Filed under: Riverfront Research Park | Tags: Connecting Eugene, Eugene, Oregon Research Institute, Riverfront Research Park, University of Oregon
On Wednesday January 20, a group of 70 people gathered at 5 pm in Eugene’s City Council chamber for a hearing regarding the controversial Riverfront Research Park (RRP).
The main issue: whether to extend the University of Oregon’s (UO) 20-year-old conditional use permit over the land, which would allow construction until October 2012 without changing any of the original 1989 design plans. The extension was initially granted in December, and then appealed by Connecting Eugene, a group of faculty, students, and alumni at the UO, and other citizens, who contest the UO and the Oregon Research Institute’s (ORI) development plan of the park.
Hearing officer Jeff Litwak oversaw arguments for and against the extension of the permit at the meeting, which was the first formal outlet for community involvement and input.
The land in question lies on the south side of the Willamette River, north of the train tracks, and adjacent to the Eugene Water and Electric Board (EWEB) equipment yard. As of now it is a field bounded by a chain-link fence.
Over the fence boundary you can see the land in question, and the distant train tracks.
The UO plans to construct a $17 million, 80,000-square-foot building to house ORI.
Currently ORI is located in two rented offices near the UO and seeks a larger space. The ORI project design will situate the building 100 ft from the riverbank and aims to meet LEED Gold certification requirements, which are sustainable building practices that include energy-efficient lighting and plumbing, solar panels, and insulation. Additionally, the site plan will widen the South Bank Bike Path to 14 ft and provide path lighting and safety railings.
The South Bank Bike Path borders the fenced ORI site.
The building will also include a 200-car surface parking lot.
That’s not the only point that opponents object to. The surrounding properties have changed in the 20 years since the permit allowed construction. Any development on the land now will significantly impact these sites, especially if the design process for the ORI building and RRP master plan do not receive any public input or undergo any change.
After the comment period, the hearing officer will issue a decision in February regarding the extension of the permit. If the extension is granted, it could be appealed again.
The Register Guard’s report on the hearing
From Connecting Eugene’s website, a map of the land
The Register Guard’s Op/Ed approving the ORI plan
From ORI’s website, a sketch of the new bike path
Eugene Weekly’s 1/14/10 cover story opposing the ORI plan
Blog By: Rebecca Sedlak
Photos By: Rebecca Sedlak (taken 1/28/10)
Filed under: Importance of Parks, Video | Tags: eco-activism, Parking Day Network
Volunteers from all over the world have been painting the sidewalks green with their citizen powered eco-activism efforts.
In an effort to promote green spaces and eco consciousness within cities, hundreds of people in numerous countries have come together to turn streetside parking spaces into mini-parks within the urban environment. Sponsored by America.gov and the Parking Day Network, these one-day events are organized online. The participants then meet up offline with truck loads of sod and plants, ready to revitalize a lucky street corner. The mini parks vary widely in size and content, from just a tree or picnic table, to a full on outdoor fun center, with ball pits, hula hoops, and bike repair centers. Visit their site at www.parkingday.org for more information and to get involved with the next event in your area!
Filed under: Importance of Parks, New Park, Skateparks | Tags: Eugene, Skateparks
Teens and young adults alike have been falling victim to those 6 dreadful words for years. From trespassing arrests to the damaging of public and private properties, skating has taken a beating on its reputation over the years. “This is, unfortunately, an image that was created by my generation,” said Jamie Meagher in his article titled “The Public Option- Why Melbourne Needs a Public Skatepark. “I have run from more than my share of security guards and grinded more than my share of public property…the destructive behavior of my youth could have been drastically reduced had there been a place to do the thing that I loved most.” So is it truly the skater’s fault or just a lack of concern by the local city Governments? The only problem has been the lack of availability of public skating areas in the first place.
Before you get too riled up on opinions, good news is on its way for all. There has been talk circulating the air in Eugene about a design for an 18,000-square-foot skatepark that would be built in Washington-Jefferson Park.
On January 13th 2010, a non-profit organization called “Skaters for Eugene Skateparks,” organized a gathering at the Eugene Public Library to gain public feedback on the “Dreamland” skatepark design. The skatepark is being designed by a Lincoln City-based company that has designed many skateparks in other states. The design includes components such as “skateable art” where painters and skaters alike get to paint on and around features. This will allow skaters and artist of all sorts to display and progress their work in a positive worthwhile manner without breaking laws.
The “Skaters for Eugene Skateparks” has raised $32,000 to date, which is an incredible feat for such a small local non-profit organization. The city of Eugene plans on paying $300,000 towards the “Dreamland” skatepark as its apart of their capital improvement plan. The final price tag for this great community development is around $550,000. The remaining funds to meet that price mark, are in the hands of “Skaters for Eugene Skateparks.” The group along with members of the community are extremely excited about this new project. The organization hopes to have all funds collected by April 1st.
Since skating has garnered such a bad rap over the years, having a legit skatepark in the city of Eugene will not only cater to all-age demographics, but will help to clean up graffiti and public/private properties where skating has been taking place. It will also be an extreme improvement to the “Bowl” skatepark in the Amazon Parkway Park. Due to its close location to South Eugene High School, highschoolers have been found skipping school to skate, along with smoking underage, and dealing drugs.
Providing a new, fresh, and well-designed skatepark in Washington-Jefferson Park, will help to eliminate some of these problems. On a national platform, professional skateboarder Rob Dyrdek of MTV’s Fantasy Factory, designed a plan called “Safe Spot Skate Spot,” where he designs and builds skateparks in different states across the country to promote positive growth in communities. Having these open spaces in cities has been proven to help improve the quality of life amongst the community. It also advocates growth and understanding of the outdoors, along with contributing to the importance of living healthy, and enjoying life.
1. http://www.spacecoastvibe.com/articles/view/The-Public-Option-Why-Melbourne-needs-a-public-skatepark
4. www.tpl.org/content_documents/tx_H-GBenefits.pdf
5. http://www.americantrails.org/resources/benefits/HealthGrnwy.html
Blog By: Cody Dummer
Filed under: Riverfront Research Park | Tags: Eugene, Oregon Research Institute, Riverfront Research Park, Trammel Crow Co., University of Oregon
We’re fighting them on the beaches. The University Senate, along with a few students of the UO’s School of Architecture, are fighting to keep the Oregon Research Group, along with Trammel Crow Co., from breaking ground on the as-of yet undeveloped land of the defunct Riverfront Development Park.
The storied history of the university-owned plot begins in the late 1980′s, when the first master plans to develop on the ex-waste dump were drawn up. The plans came with a conditional use permit for the UO to begin construction, with a shelf-life of 20 years.
Fast forward to the present, and we’re sitting in the decision hot seat. Eager to break ground, the research group is pushing to develop north of the tracks – now. A dispute over the true starting date of the permit, the precise date of which had been muddied by a 3 year long appeals process by the city, may give the opponents of the research center ammunition to prolong the construction until 2012.
The university has indicated they are keen to build, however, as they sought an extension on this date in order to keep the permit valid while the construction commenced.
It’s not that no one wants anything to ever be built there, however; many just think the originally approved 1989 master plan is outdated, and needs to be updated to modern standards. Newly proposed plans for the waterfront include ample green space for biking, walking, and integration into the riverside environment, a big improvement on the parking lot wasteland the original plans had unceremoniously called for. Development of these parking lots may quash any hope of ever cleaning up the toxic waste that lies beneath the proposed site.
Some, however, still vehemently oppose absolutely any construction on the waterfront. Even the School of Arts and Architecture is in internal conflict, with faculty Ron Levinson and others up in arms about harming the hallowed ground. “This is a tragedy. The land is sacred ground!” he exclaimed. The city has received hundreds of complaints from concerned citizens, almost every one of them in opposition to the plans.
The research group has a vested interest to build now and not let the issue be struck down. After all, they still have well over a half million dollars already sunk into the project.
The University Senate will remain opposed until the master plans get updated. They passed a resolution on Wednesday, Jan. 13th, stating that they will remain opposed to the building “until the University undergoes a student and faculty inclusive, open process for revising the RRP Master Plan.” They claim that the views of students, faculty, and the Eugene community have not been properly considered in the planning process.
The site is prime real estate for building. 20 years into the process, it seems a bit ridiculous now to throw the whole thing out the window. Questions remain as to whether the university is legally obligated to allow the construction to proceed as planned. Signs indicate that the Senate is ready to oppose the resolution to build as long as they can, at least until a further investigation and revisionary efforts have been granted.
Majority wants a new planning effort before construction begins
Riverfront Research Park Master Plan 1989
Sneak Peek at EWEB waterfront redesign options
UO Senate passes riverfront resolution
Blog By: Erik Maurer
Dubbed “The Emerald City” of the Pacific Northwest, beautiful Eugene, OR knows how to enjoy the outdoors. As a leader in outdoor recreation, Eugene boasts hundreds of miles of bike paths, and acres of recreational areas. Denizens of the city strive to keep their prized natural spaces healthy and accessible. They realize that parks provide a safe environment for the children of the community, promoting active lifestyles and a safe place to be outdoors. Eugeneians can breathe easily knowing that their network of bike paths decrease road congestion by providing other outlets for transportation, and that their numerous nearby parks and open community spaces reduce pollution. Eugene has created bike paths, skateboarding parks, running loops, and hiking areas all within minutes of your front door.
These efforts are not just local to the Eugene area, either. Portland also tops the nation in green spaces and recreational activities. State and national parks are peppered throughout the Oregon, ensuring a variety of activities for any outdoor enthusiast.
This blog exists to create a greater awareness of the city of Eugene’s parks and to promote usage of these areas. Likewise, on a broader level, we will look at how parks and open spaces contribute to a better society.
Relevant links of outdoor areas and programs in your community:
http://mountpisgaharboretum.org/
About the Bloggers:
We are a group of journalism students at the University of Oregon who love the outdoor community in the Pacific NW.
Erik Maurer is a senior Journalism major at the University of Oregon. He is 21 years old, enjoys playing music, watching movies, biking, and writing.
Jordan Roskelley is a junior at the University of Oregon. She is also a journalism major, however she does not yet know what her specialty will be. In her very little free time, she enjoys pole vaulting for the university, skiing and relaxing with her friends.
Rebecca Sedlak is a 20-year-old Journalism and English double major at the University of Oregon. As of now, she plans to go to graduate school and then pursue a career in book publishing. In Eugene, you will frequently find her checking out a good book, singing in the university’s Women’s Choir, and baking gluten-free bread.
Cody Dummer is a Advertising and Public Relations major at the University of Oregon. He is 21 years old and enjoys playing music, snowboarding, photography, writing, and surfing.
