NEWS
SOUTH WILLAMETTE DEBATE
HAS CITYWIDE IMPLICATIONS
A landslide of citizen protests led the Eugene City
Council to vote to postpone a proposed plan to rezone
major portions of the South Willamette neighborhood.
Those citizens, the South Willamette Neighbors, have
united in a badge-wearing, yard-sign bearing movement
against the plan, saying the rezoning could ruin the “sin-
gle-family home” feel of their 20-minute neighborhood.
According to the city of Eugene, a 20-minute neigh-
borhood is one that lets residents access “places and ser-
vices they use daily including grocery stores, restaurants,
schools and parks, without relying heavily on a car.”
The special zone area, from north of 23rd Avenue to
the area around Donald Street, is a mix of local business
such as Tasty Thai Kitchen and Laundrama as well as
national corporations including 7-Eleven, Lube-It USA
and McDonald’s. Residences range from single-family
homes to apartment buildings.
At the behest of the citizens who feel the plan is be-
ing pushed through with little respect for the neighbor-
hood, council member Mike Clark first made a motion
at the Oct. 21 City Council meeting to postpone a public
hearing on the South Willamette Special Area Zone (SW-
SAZ) until Jan. 19. Afterward, Clark winked in the direc-
tion of the South Willamette neighbors.
Clark said he wanted the later date to give the council
more time to hear from citizens.
City Manager Jon Ruiz and the city attorney said
they didn’t think a revised change to the 80-page plan
could effectively be written by Jan. 19. On Oct. 26, the
City Council decided to further delay the hearing until
March 14.
Other councilors who vot-
ed against the original mo-
tion, which passed 5-3, were
concerned that Clark’s pro-
posal has citywide implica-
tions, calling to prevent the
city from changing building
rules or zoning on any proper-
ty zoned R-1 for low-density,
single-family homes.
Mia Nelson, urban spe-
cialist with 1000 Friends of
Oregon, later wrote the coun-
cil, saying, “It’s apparent that
the motion, if implemented,
would violate state law.” She
adds, “It is contrary to Envi-
sion Eugene’s fundamental
assumptions and could make
the city’s climate goals im-
possible to achieve.”
According to Nelson, who
calls for the vote to be rescinded, Clark’s motion “dis-
criminates against persons living in multi-family hous-
ing and may conflict with the city’s fair and affordable
housing policies.”
Clark’s motion says the delayed meeting is neces-
sary so the council can bring back potential changes
to the plan.
Local business owner Paul Moore of Arriving By
Bike on South Willamette says he is in favor of the
zoning plan because it pri-
oritizes urban density over
urban sprawl. As someone
who sells bikes for a living,
Moore stressed that a care-
fully calculated zoning plan
for the next 20 years can help
businesses that need a well-
coordinated
transportation
area for bikers and walkers.
With urban density, he says,
the whole point is that it re-
duces the need for a car.
“A lot of my custom-
ers live in the neighborhood
around the store,” Moore
tells EW. “It’s almost as easy
for them to stumble a couple
blocks to get to us than to get
something on the internet.”
Scott Landfield, owner of
Tsunami Books, has posted
a sign “Stop Forced Re-zoning” outside his business.
Landfield said the city’s Planning Commission, which
developed the zoning plan, is always under enormous
pressure from major real estate developers. He says
“the people” of his neighborhood are not looking for
big corporations to take over their area, and he is ac-
tively promoting an online petition against the zoning
plan at swneugene.org/sign. As of Oct. 26, the petition
had 210 signatures. — Jeslyn Lemke
According to the city of
Eugene, a 20-minute
neighborhood lets
residents access ‘places
and services they use daily
including grocery stores,
restaurants, schools and
parks, without relying
heavily on a car.’
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eugeneweekly.com • October 29, 2015
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