning efforts, such as
the Santa Clara-River Road Outreach and Learning (SCRROL) and Santa Clara-River Road Implementation
Planning Team (SCRRIPT) projects. Launched in fall 2017, the neighborhood planning process was a
collaborative effort among RRCO, SCCO, the City of Eugene, Lane County, and other stakeholders
throughout both neighborhoods. The process had six phases: Reaching Out, Neighborhood Visioning,
Neighborhood Priorities, Policy Development, Action Planning, and Adoption with opportunities for
community and stakeholder feedback throughout every phase.
The neighborhood planning process created a vision for growth and development in a manner that
respects the area’s unique characteristics and opportunities, and which will guide decision-making in
River Road and Santa Clara for decades to come. The Neighborhood Plan vision is consistent with
Envision Eugene, the community vision for how growth is managed in Eugene’s Urban Growth Boundary
(UGB), in a way that protects and enhances quality of life and reflects shared community values, while
tailoring the citywide vision to the local context. The Neighborhood Plan focuses on the Topic Areas of
Economic Development, Transportation, Parks and Natural Resources, Land Use, and Community. To
reflect the community values, aspirations and priorities expressed during outreach, each Topic Area
includes vision statements, goals, policies, and actions.
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Figure 1: River Road-Santa Clara Neighborhood Plan Map
(for illustrative purposes only)
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How to Use the Neighborhood Plan
The River Road-Santa Clara Neighborhood Plan is a formally adopted, legally binding land use plan. The
plan boundary follows the boundaries of RRCO and SCCO, and includes properties located inside the
Eugene city limits, properties located outside the Eugene city limits but within Eugene’s UGB, and
properties located outside Eugene’s UGB but within the boundary of the Eugene-Springfield
Metropolitan Area General Plan (Metro Plan). See Figure 1: River Road-Santa Clara Neighborhood Plan
Map.
The Neighborhood Plan provides policy direction for City and County decision-makers as they consider
future legislative decisions. Plan policies are not intended to be applied as a standard or criterion for
approving or denying a land use or development application unless such direction is specifically stated in
the policy. Land use codes adopted by the City and the County, which implement certain policies of this
Neighborhood Plan through detailed regulation, generally include the approval criteria for individual
land use applications. Finally, some of the policies in this plan are aspirational, including those policies
that call for collaboration or additional efforts from RRCO and SCCO and additional community partners.
The Neighborhood Plan is organized around five Topic Areas: Economic Development, Transportation,
Parks and Natural Resources, Land Use, and Community. Each Topic Area includes vision statements,
goals, policies, and actions. The terms “vision statement,” “goal,” “policy,” and “action” as used in this
Neighborhood Plan mean the following:
• Vision Statements are aspirational and describe the community’s best outcome for how the
neighborhood will look, feel, and function 20 years and more into the future. Each vision
statement is based on community values and aspirations expressed during the Neighborhood
Plan community engagement process. The vision statements reflect the ideal outcome if all
aspirational goals were to be attained.
• Goals are statements that describe hopes for the future of the community related to a particular
idea, and flow directly from the neighborhood vision. A goal is aspirational and may not be fully
attained within a particular time frame.
• Policies are statements adopted to provide a consistent course of action and move the
community toward attainment of its goals. Some of the policies in the Neighborhood Plan guide
the City and County in formulating proposed changes to local land use codes and other
regulatory documents; developing other work programs and long-range planning projects; and
preparation of budgets and capital improvement programs. Other plan policies are aspirational
calls for collaboration or additional efforts from the RRCO, SCCO, and other community
partners. The policies included in this plan will not be used in determining whether the City or
County should approve or deny land use or development applications unless such direction is
specifically stated in the policy.
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• Actions are possible strategies to implement the policies of this plan. The Neighborhood Plan is
supported by the non-regulatory Action Plan, which includes actions such as possible land use
code amendments, zone changes, projects, programs, and possible community partnerships.
The Action Plan is not attached to or incorporated in the Neighborhood Plan and the Action Plan
is not adopted by the City or County governing boards. The Action Plan is a separate document,
which identifies community priorities to guide implementation of the Neighborhood Plan. The
inclusion of a particular action in the Action Plan does not require implementation of that
action, nor does it prohibit the implementation of other actions, whether or not they are listed
in the Action Plan. The Action Plan identifies various local entities such as the City of
Eugene, Lane County, RCCO and SCCO, as well as additional community partners, who may lead
implementation of different actions. Some actions, such as land use code amendments and zone
changes, may require implementation by the Eugene City Council or the Lane County Board of
Commissioners. Other actions may be implemented by City or County staff, RCCO and SCCO, or
other community partners.
Implementation of the Action Plan will occur over time as committed community members
strive to improve the neighborhoods, and as resources allow. The Action Plan includes
general budget and timeframe estimates to help inform community advocacy for resources
and to inform City, County, and other community partners’ work plans and
capital project development. Some actions will require public funds and resources while other
actions will be dependent on private investments and development activities.
A set of neighborhood-specific amendments to the City of Eugene’s Land Use Code, applying
only within RRCO and SCCO, are proposed to be adopted concurrently with the Neighborhood
Plan. These amendments include changes to the C-2 Community Commercial Zone to lower the
maximum building height, add design standards, and prohibit certain auto-oriented land uses.
Additionally, the amendments include changes to the R-1 Low Density Residential Zone to allow
for the small-scale collective sale of agricultural products. These amendments reflect community
feedback and certain high priority actions in the Action Plan.
The policies under the various Topic Areas in this Neighborhood Plan are interrelated and, together,
create the plan’s policy framework. In some cases there is overlap between policies, and in other cases
there may be conflicts and inconsistencies between and among some policies. When making decisions
based on the Neighborhood Plan, not all the policies can be complied with to the same degree in every
instance. Use of the Neighborhood Plan requires a balancing of its various policies on a case-by-case
basis, with an emphasis on those policies most pertinent to the issue at hand.
The policies in the Neighborhood Plan vary in their scope and implications. Some call for a specific City
or County action; others are directives the City and County must address when adopting or amending
their respective land use codes or plans; and others are aspirational calls for collaboration or additional
efforts from RRCO, SCCO, and community partners. The common theme of all the policies is that each
represents an approach toward land use problem-solving and goal realization in the River Road and
Santa Clara neighborhoods. Adoption of the River Road-Santa Clara Neighborhood Plan does not
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necessarily commit the City, County, neighborhood organizations, or others to immediately carry out
each policy to the letter. The City and County will carry out the policies applicable to the City and County
to the best of their abilities, given sufficient time and resources.
Future Amendments
The Neighborhood Plan is a long-range policy document which establishes a framework for future
decision-making, however it may require updates or amendments in response to changes in the law or
circumstances important to the community.
Because the boundary of the plan includes land within the Eugene city limits, land between the Eugene
city limits and the UGB, and land outside the UGB but within the Metro Plan Boundary, the plan requires
joint adoption by Eugene and Lane County. The approval process for an amendment to the
Neighborhood Plan shall necessarily follow the Metro Plan Amendment process for two jurisdictions
(Type II process), as outlined in the Eugene-Springfield Metropolitan Area General Plan.
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Regulatory Framework and Relationship to Other Plans and Policies
The Neighborhood Plan is one plan among a variety of land use plans and regulations that exist at the
state, regional, and local level. As an adopted land use plan, the Neighborhood Plan has defined
relationships to other adopted plans.
Statewide Planning Goals
Oregon’s Statewide Land Use Planning Goals, related statutes, and
administrative rules provide a framework for all local land use planning. State
law requires each city and county to adopt a comprehensive plan, which must
be consistent with the Statewide Land Use Planning Goals, as well as the
zoning and land division ordinances necessary to effectuate the
comprehensive plan.
Other Adopted Land Use Plans
At the local and regional level, the two applicable comprehensive plans are
the Envision Eugene Comprehensive Plan and the Eugene-Springfield
Metropolitan Area General Plan (Metro Plan).
Envision Eugene Comprehensive Plan
Envision Eugene is the community vision for how growth is managed in
Eugene’s UGB in a way that protects and enhances quality of life and reflects
Eugene’s shared values. The Envision Eugene Comprehensive Plan, the
regulatory component of Envision Eugene, is the basic guiding policy
document for land use planning within Eugene’s UGB and addresses the
future of Eugene through goals and regulatory policies regarding land use.
Eugene-Springfield Metropolitan Area General Plan (Metro Plan)
The Metro Plan is the basic guiding land use policy document for regional land use planning and applies
to the Cities of Eugene and Springfield and areas of Lane County within the Metro Plan boundary.
The Neighborhood Plan must be consistent with applicable provisions in both the Envision Eugene
Comprehensive Plan and the Metro Plan. If inconsistencies occur between the Neighborhood Plan and
the Envision Eugene Comprehensive Plan, the Envision Eugene Comprehensive Plan is the prevailing
policy document. If inconsistencies occur between the Neighborhood Plan and the Metro Plan, the
Metro Plan is the prevailing policy document. As provided in the Envision Eugene Comprehensive Plan,
for properties located within Eugene’s UGB, if inconsistencies occur between the Envision Eugene
Comprehensive Plan and the Metro Plan, the Envision Eugene Comprehensive Plan is the prevailing
policy document.
Major Related Plans and Programs
The River Road and Santa Clara neighborhoods are a patchwork of properties located within the City of
Eugene (incorporated) and Lane County (unincorporated), and there are related City and County plans
and programs that apply to this area. Following is a summary of key City and County plans and programs
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in place at the time of Neighborhood Plan adoption that relate to the Neighborhood Plan goals, policies,
and actions.
Eugene 2035 Transportation System Plan
Eugene’s 2035 Transportation System Plan (TSP) establishes a system of transportation facilities and
services that will meet the needs of Eugene residents, businesses, and visitors through 2035, consistent
with the Envision Eugene Comprehensive Plan and compliant with Statewide Planning Goal 12
(Transportation). By addressing all modes of travel, the Eugene 2035 TSP is designed to meet Eugene’s
transportation needs as they evolve in the future and to increase transportation choices available
throughout the community. The TSP serves as the City of Eugene’s local transportation system plan and
pedestrian and bicycle master plan. The Eugene TSP incudes a list of projects, including specific projects
in the River Road-Santa Clara area, for implementation through 2035.
Eugene Vision Zero Action Plan
Vision Zero is an approach to transportation safety that aims to eliminate deaths and lifechanging
injuries caused by traffic crashes – this is the goal of implementing Eugene’s Vision Zero Action Plan. The
Vision Zero approach helps with educating the community on local traffic safety issues and enabling the
City of Eugene to prioritize resources based on evidence of the greatest need and impact.
Lane County Transportation System Plan
The Lane County Transportation System Plan (TSP) establishes Lane County’s transportation policies and
identifies transportation projects needed through 2036 to meet the needs of the community. As a 20-
year policy and investment guide, the County’s TSP addresses major systems rather than ongoing
operations and maintenance activities.
See Figures 4: Existing Transportation Map, 5: Future Transportation Map, and 6: Street Jurisdiction Map
to learn more about City, County, and private streets and infrastructure.
Eugene Parks and Recreation System Plan
The Eugene Parks and Recreation System Plan (PRSP), adopted in 2018, is a 30-year strategic plan with
implementation recommendations for the first 10 years. The Eugene PRSP includes new parks and trails,
improved access to the Willamette River, revitalized pools and community centers, greater connectivity,
and more recreation opportunities in underserved areas. The PRSP’s long-term vision includes many
specific projects - to see a list of priority 1, 2, and 3 projects in the River Road-Santa Clara area, see the
Planning District Summary in the PRSP.
Eugene Stormwater Basin Master Plan
The Eugene Stormwater Basin Master Plan includes goals and objectives, implementation strategies,
study area characteristics, and methods for evaluating flood control, water quality, and open
waterways. The Stormwater Basin Master Plan is broken into volumes, with a stormwater management
strategy for each basin, including River Road-Santa Clara.
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Lane County Stormwater Management Program
The County’s stormwater management program addresses control measures to reduce pollutants
discharged into waterbodies, including illicit discharge detection. The County works closely with the City
of Eugene on stormwater issues, although both jurisdictions maintain an inventory of their stormwater
infrastructure and conduct regular maintenance activities.
Eugene Climate Action Plan
The Climate Action Plan (CAP 2.0) was developed to outline the types of bold actions needed to reach
Eugene’s community-wide Climate Recovery Ordinance goals. The CAP 2.0 captures the actions the
community is prepared to implement, as well as community ideas for what else is needed to create an
equitable and livable community for everyone. Some of these actions relate to transportation options,
housing, stormwater management, urban forestry practices, and community resilience.
Eugene Capital Improvement Program
Eugene’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP) provides a six-year funding plan for the City’s capital
improvements, including airport, parks and open space, public buildings, stormwater, transportation,
and wastewater projects. Capital projects are generally large-scale endeavors in terms of cost, size, and
benefit to the community and needs are based on various City-adopted long-range plans, goals, and
policies.
Additional Related Plans, Manuals, Resources, and Programs
The Neighborhood Plan is a long-range planning document that identifies needs throughout the two
neighborhoods that relate to many different topics. There are several other plans, manuals, resources,
and programs that relate to the goals and policies in this Neighborhood Plan. They include, but are not
limited to, the following:
• Beltline Facility Plan
• City of Eugene Complete Street Design Guide
• City of Eugene Green Building Resources
• City of Eugene Historic Loan Program
• City of Eugene Housing Implementation Pipeline (HIP)
• City of Eugene Parks and Recreation Bond and Levy Projects
• City of Eugene Urban Forestry Program
• City of Eugene Urban Reserves
• City of Eugene Water Quality Overlay Zone
• City of Eugene Water Resources Conservation Overlay Zone
• MovingAhead
• Rivers to Ridges Regional Parks and Open Space Vision
• Safe Routes to School
• Sidewalk Inventory
• Transportation Options: Strategies for a Growing Eugene
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How We Got Here
Neighborhood planning took place between 2017 and 2023, but it builds on a legacy of community
organizing and planning, as well as the natural environment, built environment, and community features
that make the River Road and Santa Clara neighborhoods distinct. This section summarizes the path to
creating the Neighborhood Plan, beginning with the neighborhood’s history through to plan adoption.
Neighborhood History
The River Road and Santa Clara communities are oriented around River Road, which now runs on top of
an established indigenous peoples’ trail, moving north-south through these communities. In the
northernmost portion of Eugene’s UGB, the Santa Clara area encompasses about 2,400 acres and has
physical borders that include the Willamette River to the east, Randy Pape Beltline Road to the south,
and Northwest Expressway to the west. Just south of Santa Clara is the River Road community which
encompasses about 1,700 acres and is bordered by the Willamette River to the east, Beltline Road to the
north, Northwest Expressway and Railroad Yard to the west, and Thomason Lane to the south, adjoining
the Whiteaker Neighborhood. See Figure 1: River Road-Santa Clara Neighborhood Plan Map.
The areas known today as River Road and Santa Clara lie within the traditional homeland of the
Kalapuya people. From time immemorial, within the context of the Willamette Valley’s mosaic of
majestic landscapes and ecologies, the Kalapuya bands have accessed, the natural resources made
available by way of the walamɘt, or what is today known as the Willamette River and the Valley’s fertile,
nutrient-rich soils.
Given the available resources and the potential for agricultural land, the area was also attractive to non-
indigenous settlers. Beginning in 1840, these settlers arrived in the Oregon territory by way of the
Oregon Trail. Diseases, introduced to the Valley by settlers, decimated the indigenous populations. By
1850, more than 90 percent of the Native population had died in an onslaught of repeated epidemics.
Today, the Kalapuya people are modern Indigenous community members who continue to practice
reverence and traditional connection to the Willamette River and Valley. (Learn more about the
Kalapuyan people of Oregon at https://fiveoaksmuseum.org/exhibit/this-is-kalapuyan-land/.)
In the 1850s, this area was settled by scattered subsistence farm operations. Over time, commercial
agriculture became the preeminent land use especially with the construction of the Oregon and
California Railroad in 1871, which was associated with transporting agricultural products.
Though residential construction continuously increased throughout the early 1900s, the communities
remained predominantly agricultural in character until the post-World War II increases in Eugene’s
population spurred the siting and development of more subdivisions and homes within both
communities. The rapid increase in population correlated with an estimated 45 percent of the River
Road area’s residences being constructed between 1940 and 1959. The result was a continued decrease
in average farm size, declining agricultural production, and a checkerboard landscape of homes and
farmland. As urbanization accelerated during the late 1940s and 1950s, Santa Clara also experienced
increases in commercial development.
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River Road, designated Pacific Highway in 1923, was once the only major link between Portland and
California. This designation of River Road as a state highway greatly influenced much of the
development experienced in the River Road and Santa Clara communities. According to land use studies
from the 1930s and 1940s, the majority of the roads in the area were created to provide access to River
Road. Later, the completion of Beltline Highway (1970) and Northwest Expressway (1980) further
facilitated development; this development resulted in changes to the use of the land. Generally, land
uses shifted from being primarily farmland to an increase in subdivisions and the presence of homes.
Post-World War II growth brought with it the development of educational and religious facilities. In
1945, River Road and Santa Clara school districts joined Eugene School District No. 4, and five schools
were built in the River Road community. The area also experienced an increase in church construction
during the 1950s and 1960s. Though church construction had previously been limited to the downtown
core, over this period of rapid growth, construction of churches began to take place in areas outside of
downtown.
Figure 2: River Road and Santa Clara Historical Development Patterns
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Continued Development and Annexation
Development continued to urbanize both communities, bringing aspects of in-town communities, such
as curved streets and cul-de-sacs, to River Road and Santa Clara by 1975. Accompanying these
transformations to the built environment were continuing conversations around how these
communities could be incorporated into the City’s jurisdiction and how urban services, such as
electricity, water, transportation, and sewer, would be provided to the area.
Annexation, sometimes called “incorporation,” is the legal process by which properties located in a
county become part of a city (“incorporated”) and thus can be eligible to receive city services. In 1982,
the adopted regional Metro Plan governing planning efforts of Eugene, Springfield, and Lane County,
established the regional UGB and included policies requiring that if new development occurred on
properties within the UGB, the properties in question would be annexed to the appropriate city, either
Eugene or Springfield.
Sanitary Sewer Service and Patchwork Jurisdiction
Later in the 1980s, a groundwater pollution problem in the area led to the state mandating the provision
of sanitary sewers. The Metro Plan specified that cities were the sole providers of sewers in the metro
area, which meant the City of Eugene was responsible for providing sewers to River Road and Santa
Clara. While the City originally intended to provide sewer service to individual properties that chose to
voluntarily annex, in order to reduce the groundwater pollution problem, Eugene extended wastewater
service to developed properties regardless of whether a property owner chose to annex.
These processes resulted in tensions between River Road and Santa Clara community residents and the
City. The legacy of these tensions has led to the continued jurisdictional fragmentation of these
communities, with some residents integrated into the Eugene City limits and others remaining within
the Lane County jurisdiction—all of which created inefficiencies in the provision of services and
confusion for residents and agencies alike.
Policies in the Metro Plan now encourage annexation as the preferred means of providing urban
services to new development. Annexation is voluntary, however it is typically required when a property
owner proposes to develop a property that is within the UGB but not within city limits as a condition of
certain land use approvals. In the City of Eugene, annexations must be approved by the Eugene City
Council, and the property must be contiguous to the city limits or across the street from the city limits.
These conditions were not required pre-2008, which contributed to the checkerboard pattern of City
and County properties seen throughout the River Road and Santa Clara neighborhoods today.
Past Community and Planning Efforts
Adopted in 1987, the River Road-Santa Clara Urban Facilities Plan governed land use and development
in the River Road and Santa Clara communities for over 30 years. A number of planning efforts have
occurred in River Road and Santa Clara in the years since the Urban Facilities Plan was adopted, leading
up to and informing the formal Neighborhood Planning process that began in 2017.
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Published in 2006, “Eugene’s Historic River Road” document was the result of a year-long collaboration
between Historic Preservation Northwest, City of Eugene Planning staff, and members of the public. The
document was intended to assist in the preparation of City and County policies pertaining to the
identification and protection of historic resources in the area.
Initiated in 2007 and acknowledged by the Eugene Planning Commission in 2009, the Lower River Road
Concept Plan supported planning efforts for the Rasor Mixed-Use Center. Lower River Road was
identified in the regional transportation master plan, TransPlan (2001), as a potential area for mixed-use
redevelopment. This planning process brought diverse elements of the community together to propose
over thirty recommendations related to the vision for Lower River Road and to evaluate implementation
strategies related to sustainability, transportation, and land use.
Santa Clara-River Road Outreach and Learning (SCRROL)
RRCO and SCCO joined together in February 2011 on an
ambitious public outreach project to survey area residents and
identify priorities for the future development of both
neighborhoods. Known as the Santa Clara-River Road Outreach
and Learning (SCRROL) project, their mission statement was: To
develop a community-wide, shared knowledge about challenges
and opportunities in our growing and changing neighborhoods
that can inform collaborative decisions in the future. They
identified community priorities and facilitated community
dialogue on land use, governance, parks and recreation, and
transportation. This outreach work resulted in a Report and
Recommendations document that included key findings about
what was important to the neighborhood residents and a list of
recommendations.
Santa Clara-River Road Implementation Planning Team
(SCRRIPT)
SCRROL’s Report and Recommendations included a recommendation to form a new advocacy group
named the Santa Clara-River Road Implementation Planning Team (SCRRIPT), a task force to be
composed of River Road and Santa Clara representatives to work on common goals. SCRRIPT would
function similar to SCRROL but was created to be more proactive in advocating for specific solutions and
implementing the goals identified by SCRROL.
Throughout the SCRROL and SCRRIPT planning initiatives, the community organizations dedicated
countless volunteer hours in reaching out to and engaging neighbors. The results formed a foundation
for the Neighborhood Plan.
Developing the Neighborhood Plan
SCRRIPT and SCRROL, among other efforts by RRCO and SCCO, laid the foundation for the neighborhood
planning process. Launched in fall 2017, neighborhood planning was a collaborative effort among the
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RRCO and SCCO, the City of Eugene, Lane County, and other stakeholders throughout both
neighborhoods to create a vision for growth and development in a manner that respects the area’s
unique characteristics and opportunities, which will guide decision-making in River Road and Santa Clara
for decades to come. The process was guided by a project charter that outlined the decision-making
structure, and a public involvement plan that focused on community outreach.
Project Roles
Early in the neighborhood planning process, City and County staff worked with the RRCO and SCCO to
establish project roles and various technical and working groups. Some of these groups worked through
the duration of the planning process, while others formed for a specific purpose during a particular
phase. The roles of the primary groups included:
Community Organizations: RRCO and SCCO played an integral role in the development of the
Neighborhood Plan, through all phases of the project. But their role doesn’t end at adoption. Ongoing
implementation of the Neighborhood Plan will include continued collaboration between the City,
County, community partners, and the community organizations.
Project Management Team: The project management team consisted of the Community Advisory
Committee (CAC) co-chairs, one from River Road and one from Santa Clara, and City and County
Planning staff tasked with guiding the process, including coordination and communication with the
community and key stakeholders.
Community Advisory Committee (CAC): The CAC consisted of 11 voting members, with two alternates,
nominated by the RRCO and SCCO Boards and appointed by the Eugene Planning Commission to
represent the varied voices of the two communities. The CAC included both residents and property
owners, including a member representing areas outside Eugene’s UGB. Representatives from special
districts serving the community were also encouraged to participate in the process. The CAC committed
to creating a Neighborhood Plan, adopted by the City and County, to advance the community vision of
the River Road and Santa Clara neighborhoods while being consistent with Envision Eugene. The CAC
acted as a representative body for the two neighborhoods and strived to weigh the varied input from
residents, businesses, property owners, local appointed and elected officials, and RRCO and SCCO. The
CAC employed the following principles:
• Be prepared and able to act in a deliberative, considerate, and civil manner
• Respect diverse community demographics and varied interests
• Weigh the perspectives and input of the whole community
• Practice decision-making that places the needs and desires of the entire neighborhood first
The CAC participated in outreach efforts and Topic Area Working Groups and led development of vision
statements, goals, policies, and actions. The CAC worked collaboratively with staff to support the
Neighborhood Plan’s formal adoption process. The CAC made a final community recommendation, along
with RRCO and SCCO, on the Neighborhood Plan adoption package.
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Topic Area Working Groups: Topic Area Working Groups were ad hoc, flexible groups comprised of
members of the public, RRCO and SCCO, and CAC members interested in diving deeper into specific
Topic Area details. The groups worked with the CAC to translate community input on best outcomes for
the future into vision statements, goals, policies, and actions. The working groups collaborated with the
CAC, project management team, and Technical Advisory Committee to develop the plan and
participated in outreach throughout the process.
City and County Coordination: The Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), comprised of City, County, and
Lane Transit District staff, served as an advisory body to the project management team, CAC, and Topic
Area Working Groups. The TAC included input from City and County staff who work on subjects such as
transportation, parks, stormwater, economic development, and land use planning. The TAC provided
technical support related to the Topic Areas, vetted ideas for feasibility in balance with local budgets
and priorities, and communicated how neighborhood-specific issues fit within the broader City or
County context. Additionally, City and County coordination teams included local elected officials and City
and County department executives who provided policy direction at critical junctures, as well as a
connection with local decision-makers.
Planning Commissions: The Eugene and Lane County planning commissions provided feedback and
guidance throughout the process, including reviewing and approving the project charter and public
involvement plan, appointing CAC members, and providing feedback on the plan components, including
land use code changes to support the Neighborhood Plan vision.
General Public: The neighborhood planning process included early and ongoing opportunities for the
public and key stakeholders to share ideas, raise concerns, and provide feedback. Stakeholders included
area property owners, residents, business owners and employees, advocacy groups, and public and non-
profit organizations, among others. The project management team crafted a public engagement process
that was:
• Meaningful: create a vision crafted with beauty, fun, warmth, and welcome
• Accountable: respond to ideas, critique, comments, and praise
• Inclusive: communicate with all stakeholders, including communicating with the under-
represented, communicating outside of structured meetings, and communicating in ways that
people understand and can relate to
• Transparent: make decisions public; share information in a variety of formats and places
• Realistic: inform about constraints, opportunities, and objectives
• Outcome-oriented: create a community-supported and Council-adopted neighborhood plan!
Early outreach focused on asking the community what they value in their neighborhoods now and about
their hopes and visions for the future, which was used to inform development of the Neighborhood
Plan. Outreach continued throughout each phase to share updates and gather feedback.
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Planning Process Phases
The sections below summarize the six phases of the neighborhood planning process: Reaching Out,
Neighborhood Visioning, Neighborhood Priorities, Policy Development, Action Planning, and Adoption.
Each includes a summary of key stakeholder input and opportunities for public involvement.
Reaching Out Phase
In the summer of 2017, RRCO, SCCO, and staff began the ‘Reaching Out’ phase with three objectives:
1. Raise awareness about the project
2. Promote the fall communitywide kick-off event
3. Create opportunities for people to provide input on the future of their community
The project team began raising awareness about the project by meeting with neighbors throughout the
community, attending more than 20 events in advance of the fall kick-off event. Nearly 400 people
attended the kick-off event and participated in activities to identify what residents value about the area,
as well as sharing their future hopes for the neighborhood. The project team made an effort to engage
fresh voices, with outreach events specific to high school students, affordable housing residents, Spanish
speakers, and rural residents in Santa Clara, in partnership with local community organizations. The
project team also visited with over 300 neighborhood businesses.
Neighborhood Visioning and Neighborhood Priorities Phases
The Visioning and Priorities phases continued focusing on raising awareness of the project and asking
the community what they valued in their neighborhoods as well as their hopes for the future. The CAC
and the Topic Area Working Groups met monthly to compile and review the feedback received during
the Reaching Out phase, recognizing the priorities and values heard during this process, as well as the
many years of engagement done in the community by SCRROL and SCRRIPT. Different themes emerged
from the community feedback and the Neighborhood Plan began to develop around five main Topic
Areas: Economic Development, Transportation, Parks and Natural Resources, Land Use, and Community.
A vision for the future of the River Road and Santa Clara communities started to appear.
The CAC and Working Groups continued public outreach, including questionnaires, community forums,
an online survey, and several targeted outreach events. Using this widespread input from the
community, the CAC and Working Groups moved into the Policy Development phase and started
crafting the vision statements, goals, and policies of the Neighborhood Plan.
Policy Development Phase
In this phase, work focused on drafting policies related to the vision and neighborhood priorities
developed from community input. Throughout the Policy Development phase, Working Group meetings
were held periodically and interested community members were welcome to attend. Policy writing was
led by the CAC and supported by staff on the Technical Advisory Committee as well as Working Group
members. The CAC hosted a “Policy Round-Up” and a “Planning in Action Open House” to engage the
public in reviewing and prioritizing draft policies.
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Additionally, the TAC completed a policy review to ensure the draft policies aligned with existing City
and County policies. After initial community and staff review, the project team convened a Triple
Bottom Line (TBL) Sounding Board meeting to provide a citywide perspective about the equity,
environmental, and economic implications of proposed goals and policies in the Neighborhood Plan. The
TBL Sounding Board communicated with City and County committees to keep them informed and
engaged. The TBL Sounding Board included representatives from the following boards and commissions:
• Eugene Planning Commission
• Lane County Planning Commission
• Eugene Human Rights Commission
• Eugene Sustainability Commission
• Eugene Active Transportation
Committee
• Intergovernmental Housing Policy
Board
• Eugene Historic Review Board
• Eugene Budget Committee
• Eugene Neighborhood Leaders
Council
In May 2019, the Eugene City Council approved utilizing the draft goals and policies as a platform for
moving into the Action Planning Phase.
Action Planning Phase
The Action Planning Phase focused on drafting, evaluating and prioritizing actions to implement the
draft policies. Refining the action items was a collaborative process among the CAC, Working Group
members, and City, County, and partner agency staff to incorporate community and technical feedback.
The project team hosted a variety of public outreach events to inform the Neighborhood Plan actions,
including a City of Eugene Planning Division Project Fair at the Downtown Library, a ‘Pumpkin Pie and
Planning’ event in the neighborhood, a series of small group discussions called ‘Neighborhood
Conversations,’ and a second TBL Sounding Board Meeting.
The meetings provided the opportunity for groups of staff, volunteers, and community members to
discuss elements of the land use changes; sharing support and reservations. In mid-March 2020, the
COVID-19 pandemic hit and slowed down the engagement process. However, after receiving
comprehensive feedback from previous engagement, the CAC continued to meet virtually on Zoom each
month and refine the draft actions. The project team mailed postcards to specific properties, which
included commercially zoned areas and key large church properties beyond the corridor that were
targeted for potential zone changes/land use code changes to support potential future redevelopment.
The postcards were intended to solicit feedback from tenants and property owners about these
potential changes.
The RRCO and SCCO continued their review and provided input on the draft actions proposed in each
Topic Area. In May 2021, the project team received direction from the Eugene City Council and Lane
County Board of Commissioners to move into the Adoption Phase and to prepare a plan adoption
package for community review.
Adoption Phase
In 2022, City staff offered a path to adoption that built on broad community agreement and the
extensive engagement, collaboration, and community volunteer hours dedicated to the neighborhood
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planning process since 2017. The proposed path forward also recognized the challenges and changes
faced between 2020 and 2022, including the COVID-19 pandemic, state mandates for other planning
priorities, staff changes, and resource constraints. The project management team worked to refine a
final adoption package, including a refined set of neighborhood-specific land use code amendments to
achieve many of the land use goals outlined in the Plan. The River Road-Santa Clara Neighborhood Plan
adoption package is comprised of the Neighborhood Plan document and neighborhood-specific code
amendments addressing important topics like commercial development standards and transitions
between commercial mixed-use and lower density residential areas. While not a part of the adoption
package, the Action Plan, which acts as a non-regulatory guidance document, remains an important part
of the planning effort.
*Placeholder to continue describing adoption process once complete.*
River Road Corridor Study
One desired outcome of the Neighborhood Plan is to improve conditions along River Road, which is
identified as a key transit corridor in Envision Eugene. The River Road Corridor Study was a concurrent
planning process that integrated the Neighborhood Plan vision for active mixed-use neighborhood
centers along the River Road corridor and a transportation system that is safe, accessible, affordable,
environmentally responsible and transitions to zero carbon.
The River Road Corridor Study included an in-depth analysis of the River Road corridor, from Northwest
Expressway to Hunsaker Lane, funded by a Federal Transit Administration grant awarded to Lane Transit
District and the City of Eugene. The Corridor Study included stakeholder interviews, public workshops,
economic and demographic research, and conceptual design work, which resulted in land use and
multimodal recommendations to encourage mixed-use neighborhood centers and a variety of housing
types; integrating how people get around, where they shop and live, and how the corridor looks and
feels to support implementation of the community vision along River Road.
Recommendations from the River Road Corridor Study were incorporated into the Neighborhood Plan
vision, goals, and policies, as well as the neighborhood-specific land use code amendments and the
Action Plan. The string of pearls concept along River Road (illustrated in Figure 1: River Road-Santa Clara
Neighborhood Plan Map) originated from this study.
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Neighborhood Plan Visions, Goals, and Policies
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Economic Development
Vision Statement
Economic
Development
Goal 1: Improve the neighborhood economy and empower local residents by encouraging the
growth and creation of local businesses.
Policy 1.1 Incentives for Local Businesses: Help neighborhood businesses use existing local,
regional, and state loan programs to support growth and creation of neighborhood businesses.
Policy 1.2 Neighborhood Assets: Support business development that utilizes neighborhood assets.
Policy 1.3 Patronage of Locally Owned Businesses: Encourage patronage of locally owned
businesses through community organization efforts such as marketing, education, and events.
Policy 1.4 Regulatory Environment: Strive for a local regulatory environment that is supportive of
economic development in line with neighborhood vision (such as creating small commercial nodes)
Goal 2: Promote redevelopment that enhances walkability and increases access to daily
needs.1
Policy 2.1 Vibrancy: Incentivize and support redevelopment that fosters active mixed-use
neighborhood centers.
Policy 2.2 Small Business Development: Promote small business development that supports
active mixed-use neighborhood centers by identifying local funding sources and continuing local
outreach and assistance to small business owners.
Goal 3: Promote living wage employment opportunities within the neighborhood.
Policy 3.1 Residential Employment: Encourage businesses in residentially zoned areas at a scale
that complements the surrounding neighborhood.
Policy 3.2 Employment Opportunities: Promote the creation of employment opportunities that
offer a living wage.
1 Examples of daily needs include grocery stores, pharmacies, and other necessary services.
The River Road and Santa Clara communities support sustainable economic development, a variety of
employment opportunities for all residents, and local entrepreneurship. Economic activity, especially
that of local businesses, contributes to a shared neighborhood identity, while providing places to
gather and build community. Natural assets, such as the river and fertile soils, benefit local residents
and support thriving businesses. Residents can safely access essential goods and services within a
short distance from home.
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Transportation
Vision Statement
Transportation
Goal 4: Implement a transportation system that is designed to be safe for all users.
Policy 4.1 Safety and Accessibility: Improve safety and accessibility for people walking, biking,
and using mobility devices.
Policy 4.2 Riverfront Paths: Improve safety enhancements and amenities along riverfront
shared use paths.
Goal 5: Promote a connected and efficient multi-modal transportation system that is
equitable and affordable and addresses congestion on River Road.
Policy 5.1 Regional Transportation Network: Work towards convenient, equitable, and
affordable access to a regional pedestrian, bicycle, transit, and vehicle network throughout the
River Road and Santa Clara neighborhoods.
Policy 5.2 Transit: Support affordable public transit along River Road from the Urban Growth
Boundary to the rest of Eugene in collaboration with Lane Transit District.
Policy 5.3 Active Transportation to Commercial Centers: Expand active transportation networks
that connect neighborhoods to their adjacent commercial areas, schools, and community
gathering spaces.
Policy 5.4 Traffic Management: Prioritize transportation infrastructure improvements to
support the traffic flow and enhance safety objectives.
Policy 5.5 Public Right-of-Way Management: City and County will continue to cooperatively
work towards addressing jurisdictional issues in the right of way, including parking,
maintenance, street improvements, and annexation issues.
Goal 6: Plan for a transportation system that is future oriented, environmentally responsible,
and transitions to zero carbon.
Policy 6.1 Zero Carbon: Transition transportation system toward zero carbon by prioritizing
improvements that support seamless connections for switching between modes, active
transportation options, ride sharing, and electric vehicle use.
Policy 6.2 Education and Youth Engagement: Educate current and future users of the
transportation system about active transportation options and transit, tapping into existing
resources like Safe Routes to School and City of Eugene youth recreation programs.
The integrated transportation system in River Road and Santa Clara is safe, efficient, and accessible
for people of all ages, abilities, and socio-economic levels who choose to bike, walk, drive, or use
public transit. This system supports redevelopment, economic opportunity, and affordable,
convenient access to daily needs. The design of the transportation system enhances the sense of
place and responds to the evolving needs of the community. Our transportation system is
environmentally responsible and supports low carbon transportation options.
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Policy 6.3 Future Transportation Needs: Support a transportation system that responds to the
long-term needs of the River Road and Santa Clara neighborhoods.
Policy 6.4 Street Design: Apply appropriate design standards to address the distinct types of
travel lanes typical of the River Road and Santa Clara neighborhoods, consistent with City and
County guidelines.
Transportation Maps
The Existing and Future Transportation Maps on the following pages include City, County, and private
streets and infrastructure, as well as planned improvements from the 2035 Eugene Transportation
System Plan and Safe Routes to School program priorities. The Street Jurisdiction Map illustrates streets
within the jurisdiction of the City and County.
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Parks and Natural Resources
Vision Statement
Parks and
Natural Resources
Goal 7: Maintain and create natural areas which are healthy, thriving spaces that provide
habitat for native species and function as natural infrastructure.
Policy 7.1 Stormwater Conveyances: Enhance natural stormwater conveyances to reduce
pollution, increase infiltration, protect against flooding, and improve habitat.
Policy 7.2 Stormwater Education: Educate the public about the interconnectedness of function
and safety in our natural stormwater system through City and community collaboration.
Policy 7.3 Habitat Corridors: Create new and enhance existing habitat corridors throughout the
River Road and Santa Clara neighborhoods through community organizing and collaboration
with local service providers to conduct outreach and education to property owners.
Policy 7.4 Public Natural Areas: Create new and enhance existing natural areas, including within
the Willamette River Greenway, that are accessible to all residents.
Policy 7.5 Tree Canopy: Promote, conserve, protect, and improve our urban forest by preserving
and planting street trees and encouraging private property owners to plant trees with education
and incentives, consistent with Eugene’s Urban Forestry program.
Goal 8: Provide neighborhood access to recreational opportunities, parks, and community
centers.
Policy 8.1 Parks Access: Plan for all residents to have access to parks or publicly owned open
space within one-half-mile walking distance of their residence.
Policy 8.2 Connectivity: Improve connectivity between parks, natural areas, and public open
spaces.
Policy 8.3 Recreational Opportunities and Community Centers: Enhance equitable access to
recreational opportunities and well-maintained community centers.
River Road and Santa Clara celebrate a rich diversity of private and shared green spaces, including
parks and recreation facilities, natural areas that support native plants and wildlife, and farmland for
food production. All residents have a clean, safe, accessible, and well-maintained park or recreation
facility close to their home. Residents have access to the Willamette River, which is celebrated as a
natural asset, a defining characteristic of both neighborhoods, and a statewide resource. Natural
assets, such as the tree canopy, soils, and the watershed are protected for future generations and are
highly valued and cared for as natural infrastructure that enhances ecosystem health, provides
opportunities for recreation, and supports the working landscape.
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Goal 9: Make the Willamette River a vital, healthy, and accessible part of the neighborhoods.
Policy 9.1 Safe and Convenient Access: Provide safe and convenient access to the riverbank
park system for people walking, biking, and using mobility devices.
Policy 9.2 Stewardship of the Willamette River Ecosystem: Work with the community and non-
profit organizations to balance preservation and access to the river.
Policy 9.3 Recreational Uses: Promote accessible recreational uses along the Willamette River
edge in partnership with local service providers to improve access to the river and provide
amenities and programs.
Goal 10: Preserve agricultural land and open spaces within the Neighborhood Plan boundary.
Policy 10.1 Agricultural Land Preservation outside the Eugene Urban Growth Boundary (UGB):
Preserve high value farmland (Class 1 and Class 2 soils) outside the UGB for farm use, where
feasible or as the state allows.
Policy 10.2 Open Space Preservation: Promote a network of publicly and privately-owned open
space areas in collaboration with local service providers and private property owners.
Policy 10.3 Agricultural Enterprises within the UGB: Promote agricultural enterprises within the
UGB through legislative updates to local land use regulations, incentives, and collaboration with
private property owners.
Parks and Natural Resources Maps
The Parks and Natural Resources Map on the following page includes City of Eugene Parks and Open
Space projects as of 2023, existing parks, open space, and public lands within the neighborhoods, and
other wetland, riparian, and habitat resources.
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Figure 6: River Road-Santa Clara Parks and Natural Resources Map
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Land Use
Vision Statement
Land Use
Goal 11: Support development that is well designed and economically, socially, and
environmentally sustainable.
Policy 11.1 Effective Public Process for Development: Encourage effective collaboration
between developers, public agencies, and neighbors through legislative updates to local land
use regulations.
Policy 11.2 Well Designed Built Environment: Update design standards through legislative
updates to local land use regulations so that they provide for gradual transitions between
different uses and scales and incorporate pedestrian scale design through building design, size,
scale, and site layout requirements.
Policy 11.3 Well Designed Community Space: Help build a sense of community by using
welcoming and well-designed public and private community space.
Policy 11.4 Green and Resilient Properties: Encourage actions on residential, commercial, and
public properties that enhance food and energy production, water storage and conservation,
and tree canopy through programs, incentives, and legislative updates to local land use
regulations.
Goal 12: Plan for future housing that addresses the needs of the community.
Policy 12.1 Compatible Infill: Encourage innovative and creative housing options and infill, and
incorporate pedestrian scale design through building design, size, scale, and site layout
requirements through legislative updates to local land use regulations.
Policy 12.2 Affordable Availability: Plan for affordable and moderate-income housing
throughout the River Road and Santa Clara neighborhoods through strategies, funding,
partnerships, and execution of the City and County’s housing plans.
Policy 12.3 Innovative Housing Strategies: Pursue innovative housing strategies through
collaborative planning efforts between the River Road and Santa Clara neighborhood
organizations, the City, the County, and local service providers.
Land use in River Road and Santa Clara supports neighborhood character and local identity, including
our long-standing agricultural heritage and high value soils. Our neighborhoods are walkable, with a
range of housing types affordable to all residents. Abundant shops, services, and community spaces
are served by a variety of transportation options. Strategic development and revitalization in more
urban locations, especially the River Road corridor, helps maintain neighborhood character while
meeting our housing and economic needs in a way that is environmentally responsible. Development
is well designed, sustainable, and compatible with existing surroundings. Development adjacent to the
Willamette River greenway improves safety, enhances access, and respects ecological functions.
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Policy 12.4 Monitoring and Implementation: At five-year intervals after adoption of the
Neighborhood Plan, City will use available data from the Growth Monitoring Program to
measure the effectiveness of policies established in this plan. The River Road and Santa Clara
Community Organizations will use the results to revise Action Plan priorities over time as work is
completed and new community priorities are identified.
Goal 13: Support an active and accessible River Road corridor.
Policy 13.1 Key Areas for Development: Support more development and redevelopment in key
areas for residential, commercial, and mixed-use development through legislative updates to
local land use regulations.
Policy 13.2 Walkable Neighborhood Centers: Support walkable neighborhood centers where
people can access transit, shopping, parks, schools, and public spaces within walking distance
through legislative updates to local land use regulations.
Goal 14: Promote land use and development that protects and enhances neighborhood
character.
Policy 14.1 Compatibility Transitions: Enhance compatibility through development standards
such as height and scale transitions, setbacks, buffering with trees, and window offsets between
adjacent properties that are zoned differently through legislative updates to local land use
regulations.
Policy 14.2 Neighborhood Livability: Retain and enhance neighborhood livability, such as by
mitigating noise, identifying and encouraging preservation of historical and cultural properties,
and promoting green development and design at pedestrian scale.
Policy 14.3 Willamette River Compatibility: Encourage development that is less intense along
the river by making legislative updates to local land use regulations that include additional
standards to protect, maintain, preserve, and enhance the natural, scenic, historic, and
recreational qualities of the Willamette River Greenway.
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Community
Vision Statement
Community
Goal 15: Foster a welcoming and inclusive community.
Policy 15.1 Welcoming and Inclusive: Promote a welcoming environment and inclusive
approach to the work of the River Road and Santa Clara Community Organizations in
collaboration with the City, County, and other local service providers such as schools and non-
profit organizations.
Policy 15.2 Housing Affordability: Show community support for affordable housing
opportunities in the neighborhoods.
Policy 15.3 The Unhoused Community: Advocate for housing and provide information to
community members about housing services and social services available for people without
stable housing.
Policy 15.4 Public Art: Support public art through public programs and community advocacy.
Goal 16: Foster collaborative relationships to build a stronger and more resilient community.
Policy 16.1 Communication and Outreach: Enhance communication and outreach capabilities of
the River Road and Santa Clara Community Organizations by advocating for stable local funding
to reach the entire neighborhoods.
Policy 16.2 Gathering and Learning Spaces: Enhance access to locations and opportunities for
community gathering, sharing, and learning spaces for all residents in collaboration with
neighborhood schools, businesses, and other community partners.
Policy 16.3 Community Engagement: Build and maintain resident engagement through
neighborhood projects, outreach, empowering neighborhood volunteers, and applying for the
City’s Community and Neighborhood Matching Grants Program.
Policy 16.4 Resilience Networks: Build community support and participation in small scale
resilience networks that help neighbors and businesses communicate, share resources, and
prepare for emergencies.
The River Road and Santa Clara Neighborhoods exude a strong sense of place. They are welcoming
and inclusive neighborhoods for people of all backgrounds. River Road and Santa Clara celebrate and
nurture community unity and diverse cultures and honor the rich history of farming in the
neighborhoods. The community recognizes the value of natural assets, such as the Willamette River
and thriving shared spaces, such as parks, schools, and local businesses. Our neighborhoods are safe,
resilient, and engaged, with strong social networks and reliable public services.
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Goal 17: Provide comprehensive public services and community resources that address the
evolving needs of the community.
Policy 17.1 Address Present Confusion about Service Providers: Assist River Road and Santa
Clara residents by providing information about current service providers so there is clarity about
which agencies provide services where and how to contact them.
Policy 17.2 Essential Public Services (safety, water, fire): As neighborhoods evolve, strive for
equitable provision of essential public services if amalgamation and/or transition of service
providers is considered.
Policy 17.3 Community Resources: Work to expand parks and recreation services as well as
library and cultural services in the River Road and Santa Clara neighborhoods.
Policy 17.4 Annexation: Annexation of the River Road and Santa Clara areas will occur only
through strict application of state laws and local policies (e.g., ability to extend key urban
facilities and services in a timely manner). In each case, Eugene will make every reasonable
attempt to provide for annexation only on a voluntary basis and according to prior individual
property annexation agreements.
Goal 18: Increase resilience in local food, water, and disaster preparedness systems
necessary for human health and wellbeing.
Policy 18.1 Green Infrastructure: Invest in infrastructure development that is resilient to
disasters, enhances food, water, and energy stability, and preserves ecosystem functions, as
feasible.
Policy 18.2 Food Production and Storage: Promote home and neighborhood food production
and storage through community education, outreach, programs, and legislative updates to local
land use regulations.
Policy 18.3 Renewable Resources and Energy: Promote renewable resources and energy
conservation to decrease reliance on public utility grid through community education, outreach,
and incentives.
Policy 18.4 Neighborhood-wide Emergency Preparedness: Educate and prepare for natural
disasters by increasing access to regular Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training
and through community volunteer efforts.
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Proposed Metro Plan Amendments
Deletions shown in [strikeout]
Additions shown in bold italic
Table of Contents
Chapter Page
Preface ............................................................................................................................................. i
I.Introduction ..................................................................................................................... I-1
Background ....................................................................................................................... I-1
Purpose .............................................................................................................................. I-1
Population Forecast ........................................................................................................... I-2
Planning Functions............................................................................................................ I-2
Use of the Metro Plan ....................................................................................................... I-3
Relationship to Other Plans, Policies, and Reports........................................................... I-5
General Assumptions and Findings .................................................................................. I-6
II.Fundamental Principles and Growth Management Policy Framework .............. II-A-1
A.Fundamental Principles ................................................................................... II-A-1
B. Metropolitan Goals ..........................................................................................II-B-1
C. Growth Management Goals, Findings, and Policies ........................................II-C-1
D.Jurisdictional Responsibility ........................................................................... II-D-1
E.Urban and Urbanizable Land ........................................................................... II-E-1
[F. River Road and Santa Clara Goals, Findings, and Policies ............................ II-F-1]
G.Metro Plan Diagram ....................................................................................... II-G-1
III.Specific Elements ..................................................................................................... III-A-1
A.Residential Land Use and Housing Element ................................................. III-A-1
B.Economic Element ......................................................................................... III-B-1
C.Environmental Resources Element ................................................................ III-C-1
D.Willamette River Greenway, River Corridors, and Waterways Element ...... III-D-1
E.Environmental Design Element ..................................................................... III-E-1
F.Transportation Element ................................................................................... III-F-1
G.Public Facilities and Services Element .......................................................... III-G-1
H.Parks and Recreation Facilities Element ........................................................ III-H-1
I.Historic Preservation Element .........................................................................III-I-1
J.Energy Element ............................................................................................... III-J-1
K.Citizen Involvement Element ........................................................................ III-K-1
IV.Metro Plan Review, Amendment, and Refinement ................................................... IV-1
V.Glossary ......................................................................................................................... V-1
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II-A-1
Chapter II
Fundamental Principles and
Growth Management Policy Framework
This chapter contains Fundamental Principles that reflect the overall themes of the Metro Plan.
The chapter also contains: Metropolitan Goals; Growth Management Goals, Findings, and
Policies; Eugene and Springfield Jurisdictional Responsibility; Urban and Urbanizable Land;
[River Road and Santa Clara Goals, Findings and Policies;] and Metro Plan Diagram.
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II-F-1
[F. River Road and Santa Clara Goals, Findings, Objectives, and
Policies
The River Road and Santa Clara portions of the Eugene-Springfield metropolitan area are
important components of the metropolitan community. Both River Road and Santa Clara have:
• Unique and distinctive neighborhood identities
• Experienced considerable private investment in the past years
• Experienced considerable public investments; e.g., transmission facilities by the
Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB) and educational facilities by public school
systems
• A sound housing stock
In Santa Clara, relatively large parcels of vacant land exist which, with adequate urban services,
can be developed at increased densities; in River Road, relatively large developed lots exist
which could be further developed by their owners.
The future of both the River Road and Santa Clara areas will play a critical role in the growth of
the metropolitan area. For some years, officials of Lane County and Eugene have cooperatively
discussed methods of delivering services to these neighborhoods.
These discussions have continually focused on two sides of a single, critical issue:
How can the short-range costs and benefits to the residents and other service providers be
balanced against, and what are the long-range costs and benefits to the residents and the
entire metropolitan area of logical growth and increased densities?
Inflation has drastically increased the need to balance these two potentially divergent objectives.
The effects of continued inflation can be mitigated by identifying and implementing a solution to
the servicing issue.
A unique set of circumstances has occurred which lends direction to resolution of the service
delivery questions for both River Road and Santa Clara.
1. As part of the acknowledgement process for the Metro Plan, the Land Conservation and
Development Commission (LCDC) directed that a servicing plan be developed for both
River Road and Santa Clara and that Eugene provide those services.
2. Discussions between Eugene officials and state and county representatives of the River
Road and Santa Clara area have led to reconsideration of Eugene’s policy to provide
services to these neighborhoods only after annexation to the City of Eugene of both areas
has occurred.
3. Preliminary review of Eugene’s comprehensive capital improvement program suggested
a full range of services could not be provided immediately even if the areas were annexed
at one time
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II-F-2
Based on these three conditions, a situation evolved which led to a set of findings, objectives,
and policies for inclusion in the Metro Plan and ultimately will lead to delivery of urban services
to the River Road and Santa Clara areas in cooperation with the residents of these
neighborhoods. That situation is as follows.
The City of Eugene constructed and owns the main wastewater system that serves the River
Road and Santa Clara neighborhoods. Eugene has altered its policies pertaining to the service
delivery to both River Road and Santa Clara to allow incremental annexation. Annexation must,
however, be consistent with state law and other applicable local policies (e.g., the ability of the
city to deliver key urban facilities and services in a timely manner). Eugene will pursue
annexation only in accordance with applicable state laws and will not use these mechanisms to
circumvent the process. In every case, Eugene will make every reasonable attempt to provide for
annexation only on a voluntary basis and in accord with previous individual property annexation
agreements. The City, in conjunction with Lane County and the citizens of both River Road and
Santa Clara, developed a River Road-Santa Clara Urban Facilities Plan which is responsive to
the basic service infrastructure which is either in place or contemplated for these areas. An
integral part of the implementation phase of the River Road-Santa Clara Urban Facilities Plan is
a financing mechanism which takes into account the financial abilities of residents/property
owners and the City of Eugene to pay for service delivery in that area.
The following findings, objectives, and policies reflect the situation that evolved.
Findings, Objectives, and Policies
Findings
1. Land supply in the River Road and Santa Clara areas is of metropolitan-wide
significance.
2. In order to achieve urban densities, urban services, including public wastewater service,
must be provided.
3. For a long period of time, officials of Lane County and Eugene have made great efforts to
resolve the service delivery problems for both River Road and Santa Clara.
4. The history and pattern of development in River Road and Santa Clara have resulted in
the creation of two unique metropolitan neighborhoods.
5. The most cost-effective method of service delivery is through annexation.
6. An urban facilities plan is the best method of providing a framework for capital
improvements programming in the River Road and Santa Clara areas.
7. Because of the substantial public investments already made in both neighborhoods, it is
most cost-efficient to achieve urban densities in River Road and Santa Clara prior to
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II-F-3
accommodating new development needs in totally undeveloped areas.
8. The 1970 CH2M Hill Sewerage System Study, River Road-Santa Clara publication
demonstrates the feasibility of providing wastewater service to the River Road and Santa
Clara area in a manner consistent with the Eugene-Springfield Metropolitan Waste
Treatment Alternatives Report (208 Facilities Plan) and the Metro Plan.
9. The CH2M Hill publication defined study boundaries and made population projections
which are different than those contained in the Metro Plan; modifications to these factors
is occurring as part of the required system design work prior to construction.
10. The detailed design work which will occur as part of development of the system will
allow discussion of various system concepts with the residents and property owners of
the River Road and Santa Clara areas.
11. The River Road-Santa Clara Urban Facilities Plan has been completed.
12. Based on the River Road/Santa Clara Groundwater Study, Final Technical Report,
February, 1980 by Sweet, Edwards, and Associates, Inc., the Oregon Environmental
Quality Commission (EQC) found on April 18, 1980, that:
a. The River Road-Santa Clara shallow aquifer is generally contaminated with fecal
coliform organisms in excess of drinking water and body contact standards.
b. Existing nitrate-nitrogen concentrations within the area exceed the planning target
on the average.
c. About 73 percent of the nitrate-nitrogen pollutants (and, by analogy, a similar
share of the fecal coliform contaminations) result from septic tank effluent.
Septic tank pollutants can migrate rapidly to the groundwater from drainfields via
macropore travel.
13. The EQC concluded that a public health hazard exists based on fecal coliform data for
people using the aquifer for domestic (drinking) or irrigation and that a health hazard
similarly exists in several areas based on nitrate-nitrogen levels.
14. To remedy the groundwater pollution problem, the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) awarded Eugene a grant to build a wastewater system to replace the individual
septic systems in use throughout River Road and Santa Clara according to a prescribed
time frame.
15. Efforts toward incremental and voluntary annexation of River Road and Santa Clara
properties to Eugene and connection to the wastewater system according to the EPA’s
time frame have not been successful.
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II-F-4
Objectives
1. Ensure the availability of land in River Road and Santa Clara for urban levels of
development.
2. Capitalize on existing public expectations by providing further public services which will
allow the River Road and Santa Clara areas to achieve urban densities.
3. Deliver a full range of urban services to the River Road and Santa Clara areas through
annexation.
4. Consider the unique situation of the residents of River Road and Santa Clara by providing
financing mechanisms which will take into account the financial ability of the residents to
pay for service delivery and the City of Eugene’s ability to provide these services.
5. Guide capital improvements in the River Road and Santa Clara areas through the River
Road-Santa Clara Urban Facilities plan developed cooperatively by Lane County, the
City of Eugene, and the residents and property owners of the two areas.
6. Eliminate groundwater pollution from individual septic tank disposal systems in River
Road and Santa Clara.
Policies
1. Eugene shall develop methods of financing improvements in the River Road and Santa
Clara areas which are responsive to the unique situation of residents and property owners,
as well as the City of Eugene.
2. Eugene will plan, design, construct, and maintain ownership of the entire wastewater
system that services the River Road and Santa Clara areas. This will involve
extraterritorial extension which will be supported by Lane County before the Lane
County Local Government Boundary Commission and all other applicable bodies.
3. Annexation of the River Road and Santa Clara areas will occur only through strict
application of state laws and local policies (e.g., ability to extend key urban facilities and
services in a timely manner). In each case, Eugene will make every reasonable attempt to
provide for annexation only on a voluntary basis and according to prior individual
property annexation agreements.
4. The City of Eugene shall provide urban services to the River Road and Santa Clara
neighborhoods upon annexation. In the meantime, to reduce the groundwater pollution
problem, Eugene will extend wastewater service to developed properties.
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II-F-5
5. Using the CH2M Hill report as a foundation, efforts to prepare more detailed engineering
studies which will provide the basis for a capital improvement program to sewer the
River Road and Santa Clara areas in a manner consistent with the above policy direction
shall proceed.
6. No particular section of the Metro Plan shall be interpreted as prohibiting the process of
incorporation of a new city in River Road and Santa Clara in accordance with ORS 199
and 221. This means that:
a. As a comprehensive planning document, no particular section of the Metro Plan
shall be used in isolation to evaluate different courses of action.
b. The phrase “process of incorporation” refers to the specific steps of incorporation
outlined in ORS 199 and 221.
c. This policy does not negate the requirement of public wastewater service as a
minimum level of key urban facilities and services. Any institutional solution to
providing urban services in the River Road and Santa Clara areas must provide
public wastewater service to address LCDC requirements and to protect public
health and safety in resolving groundwater pollution problems. Public wastewater
service is also required to achieve higher than septic tank level of urban
residential densities and to utilize efficiently valuable metropolitan-scale
buildable land.
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METRO PLAN APPENDIX B
REFINEMENT PLANS, FUNCTIONAL PLANS,
AND OTHER PLANNING DOCUMENTS
RIVER ROAD-SANTA CLARA URBAN FACILITIES PLAN
Date: September 1987
Adopted by: Eugene City Council
City of Springfield
Lane County
Adopting Resolution #3858, repealed by #19471 May 11, 1985
Adoption Date May 29, 1984
RIVER ROAD-SANTA CLARA NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN
Date: XXX 2024
Adopted by: Eugene City Council
Lane County Board of Commissioners
Adopting Resolution #xxxx, repealed by #xxxx XXX XX, 2004
Adoption Date XXX XX, 2024
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Attachment C, Exhibit A
River Road-Santa Clara Neighborhood Plan
Engagement Summary
Launched in fall 2017, the River Road-Santa Clara
neighborhood planning process has been a collaborative
effort among community members, River Road
Community Organization (RCCO), Santa Clara Community
Organization (SCCO), City of Eugene, Lane County, and
other stakeholders throughout both neighborhoods. The process had six phases: Reaching Out,
Neighborhood Visioning, Neighborhood Priorities, Policy Development, Action Planning, and Adoption,
with opportunities for community and stakeholder feedback along the way. This engagement summary
includes the community engagement objectives and outcomes from each of the six planning phases.
In July 2017, the Eugene Planning Commission (acting as the Citizen Involvement Committee) approved
the RRSC Neighborhood Planning Public Involvement Plan. The Project Management Team committed to
a community engagement process that was:
• Meaningful: creates a vision crafted with beauty, fun, warmth, and welcome
• Accountable: responds to ideas, critique, comments, and praise
• Inclusive: communicates with all stakeholders, including the under-represented, outside of
structured meetings, in ways that people understand and can relate to
• Transparent: makes decisions public; shares information in a variety of formats and places
• Realistic: informs about constraints, opportunities, and objectives
• Outcome-oriented: creates a community-supported and council-adopted neighborhood plan!
The Public Involvement Plan and the associated Project Charter (July 2017) established several
foundational, community-led groups that would lead neighborhood planning, including:
• Community Advisory Committee (CAC): A group of 11 voting members, appointed by the
Eugene Planning Commission, that represent the varied voices of the two neighborhoods. The
CAC was responsible for considering the full breadth of public input, developing operating rules,
working with City and County staff to reach a mutually agreed upon community vision and plan
that works within the larger Envision Eugene community vision, and making a final community
recommendation.
• Project Management Team (PMT): A small core team of the CAC co-chairs and City and County
staff tasked with carrying out the project in accordance with the Project Charter.
• Technical Advisory Committee (TAC): Composed of City and partner agency staff to serve as
advisory body to the Project Management Team and the Community Advisory Committee. The
TAC represented their own project or departmental interests and communicated how the
neighborhood-specific issues fit within the broader City/County context.
• Topic Area Working Groups: Each group focused on one of the Plan’s priority areas and
included community members and staff.
• River Road and Santa Clara Community Organizations: Both community organizations
supported public outreach throughout the project. During key decision points in the project, the
organizations led efforts to host meetings and communicate with stakeholders. Both community
organizations made recommendations to the CAC to inform the final community
recommendation on the plan adoption package.
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River Road-Santa Clara Neighborhood Plan
Engagement Summary
Page 2 of 11
Phase 1: Reaching Out (2017)
In the summer of 2017, the community organizations, volunteers, and staff began the ‘Reaching Out’
phase to raise awareness about the project and opportunities for input.
The goal of the Reaching Out phase was to give as many community members as possible the
opportunity to provide input into the vision for their neighborhood. The results of this outreach
identified areas where community members were united, and it flagged some more complicated areas
for future neighborhood conversations.
Raising Awareness
Community volunteers and project staff began raising awareness about the project by meeting with
neighbors where they were. They promoted the project at fun activities like Sunday Streets and the
grand opening of the new River Road Elementary School and during routine errands at the grocery store.
Volunteers from the community organizations canvassed their neighborhoods with informational flyers,
sent updates in their newsletters, and used social media to share information. In total, there were more
than 20 events in advance of the fall kick-off event.
Kick-off Event
The fall 2017 community event at North Eugene High School was a huge success, with nearly 400 people
filling the Highlander gymnasium. Activities at the kick-off event included a mapping exercise to identify
what residents value about the area and a ‘my ideas’ activity that asked participants to share their
future hopes for the neighborhood. Community volunteers and project staff were thrilled with this
result but knew there were community members who were unable to attend evening meetings, so an
extra effort was made to meet with them at more convenient times and places with targeted outreach.
Targeted Outreach
To bring in fresh voices, the project stepped out of the meeting room and into the community,
conducting unique activities with interesting visuals that stimulated important conversations. The
project staff and community volunteers formed partnerships with local organizations like St. Vincent
DePaul, Food for Lane County, and our local schools. These organizations helped reach a broader cross
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River Road-Santa Clara Neighborhood Plan
Engagement Summary
Page 3 of 11
section of residents. Small group meetings were held with high school students, affordable housing
residents, Spanish speakers, and rural residents in Santa Clara. In addition, a group of neighborhood
volunteers and City and County staff did door-to-door canvassing of local businesses to gather their
input on the neighborhood.
• Rural Santa Clara: SCCO includes rural residents who live beyond the urban growth boundary (UGB).
Members of this community are more unlikely to participate in broader neighborhood workshops
that are not tailored to their unique geographic location. The project staff and volunteers thought it
was important to target outreach efforts at these constituencies. A rural Santa Clara workshop in
December 2017 attracted over 20 participants.
• Business Canvassing: Regardless of whether
business owners and employees reside in the
neighborhood, they have a stake in the outcome of
the neighborhood planning process. However, they
are often tied to their workplace and may not be
able to attend conventional neighborhood
outreach events. Community volunteers and
project staff made a concerted effort to reach out
to businesses in the River Road and Santa Clara
neighborhoods. In November and December 2017,
neighborhood volunteers teamed with City and
County staff to conduct door-to-door outreach.
These pairs spoke with nearly 300 businesses along River Road and in other commercial areas
throughout the neighborhoods. They promoted the planning process, conducted interviews, and
encouraged business owners and employees to get involved.
• Inclusive Outreach: Building a foundation of trust and democracy starts with understanding who has
a stake in the outcome of the project and how and when they can participate. Public meetings are
often filled with elderly, white, middle-class people listening to public servants slogging through long
presentations. To involve youth, low-income residents, people with disabilities, and communities of
color, project staff and community volunteers forged relationships with community partners who
have earned the trust and respect of historically marginalized community groups through consistent
service. Working in collaboration with organizations such as Saint Vincent De Paul, Food for Lane
County, and the school districts, the project involved people who do not typically attend public
meetings.
This targeted outreach to rural Santa Clara residents, the business community, and historically
marginalized community groups helped diversify the voices involved in the neighborhood planning
process. The values, hopes, and concerns expressed by these stakeholders were balanced with those
expressed by other members of the public to create a comprehensive community vision.
City staff and community volunteers
canvassing neighborhood businesses
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Phases 2-3: Visioning and Neighborhood Priorities (January – June 2018)
The Visioning and Neighborhood Priorities phases continued focus on raising awareness of the project
and asking community members what they valued in their neighborhoods and hopes for the future.
Starting in early 2018, the CAC and topic area Working Groups met monthly to compile and review the
feedback received during the Reaching Out phase, recognizing the priorities and values heard during this
process, as well as the many years of community engagement through previous planning work. Different
themes emerged and the Neighborhood Plan began to develop around five main topic areas: Economic
Development, Transportation, Parks and Natural Resources, Land Use, and Community. A vision for the
future of the River Road and Santa Clara communities started to appear.
Outreach Questionnaires
In summer 2018, the CAC and Working Groups developed outreach questionnaires for each of the plan
topic areas. These questions were used during community forums, an online survey, and several
targeted outreach events.
The June 2018 community forums (attended by over 300 people) provided a chance for neighbors to
come back together and review the community vision, developed by the CAC, working group members
and staff, based on community input received in the Reaching Out Phase. They discussed the
questionnaire in small groups and heard each other’s opinions. The events were held on two different
days of the week (Wednesday and Sunday) and at different times (evening and afternoon) to make it
more accessible to people with varying schedules. A light meal and activities for children were provided.
Recruitment to these forums included a hard copy invitation mailed to all property owners in River Road
and Santa Clara, email invitations to more than 1,000 people on the project’s interested parties list, yard
signs at high traffic areas (such as parks and major intersections), and posters in area businesses. In
addition, community volunteers attended neighborhood events and personally extended invitations.
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The online survey, posted after the June
2018 forums, was disseminated through
the website, interested parties emails, area
organizations, and Facebook, resulting in
106 completed surveys.
The project staff and community
volunteers worked hard on inclusive
outreach to connect with people who were
not well represented at the community
forum: youth, communities of color, people
with disabilities, and low-income residents.
Events included a picnic for young families,
attendance at the North Eugene
Highlanders football team practice, a small
group discussion with people with
disabilities, and individual conversations
with people with limited incomes.
The project collaborated with organizations such as Cornerstone Housing, St. Vincent De Paul,
Headstart, Lane Independent Living Alliance, St. Mary’s Church, the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz,
North Eugene High School, and Huerto de la Familia. This targeted outreach resulted in an additional
142 completed surveys.
A CAC volunteer guides a neighbor through a survey at a
community event
Chatting with the North Eugene Highlanders football team
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Phase 4: Policy Development (July 2018 – May 2019)
After laying the groundwork through the phases of Reaching Out, Visioning, and Neighborhood
Priorities, the Policy Development phase started in late 2018 through spring 2019 and focused on the
drafting of policies related to the vision and neighborhood priorities developed from community input.
Throughout the policy development phase, Working Group meetings were held periodically and
interested community members were welcome to attend.
Policy Round-Up
Policy writing was led by the CAC and supported by staff on the TAC as well as Working Group members.
At the ‘Policy Round-Up’ in December 2018, participants sorted the draft policies into broad, cross-
cutting themes organized under 18 high-level goals. The goal of the activity was to review the draft
policies and identify missing ideas, such as places where certain themes across a topic area were not
well represented within the draft policies. More than 60 people participated.
Triple Bottom Line Sounding Board
In January 2019, the TAC did a closer review of the policies to ensure that the draft policies aligned with
existing City and County policies. In February 2019, the first Triple Bottom Line Sounding Board meeting
was held to provide a citywide perspective about the equity, environmental, and economic implications
of proposed action items in the Neighborhood Plan topic areas. Throughout the topic areas, there are
overarching themes such as equity and inclusion, connectivity, healthy people and climate, safety,
prosperity, and neighborhood identity.
River Road Corridor Study
February 2019 brought the first workshops for the River Road Corridor Study.1 Over the span of the
three-day open house the public had a chance to dive into the details and create actual designs for
neighborhood centers along River Road. The theme of the first open house was, “Getting Started:
1 The River Road Corridor Study was a partnership between Lane Transit District and the City of Eugene, supported
by a grant from the Federal Transit Administration. The completed study is available here: https://www.eugene-
or.gov/DocumentCenter/View/60545/River-Road-Corridor-Study-FTA-Grant
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Reflecting the Neighborhood Vision and Priorities,” the second “Developing Concepts: Exploring the
Ways the Vision Can Take Shape Along the Corridor,” and the third open house concluded with
“Establishing Criteria: Refining Ideas and Creating Evaluation Criteria.” These workshops were followed
by an email survey to participants asking about additional ideas, concerns, and areas of excitement. For
those that couldn’t attend, we developed an online survey to give people an opportunity to weigh in on
both high-level principles for the project and some of the early concepts.
As part of the initial workshops, the Corridor Study project staff hosted a Business Round Table, inviting
businesses and commercial properties along River Road to talk about design concepts along the corridor
and provide input.
Planning in Action Open House
In April 2019, another community event, the ‘Planning in Action Open House’ at North Eugene High
School provided community members an opportunity to review the draft policies as well as draft
actions. The Open House took place on both a Sunday afternoon and a Wednesday evening to
accommodate as many community members and businesses as possible. Food and activities for children
were provided at these meetings. More than 200 neighbors attended in total and there were great, in-
depth conversations at each of the tables. There were many new faces joining the neighborhood
planning process at these open houses. These conversations were a chance for neighbors to see how
their concerns and aspirations were represented in the draft policies and started the transition from
policy development into action planning.
On May 15, 2019, City Council officially approved the draft goals and policies as a platform for moving
into the Action Planning Phase.
Photos from the Corridor Study Workshop #1
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Phase 5: Action Planning (May 2019 – March 2021)
In May 2019, the project transitioned into the Action Planning phase, which focused on drafting,
evaluating and prioritizing actions to implement the draft policies. Refining the action items was a
collaborative process among the CAC, Working Group members, and City, County, and partner agency
staff to incorporate community and technical feedback.
River Road Corridor Study
In June 2019, project staff held a second series of Corridor Study workshops. Participants learned about
corridor concepts and land use and zoning options. The design team and community members discussed
implementation strategies and land use policies that could guide the type and location of growth. As
they reviewed the work of the design team, community members were asked a series of questions to
determine whether the proposed development standards and land use types fit with the vision for the
River Road Corridor area and desired neighborhood character. Community members, staff, and
consultant team members brainstormed draft land use concepts, zoning options and design standards
to further vet with the community using an online survey throughout summer and fall 2019 focusing on
two draft land use concepts.
Project Fair, Pumpkin Pie and Planning, and Community Events
Also in June 2019, project staff highlighted the Neighborhood Plan at a City of Eugene Planning Division
Project Fair at the Downtown Library, connecting with community members and talking to them about
the neighborhood planning efforts. Staff and community volunteers attended several other events
throughout the summer of 2019 to talk with community members about the Neighborhood Plan and
collect input.
In November 2019, community volunteers and project staff hosted the ‘Pumpkin Pie and Planning’
event. Over 150 community members, the CAC and City and County staff discussed and shared thoughts
on draft action items. It was both a celebration with neighbors on all the work that had been done on
the Neighborhood Plan and an opportunity to continue providing input. Highlights of the presentation
and discussion included land use, zoning, better transportation, the development of parks and the
future of housing in Santa Clara and River Road. Given the large number of participants, discussions
were geared towards covering topics with highest priority and expressing support or concern for the
action items. Free pumpkin pie was available for those who attended, as well as harvest art activities,
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and a chance to win a basket of goodies. The Land Use topic area had the widest range of opinions, with
many participants wanting more information on future land use standards that could address
community concerns.
Online Survey
An online survey was open from August to November 2019, reaching nearly 500 respondents and
collecting input and concerns regarding draft actions. Results from in-person outreach events were
collated with the online survey results to refine policies and actions.
Triple Bottom Line Sounding Board
In February 2020, the planning team convened a second Trible Bottom Line Sounding Board meeting,
and their feedback was collected on the Action Plan highlights.
Neighborhood Conversations
From January to March of 2020 a series of small group discussions, Neighborhood Conversations, took
place in common neighborhood gathering spaces to discuss how the proposed Neighborhood Plan vision
would be implemented. At each of these small group meetings, participants reviewed the proposed land
use concepts and discussed: What land uses will be allowed? How is zoning proposed to change? How
quickly might changes start to happen? These conversations focused on the Land Use topic area of the
Neighborhood Plan and exploring the initial details of the River Road Corridor Study.
An invitation to the Neighborhood Conversations was mailed to 16,000+ addresses including all
residents and property owners in the neighborhood, emailed to the 1,500+ interested parties list, and
shared by the River Road and Santa Clara Community Organizations. Overwhelming interest from
residents and property owners in the neighborhood led to scheduling additional meetings – 13
conversations in total, attended by approximately 200 residents. Another 80+ people did not attend
but learned about the project and received answers from staff or community leaders about their
questions in response to the invitations.
Approximately half of the participants
were new to the project, and the other
half had some previous knowledge or had
participated in a Plan meeting. While most
participants were over 50, the project staff
and community volunteers did engage
younger residents and communities of
color through both the Conversations and
a meeting hosted jointly with El Camino
Del Rio Elementary School in River Road.
The meetings provided the opportunity for
groups of staff, volunteers, and
community members to discuss elements
of the land use changes, sharing support and reservations.
In mid-March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic hit and slowed down the engagement process. However,
after receiving comprehensive feedback from previous engagement, the CAC continued to meet virtually
on Zoom each month and refine the draft actions. Project staff continued to send newsletters through
our interested parties email list and in March 2021 launched the River Road-Santa Clara Neighborhood
Plan Engage Eugene project website, part of the City of Eugene’s online engagement platform.
A Neighborhood Conversation at Camino Del Rio
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Phase 6: Adoption (March 2021 – xxx 2024)
On May 12, 2021, project staff received direction from the Eugene City Council and Lane County Board
of Commissioners to move into the Adoption Phase and prepare a plan adoption package for community
review. Between spring 2021 and spring 2023, staff and the CAC worked on refining the adoption
package and adapting the plan and implementation tools to evolving state requirements, including
legislation affecting middle housing and more climate-friendly housing development.
In March 2023, the CAC approved bringing the draft Neighborhood Plan, Action Plan, and neighborhood-
specific code amendments out for community feedback, kicking-off the broader engagement process for
the Adoption Phase. Updated drafts of the Neighborhood Plan and Action Plan and an initial draft of the
neighborhood-specific code amendments were published to the project website and the project’s
Engage Eugene site.
Public Information Campaign
Project staff distributed information about neighborhood planning and the adoption process through a
variety of digital media, including updates to the project website, Engage Eugene webpage, social media,
and e-newsletters from the City Planning Division, and both community organizations. Project staff also
developed summary documents that were available online and at in-person events, as well as graphics
depicting the proposed code amendments.
Postcard Mailing
In early May 2023, project staff mailed
a postcard to all owners and residents
of the River Road and Santa Clara
neighborhoods, approximately 16,800
people. The postcard featured ways to
engage during the adoption phase,
including virtual information sessions,
an in-person community event,
meeting toolkit, and online feedback
form. A postcard mailing for ways to engage during the Adoption Phase
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Virtual Information Sessions
Project staff hosted two virtual information sessions to provide an opportunity for community members
to learn about neighborhood planning, the draft adoption package, and ways to engage. A total of 21
people attended the two sessions in May 2023, including CAC members.
Facilitated Discussions with Community Organizations
Project staff participated in the community organization meetings to provide an update on
neighborhood planning and support small group discussions. The RCCO meeting was in-person only,
while the SCCO meeting included an opportunity for virtual participation during the presentation
followed by in-person discussions. Approximately 65+ people participated in the two meetings.
In-Person Community Event
Project staff and the CAC hosted an evening, in-person community event at North Eugene High School
on May 25, 2023. A total of 47 residents participated. Community members were invited to learn about
the draft plan by visiting topic tables and reviewing maps and topic area summaries. Staff presented an
overview of neighborhood planning and then participants joined small group discussions based on topic
area. In addition to CAC members and City and County planning staff, other city departments including
Parks and Open Space, Transportation Planning, and the Office of Equity and Community Engagement
participated in discussions.
Meeting Toolkit
For community members who wanted to dive deeper into the plan, project staff provided a meeting
toolkit. This toolkit offered guidance on hosting a small or medium-size group discussion with neighbors,
family and friends, or existing groups. The same guidance was used by the community organizations for
their meetings.
Community Advisory Committee members at the May
Community Event
Community members learning about
the Draft Neighborhood Plan
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1
Proposed River Road/Santa Clara Neighborhood-Specific
Land Use Code Amendments
Version date: September 28, 2023
Additions are in bold italic
Deletions are in [bracketed strikeout]
9.2160 Commercial Zone – Land Use and Permit Requirements.
The following Table 9.2160 Commercial Zone Land Uses and Permit Requirements identifies
those uses in Commercial Zones that are:
(P)Permitted.
(SR) Permitted, subject to an approved site review plan or an approved final planned unit development.
(C)Subject to a conditional use permit or an approved final planned unit development.
(S)Permitted, subject to the Special Development Standards for Certain Uses beginning at EC 9.5000.
(#) The numbers in ( ) in the table are uses that have special use limitations described in EC 9.2161.
Examples shown in Table 9.2160 are for informational purposes, and are not exclusive. Table
9.2160 does not indicate uses subject to Standards Review. Applicability of Standards Review
procedures is set out at EC 9.8465.
Table 9.2160 Commercial Zone Land Uses and Permit Requirements
C-1 C-2 C-3 GO
Motor Vehicle Related Uses
Car Wash P C
Motor Vehicle Sales/Rental/Service, excluding recreational
vehicles and heavy trucks
P(11) C
Motorcycle Sales/Rental/Service P(11) C
Attachment D
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2
C-1 C-2 C-3 GO
Parking Area not directly related to a primary use on the
same development site
SR (4) P(5) P
Parts Store P P
Recreational Vehicles and Heavy Truck,
Sales/Rental/Service
C(11)
Repair, includes paint and body shop P
Service Stations, includes quick servicing P C
Structured Parking, up to two levels not directly related to
a primary use on the same development site
P P P
Structured Parking, three or more levels not directly
related to a primary use on the same development site
C P C
Tires, Sales/Service P C
Transit, Neighborhood Improvement P P P P
Transit Park and Ride, Major P P P
Transit Park and Ride, Minor C P P P
Transit Station, Major C SR SR SR
Transit Station, Minor. C P P P
Trade (Retail and Wholesale)
Agricultural Machinery Rental/Sales/Service C(11)
Appliance Sales/Service P P
Bicycle Rental/Sales/Service P(1) P P
Boat and Watercraft Sales/Service P(11) C
Book Store P(1) P P
Building Materials and Supplies
Computer Store P(1) P P
Convenience Store P(1) P P P(2)
Drug Store (excluding Drug Treatment Centers) P(1) P P
Electrical Appliances and Supplies P(1) P P
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C-1 C-2 C-3 GO
Equipment, Light, Rental/Sales/Service P P
Equipment, Heavy, Rental/Sales/Service – includes truck
and tractor sales
C(11)
Fabric Store P P
Floor Covering Store P P
Furniture and Home Furnishing Stores P P
Garden Supply/Nursery P(1) P
General Merchandise (includes supermarket and
department store)
P(1) P P P(2)
Hardware/Home Improvement Store P(1) P P
Healthcare Equipment and Supplies P P
Liquor Store P P
Manufactured Dwelling Sales/Service/Repair C
Office Equipment and Supplies P P
Plumbing Supplies P P
Retail trade when secondary, directly related, and limited
to products manufactured, repaired or assembled on the
development site
P(1) P P
Storage Facility, Household/Consumer Goods, enclosed P(11)
9.2161 Special Use Limitations for Table 9.2160.
(11) Prohibited Uses in River Road and Santa Clara. Use is prohibited on property located
within the city limits of the City of Eugene and within the River Road-Santa Clara
Neighborhood Plan Area as shown on Map 9.2161(11).
9.2170 Commercial Zone Development Standards – General.
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4
(2) Application of Standards. In addition to applicable provisions contained elsewhere in this
land use code, the development standards listed in Table 9.2170 Commercial Zone
Development Standards shall apply to all development in commercial zones.
Table 9.2170 Commercial Zone General Building Height and Setback Standards
C-1 C-2 C-3 GO
Building Height (See EC 9.2170(3) and EC 9.2170(13))
Maximum Building Height 35 feet 120 feet 150 feet 50 feet
Setbacks (See EC 9.2170(4) and EC 9.2170(13))
Minimum Front Yard Setback 10 feet 5 feet 3 feet 10 feet
Maximum Front Yard Setback 15 feet 15 feet 15 feet 15 feet
Minimum Interior Yard Setback 0 feet to
10 feet
0 feet to
10 feet
0 feet 0 feet to
10 feet
(3) Building Height.
(a) Exceptions to the general height restrictions for commercial structures stated in Table
9.2170 Commercial Zone General Building Height and Setback Standards are contained in:
1. EC 9.6715 Height Limitation Areas.
2. EC 9.6720 Height Exemptions for Roof Structures and Architectural Features.
(b) Subject to the limitations in subsection (a) of this section, in the C-2 or C-3 zones, no
portion of a building located within 50 feet of a residential zone shall exceed the maximum
building height permitted in the abutting residential zone.
(c) Subject to the limitations in subsection (a) of this section, the maximum permitted
building height for main or accessory buildings in the GO zone shall not exceed 35 feet in
height within 50 feet of an abutting AG, R-1, or R-2 zone. Otherwise, main and accessory
building height maximums shall not exceed 50 feet.
(d) Subject to the limitations in subsections (a) and (b) of this section, the maximum building
height for properties in the C-2 zone and located within the city limits of the City of Eugene
and within the River Road-Santa Clara Neighborhood Plan Area as shown on Map 9.2161(11)
shall not exceed 60 feet. Also see EC 9.2170(13) for Transition Standards.
(4) Setbacks.
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(a) Exceptions to the general minimum front and interior yard setback requirements
stated in Table 9.2170 Commercial Zone General Building Height and Setback Standards
are contained in:
1. EC 9.6745 Setbacks – Intrusions Permitted.
2. EC 9.6750 Special Setback Standards.
(b) Minimum Front Yard Setbacks. The minimum front yard setbacks stated in Table
9.2170 Commercial Zone General Building Height and Setback Standards, shall apply only
to new buildings and any building addition that increases the length of the building facade
facing a street, internal accessway, private drive, or shopping street as defined in EC
9.2175(3) by at least 100%. For purposes of this subsection, the front yard setback may be
measured from a front lot line abutting a public street or from the edge of the sidewalk
furthest from the curb of an internal accessway, private drive, or shopping street. In
addition, only the portion of the development site specifically affected by the new building
and any linear facade expansion of more than 100% are subject to the requirements of this
subsection.
1. The minimum front yard setback in C-2 and C-3 zones shall be landscaped to the
Basic Landscape Standard (L-1) in accordance with EC 9.6210(1), except for paved
pedestrian walkways, building entrances and enhanced pedestrian space. Vehicular
access connections and driveways to parking areas are also exempt from this
landscaping standard, but vehicle use areas are not otherwise allowed between the
building and the street within the minimum setback area.
2. In C-2, except for C-2 within the Downtown Plan Area as shown on Map 9.2161(6)
Downtown Plan Map, buildings and other structures with less than the minimum 5-
foot setback are allowed, and exempt from the minimum landscaping requirement in
this subsection, only for the following:
a. Ground floor commercial and other non-residential uses that provide a
minimum 10-foot ground floor ceiling height, and at least 60 percent of the street
facing ground-floor wall area consists of glazing, openings, display windows or
doorways. To meet this standard, the area of openings, glazing, display windows
and doorways must allow two-way visibility with a Visible Light Transmittance (VLT)
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6
of at least 60 percent. Mullions and other solid components of glazed window
systems may be counted as part of the glazing used to comply with this standard.
b. Ground floor residential uses with a vertical separation of 3 feet above grade.
Shared lobbies and building entrances are exempt from these vertical separation
requirements. The minimum setback under this exception may only be reduced to
3 feet, and the remaining area of the reduced setback shall be provided as
enhanced pedestrian space.
c. Buildings with a street facing façade at the minimum 5-foot setback or less
according to the standards above shall provide a main entrance facing the street.
A building may have more than one main entrance, and buildings having frontage
on more than one street shall provide at least one main entrance oriented to a
street, or to the corner where two streets intersect. On properties zoned C-2 and
located within the city limits of the City of Eugene and the River Road-Santa Clara
Neighborhood Plan Area as shown on Map 9.2161(11), buildings fronting River
Road shall provide a main entrance oriented to that street or to the corner where
River Road and another street intersect.
d. Vehicular use areas are not permitted between the street and any portion of
the building at or within the required minimum setback according to this
subsection, except for access to parking areas.
3. For C-2 and C-3 within the Downtown Plan Area as shown on Map 9.2161(6)
Downtown Plan Map, buildings and other structures with less than the minimum
setback are allowed, and exempt from the minimum landscaping requirement in this
subsection, only for the following:
a. Ground floor commercial and other non-residential uses that provide a
minimum 12-foot ground floor ceiling height, and at least 75 percent of the street
facing ground-floor wall area consists of glazing, openings, display windows or
doorways. To meet this standard the area of openings, glazing, display windows
and doorways must allow two-way visibility with a Visible Light Transmittance (VLT)
of at least 60 percent. Mullions and other solid components of glazed window
systems may be counted as part of the glazing used to comply with this standard.
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b. Ground floor residential uses with a vertical separation of 3 feet above grade.
Shared lobbies and building entrances are exempt from these vertical separation
requirements. The minimum setback under this exception may only be reduced to
3 feet, and the remaining area of reduced setback shall be provided as enhanced
pedestrian space.
c. Buildings with a street facing façade at the minimum setback or less according
to the standards above shall provide a main entrance facing the street. A building
may have more than one main entrance, and buildings having frontage on more
than one street shall provide at least one main entrance oriented to a street, or to
the corner where two streets intersect.
d. Vehicular use areas are not permitted between the street and any portion of
the building at or within the required minimum setback according to this
subsection, except for access to parking areas.
4. The minimum setbacks in C-1 and GO shall be landscaped to the Basic Landscape
Standard (L-1) in accordance with EC 9.6210(1), except for paved pedestrian walkways,
building entrances and enhanced pedestrian space. Vehicular access connections and
driveways to parking areas are also exempt from this landscaping standard, but vehicle
use areas are not otherwise permitted between the building and the street within
minimum setback areas.
(c) Maximum Front Yard Setbacks. The maximum front yard setbacks stated in Table
9.2170 Commercial Zone General Building Height and Setback Standards, shall apply only
to new buildings and any building addition that increases the length of the building facade
facing a street, internal accessway, private drive, or shopping street as defined in EC
9.2175(3) by at least 100%. For purposes of this subsection, front yard setback may be
measured from a front lot line abutting a public street or from the edge of the sidewalk
furthest from the curb of an internal accessway, private drive, or shopping street. In
addition, all new buildings and the portion of the development site specifically affected by
the new building and any linear facade expansion of more than 100% are subject to the
requirements of this subsection. (See Figure 9.2170(4)(c) Maximum Front Yard Setbacks,
Building Orientation, and Entrances.)
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1. In C-1, at least 80% of all street facing facades of the building must be within the
specified maximum front yard setback.
2. Except as provided in EC 9.2170(4)(c)(3), [I]in C-2 and C-3, a minimum of 25% of all
street facing facades must be within the specified maximum front yard setback, or,
orientation to an internal accessway, private drive, or shopping street as defined in EC
9.2175(3) is permitted in compliance with EC 9.2173(4)(a).
3. On properties zoned C-2 and located within the city limits of the City of Eugene
and the River Road-Santa Clara Neighborhood Plan Area as shown on Map 9.2161(11),
a minimum of 80% of all street facing facades must be within the specified maximum
front yard setback, or, orientation to an internal accessway, private drive, or
shopping street as defined in EC 9.2175(3) is permitted in compliance with EC
9.2173(4)(a).
4[3]. In GO, at least 60% of all street facing facades of the building must be within the
specified maximum front yard setback.
5[4]. Vehicular use areas are not permitted in between the street and the portion of
the building that is used to comply with this subsection.
6[5]. Buildings fronting on a street must provide a main entrance facing the street on
any facade of the building within the front yard setback. A main entrance is a principal
entrance through which people enter the building. A building may have more than one
main entrance. Buildings having frontage on more than one street shall provide at
least one main entrance oriented to a street, or to the corner where two streets
intersect. On properties zoned C-2 and located within the city limits of the City of
Eugene and the River Road-Santa Clara Neighborhood Plan Area as shown on Map
9.2161(11), buildings fronting River Road shall provide a main entrance oriented to
that street or to the corner where River Road and another street intersect.
7[6]. The land between the portion of a building complying with EC 9.2170(4)(c)(1) or
(2) and a street must be landscaped or paved with a hard surface for use by
pedestrians. If a hard surface is provided, the area must contain at least the equivalent
of 1 pedestrian amenity for every 200 square feet of hard surface. The use of porous
materials for hard surfacing is encouraged. Residential developments are exempt from
this subsection, except as required by any more restrictive provisions of EC
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9.2170(4)(b) above. (See Figure 9.2170(4)(c)6. Landscaped or Paved Pedestrian Area
with Pedestrian Amenities.)
8[7]. The maximum front yard setback may be exceeded if the area between the
building and the front property line is landscaped or paved for use by pedestrians. The
area must contain at least the equivalent of 1 enhanced pedestrian amenity for every
200 square feet of hard surface. (See Figure 9.2170(4)(c)6. Landscaped or Paved
Pedestrian Area with Pedestrian Amenities.)
(d) Where lot lines abut property within a residential zone category, the minimum interior
yard setback for any building shall be 10 feet. Within the Downtown Plan Area as shown on
Map 9.2161(6) Downtown Plan Map, adjustments to this section may be made based on
the criteria in EC 9.8030(16).
(e) For lots zoned C-1 within the S-JW Jefferson Westside Special Area Zone boundaries as
shown on Figure 9.3605, setbacks from all portions of interior lot lines (as that term is
defined for purposes of the S-JW Special Area Zone) shall be at least 10 feet from the
interior lot line. In addition, at a point that is 20 feet above grade, the setback shall slope at
the rate of 10 inches vertically for every 12 inches horizontally (approximately 50 degrees
from vertical) away from that lot line.
(f) Adjustments. Except for the Downtown Plan Area as shown on Map 9.2161(6) Downtown
Plan Map, adjustments to the minimum and maximum front yard setbacks and
landscaping standards in this subsection, except subsection (4)(a), may be made, based on
criteria at EC 9.8030(2) Setback Standards Adjustment. Within the Downtown Plan Area,
adjustments to the minimum and maximum front yard setbacks in this subsection, except
subsection (4)(a), may be made, based on the criteria at EC 9.8030(16).
***
(13) River Road/Santa Clara Specific Standards. The following standards apply to new
buildings and any building additions constructed on properties zoned C-2 and located within
city limits of the City of Eugene and the River Road-Santa Clara Neighborhood Plan Area as
shown on Map 9.2161(11).
(a) River Road/Santa Clara Transition Standards. The following standards apply to new
buildings and to building additions that increase the square footage of floor area by 20
Page 73 of 185
10
percent or more on property abutting R-1 zoned land. The following standards shall be
applicable between the new building or the building addition and any property line
abutting land zoned R-1. The proposed development must comply with one of the
following options described below.
1. Option 1. The minimum interior yard setback shall be 10 feet from any
property line that abuts land zoned R-1. In addition, at least one of the
following must be provided along the entire portion of any property line that
abuts land zoned R-1:
a. A 6-foot high, 100 percent sight-obscuring wooden fence or masonry
wall.
b. A 6-foot high metal fence with high shrubs planted every 6 feet. Chain
link and cyclone fences are not allowed. For the purposes of this
subparagraph, high shrubs must be:
i. Selected from the City of Eugene Plant Materials list approved by
administrative order of the city manager;
ii. Designated in the City of Eugene Plant Materials list as meeting
the high shrub requirement; and
iii. In at least 5-gallon containers at the time of planting.
c. Landscaping with a minimum plant bed width of 10 feet meeting EC
9.6210(3) High Screen Landscape Standard (L-3).
2. Option 2. The minimum interior yard setback shall be 15 feet from any
property line that abuts land zoned R-1. In addition, the development shall
comply with all of the following:
a. At a point that is 30 feet above grade at the property line, the interior
yard setback shall slope toward the interior of the property at the rate
of 10 inches vertically for every 12 inches horizontally away from that
property line until a point 25 feet away from the property line.
b. For new buildings or building additions within 25 feet of land zoned R-1,
trees growing to a mature height of at least 20 feet shall be planted at a
minimum interval of 25 feet, parallel to the property line, between
buildings and any property line that abuts land zoned R-1.
c. One of the following shall be provided along the portion of any property
line that abuts land zoned R-1:
i. A 6-foot high, 100 percent sight obscuring wooden fence or
masonry wall.
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ii. A 6-foot high metal fence with high shrubs planted every 6 feet.
Chain link and cyclone fences are not allowed. For the purposes
of this subparagraph, high shrubs must be:
1. Selected from the City of Eugene Plant Materials list
approved by administrative order of the city manager;
2. Designated in the City of Eugene Plant Materials list as
meeting the high shrub requirement; and,
3. In at least 5-gallon containers at the time of planting.
3. Option 3. A minimum 25-foot setback shall be provided between a new building
or building addition and the portion of any property line that abuts land zoned
R-1. The 25-foot setback area may be used for open space, vehicle use area,
pedestrian circulation, bicycle parking, stormwater quality facilities, or
landscaping.
(b) River Road/Santa Clara Building Walls/Window Coverage.
1. Windows are required along all street-facing ground floor walls within the
maximum front yard setback at a minimum of 60% of the horizontal length and
25% of the area of applicable ground floor walls.
2. All windows shall have a minimum Visible Light Transmittance (VLT) of 0.6 or
higher.
3. A blank length of wall of more than 20 linear feet is prohibited along any
façade. Windows, arcades, colonnades, or main entrances can be used to
address this standard.
4. Adjustments to the standards in this subsection(b) may be made, based on the
criteria of EC 9.8030(39).
(c) River Road/Santa Clara Weather Protection. Weather protection features such as
canopies, awnings or arcades shall be provided over at least the full width of all building
entrances to a depth of at least 3 feet. Alternatively, building entrances may be set back
a minimum of 3 feet behind the face of the building.
1. Adjustments to the standards in this subsection(c) may be made, based on the
criteria of EC 9.8030(39).
Page 75 of 185
12
R-1 Low Density Residential Zone Amendments
Explanation: Changes to R-1 Low Density Residential permitted uses to allow for small-scale
collective sales of agricultural products
9.2740 Residential Zone Land Use and Permit Requirements.
The following Table 9.2740 Residential Zone Land Use and Permit Requirements identifies
those uses in the residential zones that are:
(P) Permitted.
(SR) Permitted, subject to an approved site review plan or an approved final planned unit development.
(C) Subject to an approved conditional use permit or an approved final planned unit development.
(PUD) Permitted, subject to an approved final planned unit development.
(S) Permitted, subject to the Special Development Standards for Certain Uses beginning at EC 9.5000.
(#) The numbers in ( ) in the table are uses that have special use limitations that are described in EC
9.2741 Special Use Limitations for Table 9.2740.
The examples listed in Table 9.2740 are for informational purposes and are not exclusive. Table
9.2740 does not indicate uses subject to Standards Review. Applicability of Standards Review
procedures is set out at EC 9.8465.
Table 9.2740 Residential Zone Land Uses and Permit Requirements
R-1 R-2 R-3 R-4
Accessory Uses
Accessory Uses. Examples include a garage,
storage shed, and services primarily for use by
residents on the site, such as a recreation room
and laundry facility. Parking areas and garages
constructed and used for a principle use on the
development site, such as an apartment, are
allowed as an accessory use.
P P P P
Agricultural, Resource Production and Extraction
Community and Allotment Garden P P P P
Page 76 of 185
13
R-1 R-2 R-3 R-4
Display and Sale of Agricultural Products Grown
on the Site
P
Display and Sale of Agricultural Products Grown
Offsite
P (9)
9.2741 Special Use Limitations for Table 9.2740.
(9) Display and Sale of Agricultural Products Grown Offsite. This use is only allowed on
property located within the city limits of the City of Eugene and the River Road-Santa Clara
Neighborhood Plan Area as shown on Map 9.2161(11), and is subject to the following
standards:
(a) Use is limited to two days in a calendar week and is limited to between the hours
of 9:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.
(b) Permanent changes to the development site to specifically accommodate the use
are prohibited.
(c) Except during the hours of operation of the use, there shall be no display or
outdoor storage of agricultural products visible from the street.
(d) The use is not permitted on a flag lot.
(e) Parking associated with the use must be located on-street or within an existing on-
site parking area.
(f) Signs associated with the use shall not be placed in the public right of way or
vision clearance area. All signage must comply with the sign standards at EC
9.6600.
Other Code Amendments
9.8010 List of Adopted Plans.
The documents listed in the following Table 9.8010, including any adopted amendments, are
the currently effective adopted plans that may be applicable to a particular land use
Page 77 of 185
14
application. The plans and adopted policies are more particularly set forth beginning at EC
9.9500, and the boundaries for each are depicted on Map 9.8010, Adopted Plans.
Table 9.8010 List of Adopted Plans
Bethel-Danebo Refinement Plan (Phase II) River Road-Santa Clara [Urban Facilities Plan]
Neighborhood Plan
Bethel-Danebo Refinement Plan Riverfront Park Study
Comprehensive Stormwater Management
Plan
South Hills Study
Envision Eugene Comprehensive Plan South Willamette Subarea Study
Eugene Downtown Plan TransPlan (Metro Area Transportation Plan)
Eugene-Springfield Metropolitan Area
General Plan (Metro Plan)
Walnut Station Specific Area Plan
Eugene 2035 Transportation System Plan West University Refinement Plan
Fairmount/U of O Special Area Study Westside Neighborhood Plan
Jefferson/Far West Refinement Plan Whiteaker Plan
Laurel Hill Neighborhood Plan Willakenzie Area Plan
19th and Agate Special Area Study Willow Creek Special Area Study
Page 78 of 185
15
9.8030 Adjustment Review – Approval Criteria.
The planning director shall approve, conditionally approve, or deny an adjustment review
application. Approval or conditional approval shall be based on compliance with the following
applicable criteria.
(39) River Road/Santa Clara Neighborhood Specific Standards. Where this land use code
provides that the River Road/Santa Clara Neighborhood Specific Standards can be adjusted,
the standards may be adjusted upon finding that the design achieves all of the following:
(a) Contributes to the continuity of building facades along the street.
(b) Creates an attractive pedestrian environment along all adjacent streets.
(c) Is compatible with adjacent development.
9.9500 Adopted Plan Policies.
The adopted plan policies set forth in the sections beginning at EC 9.9500 shall be used when
applicable for purposes of evaluating applicable adopted plan policies pertaining to
subdivisions, partitions, and site review. However, in accordance with Metro Plan Policy A.9, a
maximum residential density established by an adopted plan policy set forth in EC 9.9500
through EC 9.9710 may not be applied to an application proposing middle housing. For
purposes of this section, a maximum residential density includes but is not limited to, a
minimum lot size requirement, a limit on the number of dwelling units per acre, or another
similar regulation that has the effect of limiting residential density.
[9.9610 River Road – Santa Clara Urban Facilities Plan Policies.
(1) General Land Use. Minimize land use conflicts by promoting compatibility between land
uses, especially among residential, commercial-industrial, and commercial-agricultural uses.
(Policy 1)
(2) Residential Land Use.
(a) Recognize and maintain the predominately low-density residential character of the
area consistent with the Metro Plan. (Policy 1)
(b) Evaluate traffic and compatibility impacts when considering new residential
development on parcels fronting arterial streets. (Policy 3)
(c) Provide adequate buffering and traffic control for existing non-residential development
fronting River Road, (to minimize conflicts with surrounding development). (Policy 4)
Page 79 of 185
16
(d) Permit medium-density housing (10 to 20 dwelling units/acre) in proximity to existing
or planned urban facilities. Access to commercial development, transit, and alternative
modes of transportation, schools and parks, and open space should be considered.
Medium-density residential development will be considered for the north Santa Clara area
consistent with the above criteria. (Policy 5)
(e) Design residential development which is adjacent to the Greenway, parks, and other
identified natural features in a manner that ensures its compatibility with those features.
(Policy 6)
(3) Commercial and Industrial Land Use.
(a) Maintain and enhance the compatibility of adjacent land uses through the use of
appropriate buffering mechanisms, such as landscaping standards. (Policy 1)
(b) Require site plan reviews for all new commercial and industrial development. (Policy 2)
(c) Prohibit the linear expansion of existing strip commercial areas fronting on River Road.
Existing strip commercial development may expand by infilling, redevelopment, or
expansion onto contiguous property that does not front on River Road.(Policy 3)
(d) Provide for buffering and traffic control for existing development that fronts River
Road (to minimize conflicts with surrounding residential development). (Policy 4)
(e) Minimize impacts of new commercial development intended to consolidate and
improve existing strip commercial uses along River Road by requiring development
standards. (Policy 5)
(f) New neighborhood commercial uses shall be located away from River Road in locations
that facilitate the provision of commercial facilities scaled to a residential area and that
allow for dispersal of commercial uses throughout River Road-Santa Clara. (Policy 6)
(g) Ensure compatibility between neighborhood commercial developments and the
surrounding residential area by identifying and applying siting and development standards.
(Policy 7)
(4) River Road/Railroad Avenue Subarea.
(a) Designate and zone existing medium-density development.
(b) Limit River Road access to existing commercial development.
(c) Maintain existing land use patterns until completion of the Chambers Connector. The
effects of the Chamber Connector and related road improvements on the immediate area
should be examined upon completion of final design and right-of-way acquisition and any
appropriate changes adopted.
(d) The area south of Fir Lane and east of River Road is appropriate for commercial and
low density residential uses.
(e) Medium density residential development along the east side of River Road north of Fir
Lane is appropriate, and requires a minimum development area of 2/3 of an acre.
(f) Rezone the apartments on the west end of Briarcliff Drive from industrial to medium
density residential use.
(g) Delay for six months rezoning of the vacant parcels south of Briarcliff and adjacent to
the Northwest Expressway from industrial to low density residential use.
(h) Designate the two parcels north of Holeman Avenue and west of River Road for
commercial use.
(5) River Road/Knoop Subarea Recommendations.
Page 80 of 185
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(a) Maintain existing land use pattern.
(b) Apply site review for medium-density development in the northern portion of the
subarea.
(c) Limit number of River Road access points to medium-density development in the
southern portion of the subarea.
(6) River Road/Hilliard Subarea.
(a) Rezone small split-zone tax lots to their most intensive use.
(b) Maintain viability of existing residential land use.
(c) Recommend professional office development for the undeveloped land on the west
side of River Road between West Hillcrest and Horn Lane. Only professional office
development making unified use of one or more acres shall be allowed in the area. Access
shall be limited to mitigate impacts on existing low-density residential development west of
the area.
(7) River Road/Howard Subarea.
(a) Maintain the status of non-conforming uses.
(b) Maintain the status of existing medium-density land use.
(c) Encourage medium-density residential development for all portions of the subarea,
with the exception of the following areas: Hatten Street commercial area, the area west of
River road between Maxwell and Howard, and the area east of River Road between Owosso
and Corliss.
(d) Recommend professional office development on the east side of River Road between
Owosso and Corliss.
(8) Maxwell/Park Avenue.
(a) Recommend development of medium-density housing, while maintaining natural
features, for neighborhood park and open space through use of clustering and site review.
(b) Concentrate medium-density development around the commercial node, with a
transition to low-density, particularly at the northern and southern boundaries of the
subarea.
(c) Apply site review for parcels fronting the Northwest Expressway and the Southern
Pacific Railroad tracks.
(d) Maintain current commercial designation to the north of the line which would be
Howard Avenue if ever extended westerly. Only commercial developments making unified
use of five or more acres shall be allowed in the area.
(9) Riviera.
(a) Continue existing land use pattern.
(b) Rezone single-family residential south of River Avenue to medium-density and north of
River Avenue to commercial zoning.
(c) Rezone all residentially developed parcels south of River Avenue and east of River Road
to medium-density residential use.
(10) River Avenue. Rezone the area north of River Avenue to commercial.
(11) River Road/Irving.
(a) Rezone small split-zoned tax lots to their most intensive use.
(b) Parcels south of Santa Clara Avenue and west of River Road, that are not already
developed for commercial use, should be zoned of office development.
Page 81 of 185
18
(c) Designate the large southern undeveloped parcel for medium-density development.
(d) Designate the westerly portion of the large parcel south of Santa Clara Avenue and
west of River Road for medium-density development, with an emphasis on development of
health-related facilities.
(e) Maintain the viability of existing low-density residential development.
(f) Designate professional office development for five parcels north of Santa Clara Avenue
and west of current commercial development on west River Road.
(12) River Road/Division.
(a) Designate medium-density development for undeveloped and under-developed
property west of Ross Lane and west of Lee’s Trailer Park.
(b) The transition from professional office use to medium-density residential use should
occur in the vicinity of a line projected south from the east boundary of the Santa Clara
Elementary School property.
(c) Rezone parcels north of Santa Clara Square and south of Green Lane for professional
office use.
(13) Irving Light – Medium Industrial.
(a) Use Planned Unit Development procedures to mitigate impacts on existing adjacent
low-density residential development upon rezoning to industrial.
(b) Only industrial developments, making unified use of ten or more acres shall be allowed
in the area.
(c) Consider amending the Plan designation to Special-Light Industrial.
(14) Northwest Expressway.
(a) Encourage development of a two – to five-acre neighborhood commercial node west of
the slough for the following reasons:
1. Arterial street access
2. Access from the Northwest Expressway at Irvington Drive.
3. Large parcel size in the area.
4. Metropolitan Plan assumes large population growth in this area.
(b) Apply site review for development of parcels fronting the Northwest Expressway and
Southern Pacific Railroad.
(15) River Road/Wilkes.
(a) Consolidate commercial development for property south of Swain Lane and bounded
by the slough on the east and Greenwood Street on the south.
(b) Rezone split-zone tax lots.
(c) Designate medium-density development on the easterly portion of the large
undeveloped parcel north of Swain Lane.
(d) Designate community commercial development on the westerly portion of the large
undeveloped parcel north of Swain Lane. Only commercial developments making unified
use of five or more acres shall be allowed in the area.
(e) Encourage commercial development contiguous to existing commercial uses east of
River Road.
(f) Encourage low-density zoning for property south of Brotherton, across from River Loop
#2.
Page 82 of 185
19
(g) Designate neighborhood commercial development for two acres on the northwest
corner of Irvington and River Road. Only commercial developments making unified use of
one or more acres and with access limited to Irvington Drive, shall be allowed in the area.
(16) Public Facilities and Services.
(a) Land development patterns in the area shall accommodate the provision of fire and
emergency services. (Fire subsection, Policy 2)
(b) If a transfer site in the western portion of the metropolitan area is desired, a cost-
benefit analysis shall be conducted to determine its effectiveness before any siting plans
are considered. (Solid Waste Service subsection, Policy 1)
(c) Future road improvements providing sidewalks and bicycle lanes shall consider safety
needs of students, especially at intersections near schools and along busy streets. (School
subsection, Policy 1)
(d) Encourage the continued multiple use of school facilities. (School subsection, Policy 3)
(e) When appropriate, land for park and recreation facilities shall be dedicated as part of
the development review process for vacant land. (Park and Recreation Service subsection,
Policy 3)
(17) Environmental Design Element.
(a) New residential development taking place in areas adjacent to the Northwest
Expressway and the Southern Pacific Railroad shall be designed so as to minimize noise
and visual impacts generated by these facilities. (Relationship of the Area to the Railroad,
Policy 1)
(b) Examine the possibility of providing landscaping and a noise barrier along the east side
of the Northwest Expressway as a means of buffering adjacent residential
areas.(Relationship of the Area to the Railroad, Policy 2)
(c) Residential developments shall be designed to minimize potential conflicts with
adjacent agricultural operations. (Urban and Agricultural Fringe Areas, Policy 1)
(d) With the exception of high voltage transmission lines, require the installation of
underground utilities in developing areas. (Signs/Utilities subsection, Policy 2)
(e) Landscape buffers shall be provided for power substations in the study area by the
responsible utility. (Signs/Utilities subsection, Policy 3)
(f) Encourage the preservation and restoration of structures, landmarks, sites, and areas
of cultural, historic, or archaeological significance. (Historic Structures subsection, Policy 2)
(g) Future development along vegetated sloughs shall be reviewed to determine additional
requirements, if any, to maintain and improve the sloughs as environmental assets.
(Vegetated Sloughs subsection, Policy 2)
(18) Transportation Element.
(a) All street improvement projects should support and recognize that different streets
serve different functions. (Policy 1)
(b) Support alternative to the automobile including mass transit, bicycle, walking, and
carpooling. (Policy 2)]
Page 83 of 185
20Page 84 of 185
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21Page 85 of 185
22Page 86 of 185
Community Advisory Committee
River Road-Santa Clara Neighborhood Planning
Recommendation Letter – August 2023
To the joint planning commissions,
The Community Advisory Committee for the River Road Santa Clara Neighborhood Plan is
composed of eleven elected representatives from both River Road and Santa Clara Community
Organizations. Our charge has been to represent our neighborhoods and to guide the process
over time. Since the project’s launch in 2017, 18 people have held these roles, each appointed
and approved by the Eugene Planning Commission.
We, the members of the River Road/Santa Clara Neighborhood Plan community advisory
committee have voted to recommend the final plan, and request its approval from this body. In
addition, and required in the project charter, the two participating neighborhood association
boards, RRCO and SCCO, have also voted to approve this plan with additional recommendations
listed in the attached submissions.
The Action Plan was created by our neighbors to implement the goals and policies. While this is
an aspirational document, city staff have committed to referencing it when making decisions
that impact our neighborhood, requesting funding, and implementing programs.
The regulatory shifts from the state as well as the city’s pivot from separate corridor plans to a
citywide approach have us concerned that our work will be disregarded in the planning of the
River Road corridor. We ask that the detailed and comprehensive work done for that project
be consulted when corridor planning for River Road begins in the future.
The landscape for implementing our plan changed dramatically over the course of our work and
required us to limit our scope. Our two neighborhoods had broad support for the work done
through our RR/SC Corridor Plan to help create nodes for commercial development that would
move us toward an active and walkable corridor. We would like to continue the efforts to
increase the locally-owned businesses’ activation of the corridor, and ensure that the limited
commercial lots are used for that purpose.
We look forward to working with you as you review this plan, and we are available for
questions and consultation at any point in your deliberations.
Please note the RRCO Board Recommendation and SCCO Recommendation created by the
community organizations during their final review.
In community,
The River Road/Santa Clara Neighborhood Plan
Community Advisory Committee
Attachment E
Page 87 of 185
River Road Community Organiza�on
River Road-Santa Clara Neighborhood Planning
Recommenda�on Leter – July 2023
Dear Mayor Vinis and Members of the City,
We, the members of the River Road Community Organiza�on Board, are wri�ng in support of the Dra�
River Road/Santa Clara Neighborhood Plan being submited by the Eugene Planning staff, in conjunc�on
with the Community Advisory Commitee, and the River Road and Santa Clara community organiza�ons.
For the past 6 years, our community and board members have engaged in this effort with enthusiasm
and with the needs of our unique and fast-growing neighborhood in mind. The plan does not address all
of the requirements outlined as part of the Envision Eugene ini�a�ve; however, we have heard from our
community via a variety of vehicles and believe that the current dra� should proceed through the
adop�on process, moving us forward from the refinement plan of 1986 that currently guides the
development for our area. We are ready to partner with the City and County to move the dra� plan
forward and are willing to accept some of the shortcomings of the document in order to proceed.
While the new plan will define much of the direc�on for the neighborhood, we have iden�fied three
core areas of opportunity that were eliminated from the plan. As these three areas of opportunity are
core to the desires of our community, we are commited as a board to con�nue to advocate for
resolu�on of these issues to meet the needs of River Road residents. These are:
1. No Parking Resolu�on for County Streets: Lane County controls 76% of River Road Local Streets
(58% of Santa Clara) and they have negligible capacity to enforce on-street parking standards. The
reduc�on in on-site parking requirements through the middle housing code amendments and
other State standards means that our experience with parking overflow near ECCO housing will just
become more intense. Many of the County Local streets in our neighborhoods aren’t developed to
urban standards and have limited capacity to accommodate the overflow parking almost certain to
occur with new proper�es lacking minimum on-site parking requirements. Without some way to
regulate on-street parking on a significant majority of our streets, further densifica�on will lead to
more unsafe streets in our neighborhoods. One poten�al resolu�on would be for the City Manager
to include delibera�on on how to address the issue as part of the Climate Friendly and Equitable
Community Parking Reform process.
2. Poten�al Loss of Commercial Proper�es: When we asked our neighbors to set goals for the
Neighborhood Plan, they placed strong emphasis on having more commercial opportuni�es,
especially restaurants, gathering spots & groceries. They also called for 20 Minute Neighborhoods--
businesses they could easily walk or bike to. However, the staff decision to eliminate the proposed
Corridor Mixed Use zone leaves the majority of our current Commercial proper�es in the C-2
Community Commercial Zone. This zone allows 100% of the proper�es in the zone to be
residen�al with no commercial at all. The eliminated Corridor Mixed Use zone would have
required commercial use on the ground floor.
The economic study included in Sera Architect’s River Road Corridor Study showed that economic
demand for housing is high and commercial use is low. Without regula�on requiring it or some
kind of incen�ve to encourage it, the commercial facili�es we currently have may well be replaced
Page 88 of 185
River Road Community Organiza�on
River Road-Santa Clara Neighborhood Planning
Recommenda�on Leter – July 2023
by mul�family housing that ironically will create an even greater need for the commercial
proper�es they replace. We encourage the City to conduct a feasibility study to determine how to
encourage more commercial services in the River Road/Santa Clara area.
3. Need for Neighborhood Specific Regula�ons for the River Road Corridor: We con�nue to believe
that we need neighborhood-specific regula�ons to guide the development of the River Road
corridor. We appreciate the C2 code changes proposed instead of a special area zone but
recommend that you reconsider a one-size-fits-all ordinance for all seven corridors, as proposed to
be enacted in 2026.
We wish to recognize the efforts of the Eugene Planning staff, the RRCO and SCCO boards, the
Community Advisory Commitee, and all of the members of our joint communi�es who have engaged
with us over these past 6 years to reach this milestone. It is our hope that we will con�nue to
collaborate over the coming years as we work to implement the Ac�on Plan and resolve our parking,
commercial, and corridor issues.
With kindest regards,
River Road Community Organiza�on Board Members
Page 89 of 185
Santa Clara Community Organization
River Road-Santa Clara Neighborhood Planning
Recommendation Letter – July 2023
Santa Clara Community Organization (SCCO) voted unanimously to recommend approval of the
neighborhood plan, the action plan the code amendments, and staff suggested additions as
well as these edits in bold:
Policy 5.2 Transit: Support affordable PUBLIC TRANSIT ALONG RIVER ROAD FROM THE URBAN
GROWTH BOUNDARY to the rest of Eugene in collaboration with Lane Transit District.
Policy 7.4.1. Identify natural areas on public land and collaborate with public agencies to
manage with ecological values in mind. PRIORITIZE THE USE OF NATIVE PLANTS WHERE
APPROPRIATE.
Under Policy 6.3 consider adding an action related to sound mitigation for residential areas
abutting highways.
Have staff review comments from Eliza Kashinsky about possible perils of tying code changes to
neighborhood boundaries instead of specific locations.
Page 90 of 185