Land use process
The community-inspired site master plan envisions an urban, active "people place" that connects
downtown Eugene to an enhanced riverfront environment. The plan outlines a mix of retail,
housing and public open space through a combination of infill, adaptive reuse of existing
buildings and new redevelopment.
However, the current land use zoning for this area is not compatible with mixed-use development.
Therefore, it is essential to put the necessary land use regulations in place to codify the master
plan concepts. The new zoning is a combination of form-based and traditional land use code to
balance flexibility in design with certainty for what types of uses are allowable.
EWEB Commissioners in November 2010 approved a contract with
Cameron McCarthy
Landscape Architecture and Planning to lead the land use application process. The consultant
has helped prepare the technical work associated with multiple land use actions including:
- Metro and Downtown Plan Amendments
- Willamette Greenway Permit
- Zoning changes
- Transportation analyses
On Feb. 5, 2013, the Eugene Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on the land use
applications for the EWEB Riverfront Master Plan.
The third major phase of the riverfront master plan project is the "make ready/redevelopment" phase
to prepare vacant property for redevelopment. Various activities are either underway or recently
completed:
- Targeted environmental remediation, including asbestos assessment and decommissioning of 100,000 gallon underground oil tank, at the Steam Plant
- Removal of modulars (sold) and discrete outbuilding demolition work
- Repair and stabilization of vacant buildings slated for adaptive re-use
- Demolition of vehicle repair shop and associated soil remediation