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ZONE VERIFICATION
www.eugene-or.gov/planning
Planning & Development Updated: September 2026
Planning Division
99 W. 10TH Avenue Suite 290, Eugene, OR 97401
Phone: 541.682.5377 or E-mail: planning@eugene-or.gov Page 1 of 1
Please complete the following form and provide the required information. If you have questions about filling
out this application, please contact staff at the Permit and Information Center, 99 West 10 th Avenue, Eugene,
OR 97401, phone (541) 682-5377.
Location of Property: ______________________________________________________________________________
Assessor’s Map/Tax Lot:_____________________________________________________________________
Zoning of Property: _________________________________________________________________________
Proposed Use of Property, if applicable: ________________________________________________________
Filing Fee
There is no initial filing fee. The fee for a Zone Verification varies depending on staff time to process the
request and will be charged once the request is complete. Check with Planning staff at planning@eugene-
or.gov for an estimate of the fee or for the current hourly fee check: www.eugene-or.gov/2040/Fees-and-
Forms
Written Statement
Submit one paper copy and one digital copy (pdf or tiff format) of a written statement describing why the
zone verification is being requested. If applicable, include information describing the proposed use including
operating characteristics, building bulk and size, parking demand, and traffic generation per EC 9.1080 . Please
note that it is the applicant’s responsibility to make sure that the digital and paper copies are identical.
Note: to request a copy of a certificate of occupancy or building permit information, please complete a Request
for Reproduction of Copyrighted Materials form available here: https://www.eugene-or.gov/DocumentCenter/
View/25033/Request-for-Reproduction-of-Copyrighted-Materials, and email it to inspectionsupport@eugene-
or.gov.
*SCAM ALERT* The City of Eugene will never ask you to wire money for application fees. Please see our
Land Use Fees & Forms website for more details: https://www.eugene-or.gov/2040/Fees-and-Forms
Contact Information
Name (print): _____________________________________________________________________________
Company/Organization: _____________________________________________________________________
Address: __________________________________ City/State/Zip: __________________________________
Email (if applicable): _____________________________________ ___________________________
I understand that staff time will be charged in 30 minute increments according to staff costs required to
perform the work. Please contact me if the fee reaches $__________.
Signature: ___________________________________________________ Date: _____________________
ZONE VERIFICATION APPLICATION
EWEB
CITY VIEW 1150 PUMP STATION
Agency: City of Eugene
Planning & Development
Applicant: Eugene Water & Electric Board
Nathan Endicott, P.E.
Representative: Colin McArthur, AICP
Date: October 28, 2026
OVERVIEW
Eugene Water & Electric Board
(EWEB) (“the applicant”) plans to
install a new water pump station
and replace pipelines on W. 29th
Avenue in southwest Eugene. The
project will increase the reliability of
water service in the area for both
domestic uses and fire flow. The
City View 1150 pressure zone is
currently served by two pump
stations that have reached the end
of their useful lives. The applicant is
replacing the two stations with one
larger station equipped with backup
power to better serve customers.
The project will also include pipeline
upgrades to existing lines within W.
29th Avenue (Figure 1).
The site is currently developed and includes a reservoir, an underground pump station, and underground
water distribution lines (pipelines) that extend from the reservoir, new pump station, and upgraded lines in
W. 29 th Avenue. The purpose of zone verification is to evaluate whether a proposed building or land use
activity is a permitted use, subject to land use application approval, or subject to special standards
applicable to the category of use and the zone. This application includes information describing the
development site, use, operating characteristics, and size; and discussion of plan policies and prior zone
verification decisions.
Figure 1. Project Context
EWEB
City View 1150 Pump Station
Zone Verification Application October 28, 2026
2
The information supports a determination that the proposed pump station is accessory to a permitted use
and is not subject to land use application approval requirements and special development standards.
DEVELOPMENT SITE
The development site is located on West 29th Avenue and is identified as:
• Map No. 18-04-02-43, Tax Lots 04127, 04130, and 04700, and
• Map No. 18-04-11 -12, Tax Lot 00100.
All parcels are zoned R-1 Low Density Residential (zone), are not zoned with the /PD Planned Unit
overlay zone, and are within the boundary of the South Hills Study. The development site parcels are
joined together by a property combining covenant, which specifies that the properties are a single unit of
land so long as EWEB facilities are on the land. The development site is 1.35 acres.
USE
The primary use on the development site is a water reservoir (EWEB Facility City View 975). Water
Reservoir uses are permitted in the zone subject to Site Review in the zone. The pump station is
accessory to the water reservoir. The existing pump station is a below-grade vault located west of the
reservoir. The pump station is dependent upon the water reservoir and connected to that facility and
EWEB’s water distribution system by existing underground lines. The proposed pump station will replace
the existing pump station. No changes are proposed to the reservoir.
OPERATING CHARACTERISTICS AND SIZE
The new station will be housed in an above-ground, split-face concrete masonry building to blend into the
natural surroundings. A generator will be concealed behind the station to provide backup power for
redundancy and resiliency. More specifically, the project includes a 508 square foot single-story building
containing six water pumps, a 50 square foot enclosed generator pad, a 912 square foot driveway, and
two above-ground vaults. The pump station building is 29’-4” long, 17’-4” wide, and 17 feet high. The
driveway connects to W 29th Avenue to the west and is paved with concrete to 5 feet beyond the face of
the building, with gravel for the remainder. The proposed project design is included as Exhibit A. Pump
Station Plans.
The driveway is for operation and maintenance of the accessory facility. The pump station has no
permanent occupancy and will be operated and monitored remotely, with routine inspections and
maintenance performed periodically. Because this project is a replacement, the pump station will not
generate any additional vehicular traffic.
The improvement area footprint, including excavation and grading, is approximately 3,625 square feet
(0.08 acres). The proposed project impacts only 6 percent of the development site. The project will
remove approximately three trees from the work site to accommodate the new station.
PLAN POLICIES
EC 9.8035 requires development review and approval through the PUD process according to an adopted
refinement plan for property within the boundary of the South Hills Study where all or a portion of the
development site is:
EWEB
City View 1150 Pump Station
Zone Verification Application October 28, 2026
3
• Between an elevation of 500 feet and 701 feet, and the development site is at least 4 acres with
areas of the development site containing slopes that exceed 20%.
• On property above 701 feet in elevation, except partitions that do not include the creation of a
public street, unless an alternate review procedure is approved pursuant to EC 9.9630(3)(a).
• Above an elevation of 900 feet, except for a land division undertaken by or on behalf of a
governmental entity in order to preserve, manage, or expand park, open space, or natural
resource areas.
The City View 975 reservoir is at an approximate elevation of 956 feet. EWEB purchased most of the
development site (Tax Lots 04127, 04700, and 00100) in 1966, and the property was annexed in 1964.
EWEB purchased Tax Lot 04130 in 2009, which was also annexed in 1964. It was created in 1990 from
Tax Lot 4100, which EWEB did not own, and remained largely undeveloped except for the construction of
underground water distribution lines when the reservoir was constructed.
Construction of the water reservoir started in 1966, and it was operational in 1967. The EWEB board
approved pump station construction in 1977 and authorized funds for construction in 1978. Power was
extended to the pump station that same year, and the pump station was online and fully operational in
early 1980.
The following findings evaluate specific topics within the South Hills Study and their potential applicability
to the project.
The Development Site is not vacant
The South Hills Study was adopted in 1974. The PUD applicability criteria in the code are derived from
the specific recommendations in the South Hills Study. The specific recommendation in the Ridgeline
Park section of the plan (pg. 1) states that all “vacant” property above an elevation of 901 feet be
preserved from an intensive level of development, subject to exemptions for individual residences and
developments reviewed under PUD procedures.
The plan acknowledges two EWEB reservoirs, North Shast Loop and Hawkins Heights, as part of
recommendations for parkland acquisition (pg. 2). The City View water system is synonymous with
Hawkins Heights and replaced that facility. This implies the plan was drafted with knowledge of EWEB
facilities and property ownership, specifically the City View facility. We reiterate that the water reservoir
existed and was operational before the plan's adoption.
As used in the land use code, vacant sites generally mean a lot or parcel that does not contain a building
or active use and is therefore available for development or redevelopment. Eugene’s Buildable Lands
Inventory (BLI) categorizes utility properties as committed lands, which are lands considered unavailable
for housing and employment development. Buildable lands include lands in the vacant, partially vacant,
and redevelopment opportunities categories.
The recommendation to apply PUD procedures to property above an elevation of 901 feet was intended
for vacant property and intensive development. The City View property was not vacant at the time of plan
adoption based on the definition of vacant in the code and the definition of buildable lands in the BLI. The
City View property was developed with a water reservoir, a permitted use in the zone. In addition, a water
reservoir is not intensive development; it is a key urban service and critical infrastructure.
EWEB
City View 1150 Pump Station
Zone Verification Application October 28, 2026
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The Project is not Major Development
The South Hills Study Development Standards section (pg. 4) contains specific recommendations that
apply to all “major developments” occurring on property above an elevation of 701 feet, which also form
the basis for the PUD applicability criteria. The recommendations ask the Planning Director to determine
if standard subdivision procedures, site review procedures, or planned unit development procedures
should be required.
PUD procedures are recommended to encourage clustered development and preserve open space in
areas that exhibit certain characteristics. We reiterate that these recommendations apply to new
development, and more specifically, “major developments.” Development of the City View property began
in 1966, and the existing pump station was operational in 1980.
Although the South Hills Study was adopted in 1974, these provisions were in place when the City View
property was developed, and PUD approval was not required at this time. This supports the finding that
the PUD process should not be required for an accessory to a permitted use, and a project that
constitutes replacement and modernization of an existing development.
The PUD Process is not intended for this Project type
EC 9.8300 states the purpose of PUD provisions, which are designed to provide a high degree of
flexibility in the design of the site, the mix of land uses, and the potential environmental impacts. They are
intended to create sustainable environments for shared services and facilities, land uses that encourage
alternative modes of transportation, a variety of dwelling types, the preservation of natural resources, and
the clustering of residential dwellings, and to create comprehensive site plans for areas of sufficient size.
The City View property is already developed, and the project does not involve comprehensive site design
(it affects approximately 6 percent of the development site), does not include mixed land uses, and has no
significant environmental impacts. As noted, the primary purpose of the project is to enhance reliability of
water service in the area for both domestic uses and fire flow.
The South Hills Study does not regulate or otherwise contain specific recommendations directed
at water service infrastructure and facilities
The South Hills Study contains eight chapters, and chapter 8 addresses Public Services. That chapter
includes three elements, schools, sewer, and transportation, along with supporting technical studies. We
note that the study does not include water as an element, and the plan includes little discussion of water
service in general. This implies that the drafters viewed water services and their associated infrastructure
and facilities as essential development that did not need to be regulated by land use approval processes.
PRIOR LAND USE DECISIONS
In 2020, EWEB obtained a zone verification decision (ZVR-20-23) for a property on East 40th Avenue to
facilitate construction of a water reservoir. The property is identified as Map No. 18-03-17-20, Tax Lot
01000, and is zoned R-1 Low Density Residential. The property is not zoned with the /PD Planned Unit
overlay zone. The property is within the boundary of the South Hills Study.
In the ZVR decision, the City found that the proposed water reservoir does not constitute the types of
“major development,” such as residential subdivisions or partitions that include the development of new
public streets, which normally trigger the requirements for PUD approval. The City reviewed potentially
applicable policies, along with the project's conceptual design and location, and found that the project
does not require PUD approval as a stand-alone public improvement project. In other words, the project
EWEB
City View 1150 Pump Station
Zone Verification Application October 28, 2026
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is not included as part of a new residential subdivision or other “major development” contemplated in the
South Hills Study.
We agree with the City’s findings in ZVR-20-23, and the evidence suggests that this Zone Verification
request for the City View pump station project should find that the PUD approval process is not required
for an accessory to a permitted use on a developed site that predates adoption of the plan.
EXHIBITS
Exhibit A. Pump Station Plans