Objections to the Riverfront Research Park.
The mayor of Eugene, Brian Obie, proposed an agenda to “spur” economic growth at a time when the local economy was in the doldrums. His plan in consultation with the president of the University of Oregon, Paul Olum, proposed the creation of a research park on land controlled by the University. I was active in opposing the proposal from its beginning. I wrote many letters, presented detailed comments to the City of Eugene, the City of Springfield, Lane County and the University of Oregon. Because the process required several hearings before each of those bodies, I spent many evenings testifying and presenting evidence in opposition to the Agenda, in particular to the proposed “Riverfront Research Park.” The research park proposal was eventually approved by all governmental bodies. I opposed it before the Oregon State Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA), which returned it to the same bodies for revision. The revised proposal was accepted by LUBA. The adopted proposal then required zone changes and the creation of an urban renewal district. On slightly different grounds I opposed these changes before all of the same bodies, once again. I appealed to LUBA. once again, who rejected my objections; however, with the comments that my presentation was better than that of most professional lawyers.
The adopted changes were completed in 1987. The State of Oregon supplied funds to build a passageway under the major railroad tracks. The University of the course of many years employed a project director to guide development. It is now 2022, thirty-five years later, and the research park has yet to see a single building in the area proposed for development. The idea was bad from the start. The drive by most in the community was for new jobs in a period of depressed economy–a dream. The dream failed.
The two hand-written pages are from my initial testimony. They lay out my overall objections to the Eugene Agenda.
The next section relates to my written objections to the Eugene Agenda, in particular to the research park proposal.
Thinking Globally but Acting Locally
Objections of Riverfront Park
