City Club Presentation - September 30, 2005
From the Cascades’ frozen gorges,
Leaping like a child at play,
Winding, widening through the valley,
Bright Willamette glides away;
Onward ever,
Lovely river,
Softly calling to the sea,
Time, that scars us,
Maims and mars us,
Leaves no track or trench of thee.
First stanza of “Beautiful Willamette” by Samuel L. Simpson, Oregon’s first Poet Laureate, died 1899
Thank you Don, for the introduction, and thank you to the City Club for this opportunity.
Late last year, Hugh Prichard wrote a guest viewpoint in the Register-Guard opining that we are failing both to make Eugene’s stretch of the Willamette a focal point of urban development and to conserve and enhance its ecological health. Hugh’s piece was followed by a response by Bob Emmons, favoring thoroughgoing protection and enhancement of riparian areas. Then in January, Steve Greenwood weighed in with an essay putting Eugene’s riverfront in a regional context and suggesting that urban development close to the river need not be a culprit in degrading the Willamette’s health.
A bit of a fight was brewing, with two sides – one side for building on the river and another side for protecting it. Of course, the views expressed were more subtle than that, but subtlety is lost in the field between two opposites. How we think about and act toward our river was of interest to me, an interest piqued from my learning about Eugene’s natural landscape and the fascinating interaction of people, plants, water and soil that makes this place special.
I called the authors of the editorials with the idea of meeting to see how we might begin to change the course of the discussion in order to produce something other than animosity. From those initial discussions, more invitations were made. A group of seven met as regulars. In addition to today’s three presenters, me, Steve Greenwood and Nathan Tublitz, Hugh Prichard, Art Farley, David Kelly and Don Kahle also participated. We met not as a task force or focus group, but as a few people who had an interest in the issue. We were all of the mind to be pro-active, to view Eugene’s urban Willamette in its entirety (which we have defined as roughly from the I-5 freeway bridge to the Owosso bike bridge, just south of Beltline), and to work towards an agreement that would facilitate broadly supported, positive contributions to our riverfront.
Group members have a range of views of what a healthy urban Willamette would look like, and in some cases these views differ significantly. And as may be expected, our keenness to engage and individual concerns led us to heartfelt and well-considered dead ends. In progressing on the question at hand, we realized, we’ve got to answer big questions: Why does the river matter? What role does it play locally and regionally? Does it make sense to talk about the riverfront as one undifferentiated entity?
We joined in the spirit of compromise. None of us expected a unanimous endorsement of a 500-foot wilderness buffer along the city’s riverbanks, nor did we expect to support planning for 5 million square feet of new commercial development on the water’s edge. We each gave some, but I think I speak for the group when I say that we have gained much more. Our group’s modest work has produced The Eugene Riverfront Principles and Redevelopment Guidelines, and we are hopeful that this will be the beginning of a new commitment to intelligent long-term care for Eugene’s Willamette River. We are hopeful, too, that our work will be another example of how cooperation between those of differing views can lead to not just to agreement on one particular topic, but some truly good ideas.
We’d like to be clear about what the Principles and Guidelines are not: they are not expert recommendations; they are not a codification of rules; they are not an attempt to answer specific development questions. They are an expression of aspiration and a basis for further refinement of a community vision that more directly links our desire for a distinctive, bustling city with our desire for a healthy Willamette River.
The Preamble to our Principles and Guidelines reads:
The Willamette River and adjacent parklands give Eugene one of the largest, centrally located, urban parks in America, larger even than New York City's Central Park. They provide an unrivaled city center where we all can come together to have fun, enjoy outstanding natural beauty, and celebrate our history and heritage. This great natural resource deserves careful consideration when actions that affect it are proposed. With this in mind, we respectfully submit the following Riverfront Principles and Redevelopment Guidelines. We hope these proposals stimulate a broad discussion leading to a community consensus regarding our future together with the Willamette River and its greenway.
I now turn the podium over to Steve Greenwood, who will discuss our Principles for Eugene Riverfront Redevelopment.
* * * * * * * * *
We came to the task with varying opinions. We all cared about Eugene and its future. We all believed the river was an important asset. But there our positions diverged. So, we stepped back and asked: are there some principles that we could agree upon that would help shape our future discussions?
Principle 1: Our Community regards the Willamette River and greenway to be the crown jewel of our metropolitan region, forming a unique natural refuge in our increasingly urban landscape and offering unparalleled recreational, educational, cultural, and environmental opportunities.
While this may seem almost accepted wisdom today, we often take the river for granted. We should stop to consider that the role the river will play in our community in the next century is decidedly different and more positive than it was in the last century.
Until 50 years ago, the river was an impediment to be crossed; a nuisance to be tamed; A dangerous (and frequent) flood threat to be avoided; and a large, convenient sewer for our municipal and industrial waste.
Principle 2: Our community recognizes that the primary attraction of the Willamette River and greenway is its natural beauty, derived from its native river ecosystem and diverse riparian zone.
This is truly unique. While an urban river as it flows through Eugene, the Willamette provides a sense of wildness and natural beauty right in the heart of the metropolitan area. When you walk or ride (or sit) along the Willamette in the Eugene-Springfield area, it says: this is Oregon. This is a quality of life you simply can’t experience in Boston. Or Denver. Or San Francisco. It is one of the principal reasons Eugene is now officially “The World’s Greatest City of the Arts and Outdoors.”
Principle 3: Our community acknowledges that we have a responsibility to improve the health and beauty of the Willamette River and greenway for both wildlife species and future generations.
The last generation gave us a river improved ecologically from 40 years ago, but there are still improvements to be made. We have a responsibility to continue that effort, to enhance the river and riverfront where we can.
We should note that the river is also an important economic resource for the community. The uniqueness of its natural quality, and the economic value of its beauty to attract both people and business opportunities to Eugene, will only increase over time. I personally became involved in this dialogue because I understand that good stewardship of the river’s natural qualities and improving human interaction with the river can enhance the economic lure of the central part of the city. This in turn will reduce sprawl which is the greatest threat to the river’s health.
Principle 4: Our community believes that those areas of the Willamette River and greenway that are currently free of urban development are best maintained in that state.
This principle was the subject of much discussion. Ultimately, we felt that development of already-urbanized lands along the river could meet development needs for the city for many years to come, and the best stewardship of undeveloped lands was to preserve and enhance their ecological value for future generations.
Principle 5: Our community agrees there would be substantial public value in ecologically sensitive urban redevelopment at two greenway locations: The EWEB site and Valley River Center.
Both of these locations are near the city center, and have the potential to improve public accessibility and interaction with the river, economic activity, and ecological values at the same time.
It is important to stress the term “ecologically sensitive” urban development. What does this mean? It means respecting (and potentially enhancing) healthy riparian functions. It means building at a scale that is in keeping with the aesthetic values of the river and greenway. It means utilizing ecological design, so that impervious surfaces are minimized and natural systems are respected.
Closing: The Willamette as it flows through Eugene and Springfield is an “urban” river. But we believe that its natural attributes enhance the urban environment, and can make the surrounding land uses more vibrant and livable at the same time. These principles are a good place to start the dialogue about how to do that.
And now Nathan Tublitz, who I didn’t always agree with as we began this discussion, but who I’ve come to deeply respect for his thoughtfulness and his concern for our community, will tell you where these principles led us.
Nathan’s section
Thank you Steve. As you have heard from Phil and Steve, we riparianistas came together to develop a set of principles that would serve as a community standard for the future of our precious and irreplaceable Willamette River and its adjacent riverfront areas. From the outset, we understood that our principles required a necessary balance between development and preservation – that neither alone would satisfy the majority of city’s residents. We also realize that a few, already developed areas along the river would greatly benefit from being re-developed, but only if that re-development was both ecologically sensitive and attracted people to the river. Towards these goals, we humbly and respectfully propose 5 re-development guidelines that we suggest should be followed in any future riverfront development:
Re-development Guideline 1. Riverfront re-development must maintain a contiguous, publicly accessible corridor along both sides of the river throughout the urban area.
The purpose of this guideline is to ensure the sanctity of the river front corridor and to prevent encroachment by re-development. Through the outstanding foresight of former Mayor Bascom and others, the City of Eugene diligently acquired river frontage through the entire city on both sides of the river and only recently completed our outstanding bike and walking path. Their impressive, collective vision for a livable and useable river needs to be supported and maintained. After all, no one wants buildings that hang out over the riverbank and re-route the bike path away from the river.
This first guideline is crucial for another reason. Eugene is the only city of its size or larger in the US with a contiguous, green corridor on both sides of the river that runs through the entire city. Many cities are infusing 10s of millions of dollars to clean up their blighted riverfront and remove existing structures solely to attain what we already have. We are truly blessed to have such a stunning, natural feature running through our city.
Re-development Guideline 2. Riverfront re-development must promote public access to, enjoyment of, and respect for the Willamette River and its ecosystem.
We riparianistas and many in the community believe that a primary goal of re-development is to draw Eugenians closer to the river. There is no public reason to improve any river frontage without increasing access to and enjoyment of the river. We also believe that re-development of a few, already developed areas provides a special opportunity for more of us to appreciate and enjoy the river’s uniqueness. Our river is for all of us.
Re-development Guideline 3. Riverfront re-development must improve the existing river ecology, including restoration of important native habitat elements.
Much of the river within our city’s boundaries has been negatively impacted. Many edges are armored with huge boulders preventing easy access to the river, invasive plants have replaced native vegetation, and tree and shade plant removal have caused an increase in water temperature and a decrease in habitat for salmon and other organisms. These man-made alterations have caused a decline in the river’s ecology and health. Increasing the river’s health must be a top priority of any re-development scheme. If done correctly, environmentally sensitive re-development can improve the river’s ecology, be an economic success, and bring more people to the water. This is an ecological, economic and societal win-win-win scenario for our entire community.
Re-development Guideline 4. Riverfront re-development must contribute to a vibrant urban atmosphere.
Our community desperately needs some urban riverfront areas that encourage locals and visitors to linger along the river and enjoy its spirit. A few, mixed use complexes similar to Fifth Street Market or E. Broadway would provide the social and economic foundation necessary to create an energetic and lively urban environment.
Re-development Guideline 5. Riverfront re-development must embody significant aesthetic and architectural quality.
Let’s face it – the last thing we want or need is to plop a group of ugly structures and poorly designed areas at the river’s edge and then spend the next several decades wringing our collective hands and avoiding the area because of these eyesores. Any re-development must be architecturally and aesthetically pleasing.
These 5 re-development guidelines are proposed with two specific sites in mind, both of which are already developed and would greatly benefit from ecologically sound re-development.
The first is the Downtown Riverfront, the south bank area consisting of the entire EWEB property from the EWEB buildings and fountain to its border with the University’s riverfront research park. The Downtown Riverfront is a prime river access point for many – it is an easy walk from downtown and the University, and its two bridges are gateways to the north bank. It is a perfect location to draw urban visitors to the river.
As we all know, this site has been the focus of intensive discussion regarding a new hospital or a mixed commercial/residential development. Both proposals were seriously if not fatally setback this summer when the EWEB relocation costs were announced, and it is not yet clear what type of re-development will occur at the site. Regardless of what ends up there, any re-development must provide for greater public access to and enjoyment of the river as well as enhancing the area’s river ecology.
The second riverfront area identified for re-development is Valley River Center which, like the EWEB site, is already developed and has considerable river frontage. Instead of acres of blacktop parking next to the river, sensitive re-development could include a combination of residential and commercial uses, similar to the exciting projects springing up along Broadway. As at the EWEB site, re-development at VRC would enable a wider range of Eugenians to enjoy the river up close and personal.
We have called these 5 guidelines “re-development” guidelines because we believe that any development along the river should only be at the 2, already developed sites we have mentioned. The remainder of the city’s riverfront – from the I5 bridge in the south to the Owasso bridge in the north - should remain in its current undeveloped state.
I now turn the podium back over to Phil who will wrap up our formal presentation.
Closing remarks
Our Principles express a vision, a broad affirmation of how we as a community view and value our river. Our Guidelines are the goals of redevelopment we must meet to fulfill that vision. By joining now we can harness our own vitality to match that of the river. Let’s not allow the discussion to get polarized, like much civic discourse in Eugene does, but let’s forge alliances, between Eugenians of differing views, and between the Willamette and us. We’ll need to do so if we want to shape an urban riverfront of which we can all be proud.
These Principles and Guidelines are unlike other efforts in river-related planning because they seek not merely to protect the river from urban development, but they seek to improve the river through urban development that is appropriately sited and that encourages urban interaction with the river. We have greatly changed the Willamette in the last century. The upstream dams, in-stream diversions, and bank stabilization have made a once sinuous and unpredictable river a bit more tame. We have bent it to our will. But the Willamette can still “leap like a child at play”, and this town has ample talent to ensure that future river-oriented construction serves the river for its own sake and provides for human wants and needs. Let us show a sinuosity of spirit. Let the various side channels and eddies of this community diverge and rejoin on our collective way downstream.
Adoption of a vision for Eugene’s Willamette could provide private landowners, the City, EWEB and future riverside landowners with a clear approach to designing changes that affect the river, and provide a basis for agreements to facilitate planning and community dialogue.
Adoption of a city wide approach to river planning as outlined in the Principles and Guidelines could benefit and complement the scores of projects and organizations whose work is related to the river. If we demand a cleaner, healthier river, we help the Governor’s Willamette River Legacy program, Willamette Riverkeepers, watershed councils, the Eugene Stream Team, the City of Eugene Salmon Recovery program, and others. If we demand an accessible river, we support the Willamette Watertrail, the Eugene Parks and Open Space Comprehensive Plan, the Skinner Butte Park Master Plan, and the Eugene Downtown Plan. If we insist on building design and maintenance that respects the river, we bolster statewide planning Goal 15 - Willamette River Greenway, the Willakenzie Area Plan, and the Metro Plan.
Our principles and guidelines boil down to two simple points: First, the ecological well being of the Willamette is paramount. Second, redevelopment, if done right, can promote that well being. The only way we can accomplish this is with respectful dialogue across all sectors of this community. Be open, listen with respect and carefully consider alternative viewpoints. That is how we riparianistas with very varied viewpoints came together and forged a consensus on these ideas. Our community can do the same.
Consider this sharing of our ideas today not just a presentation, but an invitation. Please join the discussion. We have a webpage with a text of the Principles and Guidelines and an e-mail link. The webpage address is http://bluegreeneugene.blogspot.com. We warmly invite you here at the City Club and those of you in the radio audience to discuss these issues with us this Tuesday, October 4 at 5pm at Café Perugino. We also plan to schedule forums to continue the dialogue.
We have a lot to celebrate this weekend. Let’s put the Willamette River on the list. Let’s put it on the top of the list. Celebrate! That starts with “C” and that rhymes with “E” and that stands for Eugene – River City!
Leaping like a child at play,
Winding, widening through the valley,
Bright Willamette glides away;
Onward ever,
Lovely river,
Softly calling to the sea,
Time, that scars us,
Maims and mars us,
Leaves no track or trench of thee.
First stanza of “Beautiful Willamette” by Samuel L. Simpson, Oregon’s first Poet Laureate, died 1899
Thank you Don, for the introduction, and thank you to the City Club for this opportunity.
Late last year, Hugh Prichard wrote a guest viewpoint in the Register-Guard opining that we are failing both to make Eugene’s stretch of the Willamette a focal point of urban development and to conserve and enhance its ecological health. Hugh’s piece was followed by a response by Bob Emmons, favoring thoroughgoing protection and enhancement of riparian areas. Then in January, Steve Greenwood weighed in with an essay putting Eugene’s riverfront in a regional context and suggesting that urban development close to the river need not be a culprit in degrading the Willamette’s health.
A bit of a fight was brewing, with two sides – one side for building on the river and another side for protecting it. Of course, the views expressed were more subtle than that, but subtlety is lost in the field between two opposites. How we think about and act toward our river was of interest to me, an interest piqued from my learning about Eugene’s natural landscape and the fascinating interaction of people, plants, water and soil that makes this place special.
I called the authors of the editorials with the idea of meeting to see how we might begin to change the course of the discussion in order to produce something other than animosity. From those initial discussions, more invitations were made. A group of seven met as regulars. In addition to today’s three presenters, me, Steve Greenwood and Nathan Tublitz, Hugh Prichard, Art Farley, David Kelly and Don Kahle also participated. We met not as a task force or focus group, but as a few people who had an interest in the issue. We were all of the mind to be pro-active, to view Eugene’s urban Willamette in its entirety (which we have defined as roughly from the I-5 freeway bridge to the Owosso bike bridge, just south of Beltline), and to work towards an agreement that would facilitate broadly supported, positive contributions to our riverfront.
Group members have a range of views of what a healthy urban Willamette would look like, and in some cases these views differ significantly. And as may be expected, our keenness to engage and individual concerns led us to heartfelt and well-considered dead ends. In progressing on the question at hand, we realized, we’ve got to answer big questions: Why does the river matter? What role does it play locally and regionally? Does it make sense to talk about the riverfront as one undifferentiated entity?
We joined in the spirit of compromise. None of us expected a unanimous endorsement of a 500-foot wilderness buffer along the city’s riverbanks, nor did we expect to support planning for 5 million square feet of new commercial development on the water’s edge. We each gave some, but I think I speak for the group when I say that we have gained much more. Our group’s modest work has produced The Eugene Riverfront Principles and Redevelopment Guidelines, and we are hopeful that this will be the beginning of a new commitment to intelligent long-term care for Eugene’s Willamette River. We are hopeful, too, that our work will be another example of how cooperation between those of differing views can lead to not just to agreement on one particular topic, but some truly good ideas.
We’d like to be clear about what the Principles and Guidelines are not: they are not expert recommendations; they are not a codification of rules; they are not an attempt to answer specific development questions. They are an expression of aspiration and a basis for further refinement of a community vision that more directly links our desire for a distinctive, bustling city with our desire for a healthy Willamette River.
The Preamble to our Principles and Guidelines reads:
The Willamette River and adjacent parklands give Eugene one of the largest, centrally located, urban parks in America, larger even than New York City's Central Park. They provide an unrivaled city center where we all can come together to have fun, enjoy outstanding natural beauty, and celebrate our history and heritage. This great natural resource deserves careful consideration when actions that affect it are proposed. With this in mind, we respectfully submit the following Riverfront Principles and Redevelopment Guidelines. We hope these proposals stimulate a broad discussion leading to a community consensus regarding our future together with the Willamette River and its greenway.
I now turn the podium over to Steve Greenwood, who will discuss our Principles for Eugene Riverfront Redevelopment.
* * * * * * * * *
We came to the task with varying opinions. We all cared about Eugene and its future. We all believed the river was an important asset. But there our positions diverged. So, we stepped back and asked: are there some principles that we could agree upon that would help shape our future discussions?
Principle 1: Our Community regards the Willamette River and greenway to be the crown jewel of our metropolitan region, forming a unique natural refuge in our increasingly urban landscape and offering unparalleled recreational, educational, cultural, and environmental opportunities.
While this may seem almost accepted wisdom today, we often take the river for granted. We should stop to consider that the role the river will play in our community in the next century is decidedly different and more positive than it was in the last century.
Until 50 years ago, the river was an impediment to be crossed; a nuisance to be tamed; A dangerous (and frequent) flood threat to be avoided; and a large, convenient sewer for our municipal and industrial waste.
Principle 2: Our community recognizes that the primary attraction of the Willamette River and greenway is its natural beauty, derived from its native river ecosystem and diverse riparian zone.
This is truly unique. While an urban river as it flows through Eugene, the Willamette provides a sense of wildness and natural beauty right in the heart of the metropolitan area. When you walk or ride (or sit) along the Willamette in the Eugene-Springfield area, it says: this is Oregon. This is a quality of life you simply can’t experience in Boston. Or Denver. Or San Francisco. It is one of the principal reasons Eugene is now officially “The World’s Greatest City of the Arts and Outdoors.”
Principle 3: Our community acknowledges that we have a responsibility to improve the health and beauty of the Willamette River and greenway for both wildlife species and future generations.
The last generation gave us a river improved ecologically from 40 years ago, but there are still improvements to be made. We have a responsibility to continue that effort, to enhance the river and riverfront where we can.
We should note that the river is also an important economic resource for the community. The uniqueness of its natural quality, and the economic value of its beauty to attract both people and business opportunities to Eugene, will only increase over time. I personally became involved in this dialogue because I understand that good stewardship of the river’s natural qualities and improving human interaction with the river can enhance the economic lure of the central part of the city. This in turn will reduce sprawl which is the greatest threat to the river’s health.
Principle 4: Our community believes that those areas of the Willamette River and greenway that are currently free of urban development are best maintained in that state.
This principle was the subject of much discussion. Ultimately, we felt that development of already-urbanized lands along the river could meet development needs for the city for many years to come, and the best stewardship of undeveloped lands was to preserve and enhance their ecological value for future generations.
Principle 5: Our community agrees there would be substantial public value in ecologically sensitive urban redevelopment at two greenway locations: The EWEB site and Valley River Center.
Both of these locations are near the city center, and have the potential to improve public accessibility and interaction with the river, economic activity, and ecological values at the same time.
It is important to stress the term “ecologically sensitive” urban development. What does this mean? It means respecting (and potentially enhancing) healthy riparian functions. It means building at a scale that is in keeping with the aesthetic values of the river and greenway. It means utilizing ecological design, so that impervious surfaces are minimized and natural systems are respected.
Closing: The Willamette as it flows through Eugene and Springfield is an “urban” river. But we believe that its natural attributes enhance the urban environment, and can make the surrounding land uses more vibrant and livable at the same time. These principles are a good place to start the dialogue about how to do that.
And now Nathan Tublitz, who I didn’t always agree with as we began this discussion, but who I’ve come to deeply respect for his thoughtfulness and his concern for our community, will tell you where these principles led us.
Nathan’s section
Thank you Steve. As you have heard from Phil and Steve, we riparianistas came together to develop a set of principles that would serve as a community standard for the future of our precious and irreplaceable Willamette River and its adjacent riverfront areas. From the outset, we understood that our principles required a necessary balance between development and preservation – that neither alone would satisfy the majority of city’s residents. We also realize that a few, already developed areas along the river would greatly benefit from being re-developed, but only if that re-development was both ecologically sensitive and attracted people to the river. Towards these goals, we humbly and respectfully propose 5 re-development guidelines that we suggest should be followed in any future riverfront development:
Re-development Guideline 1. Riverfront re-development must maintain a contiguous, publicly accessible corridor along both sides of the river throughout the urban area.
The purpose of this guideline is to ensure the sanctity of the river front corridor and to prevent encroachment by re-development. Through the outstanding foresight of former Mayor Bascom and others, the City of Eugene diligently acquired river frontage through the entire city on both sides of the river and only recently completed our outstanding bike and walking path. Their impressive, collective vision for a livable and useable river needs to be supported and maintained. After all, no one wants buildings that hang out over the riverbank and re-route the bike path away from the river.
This first guideline is crucial for another reason. Eugene is the only city of its size or larger in the US with a contiguous, green corridor on both sides of the river that runs through the entire city. Many cities are infusing 10s of millions of dollars to clean up their blighted riverfront and remove existing structures solely to attain what we already have. We are truly blessed to have such a stunning, natural feature running through our city.
Re-development Guideline 2. Riverfront re-development must promote public access to, enjoyment of, and respect for the Willamette River and its ecosystem.
We riparianistas and many in the community believe that a primary goal of re-development is to draw Eugenians closer to the river. There is no public reason to improve any river frontage without increasing access to and enjoyment of the river. We also believe that re-development of a few, already developed areas provides a special opportunity for more of us to appreciate and enjoy the river’s uniqueness. Our river is for all of us.
Re-development Guideline 3. Riverfront re-development must improve the existing river ecology, including restoration of important native habitat elements.
Much of the river within our city’s boundaries has been negatively impacted. Many edges are armored with huge boulders preventing easy access to the river, invasive plants have replaced native vegetation, and tree and shade plant removal have caused an increase in water temperature and a decrease in habitat for salmon and other organisms. These man-made alterations have caused a decline in the river’s ecology and health. Increasing the river’s health must be a top priority of any re-development scheme. If done correctly, environmentally sensitive re-development can improve the river’s ecology, be an economic success, and bring more people to the water. This is an ecological, economic and societal win-win-win scenario for our entire community.
Re-development Guideline 4. Riverfront re-development must contribute to a vibrant urban atmosphere.
Our community desperately needs some urban riverfront areas that encourage locals and visitors to linger along the river and enjoy its spirit. A few, mixed use complexes similar to Fifth Street Market or E. Broadway would provide the social and economic foundation necessary to create an energetic and lively urban environment.
Re-development Guideline 5. Riverfront re-development must embody significant aesthetic and architectural quality.
Let’s face it – the last thing we want or need is to plop a group of ugly structures and poorly designed areas at the river’s edge and then spend the next several decades wringing our collective hands and avoiding the area because of these eyesores. Any re-development must be architecturally and aesthetically pleasing.
These 5 re-development guidelines are proposed with two specific sites in mind, both of which are already developed and would greatly benefit from ecologically sound re-development.
The first is the Downtown Riverfront, the south bank area consisting of the entire EWEB property from the EWEB buildings and fountain to its border with the University’s riverfront research park. The Downtown Riverfront is a prime river access point for many – it is an easy walk from downtown and the University, and its two bridges are gateways to the north bank. It is a perfect location to draw urban visitors to the river.
As we all know, this site has been the focus of intensive discussion regarding a new hospital or a mixed commercial/residential development. Both proposals were seriously if not fatally setback this summer when the EWEB relocation costs were announced, and it is not yet clear what type of re-development will occur at the site. Regardless of what ends up there, any re-development must provide for greater public access to and enjoyment of the river as well as enhancing the area’s river ecology.
The second riverfront area identified for re-development is Valley River Center which, like the EWEB site, is already developed and has considerable river frontage. Instead of acres of blacktop parking next to the river, sensitive re-development could include a combination of residential and commercial uses, similar to the exciting projects springing up along Broadway. As at the EWEB site, re-development at VRC would enable a wider range of Eugenians to enjoy the river up close and personal.
We have called these 5 guidelines “re-development” guidelines because we believe that any development along the river should only be at the 2, already developed sites we have mentioned. The remainder of the city’s riverfront – from the I5 bridge in the south to the Owasso bridge in the north - should remain in its current undeveloped state.
I now turn the podium back over to Phil who will wrap up our formal presentation.
Closing remarks
Our Principles express a vision, a broad affirmation of how we as a community view and value our river. Our Guidelines are the goals of redevelopment we must meet to fulfill that vision. By joining now we can harness our own vitality to match that of the river. Let’s not allow the discussion to get polarized, like much civic discourse in Eugene does, but let’s forge alliances, between Eugenians of differing views, and between the Willamette and us. We’ll need to do so if we want to shape an urban riverfront of which we can all be proud.
These Principles and Guidelines are unlike other efforts in river-related planning because they seek not merely to protect the river from urban development, but they seek to improve the river through urban development that is appropriately sited and that encourages urban interaction with the river. We have greatly changed the Willamette in the last century. The upstream dams, in-stream diversions, and bank stabilization have made a once sinuous and unpredictable river a bit more tame. We have bent it to our will. But the Willamette can still “leap like a child at play”, and this town has ample talent to ensure that future river-oriented construction serves the river for its own sake and provides for human wants and needs. Let us show a sinuosity of spirit. Let the various side channels and eddies of this community diverge and rejoin on our collective way downstream.
Adoption of a vision for Eugene’s Willamette could provide private landowners, the City, EWEB and future riverside landowners with a clear approach to designing changes that affect the river, and provide a basis for agreements to facilitate planning and community dialogue.
Adoption of a city wide approach to river planning as outlined in the Principles and Guidelines could benefit and complement the scores of projects and organizations whose work is related to the river. If we demand a cleaner, healthier river, we help the Governor’s Willamette River Legacy program, Willamette Riverkeepers, watershed councils, the Eugene Stream Team, the City of Eugene Salmon Recovery program, and others. If we demand an accessible river, we support the Willamette Watertrail, the Eugene Parks and Open Space Comprehensive Plan, the Skinner Butte Park Master Plan, and the Eugene Downtown Plan. If we insist on building design and maintenance that respects the river, we bolster statewide planning Goal 15 - Willamette River Greenway, the Willakenzie Area Plan, and the Metro Plan.
Our principles and guidelines boil down to two simple points: First, the ecological well being of the Willamette is paramount. Second, redevelopment, if done right, can promote that well being. The only way we can accomplish this is with respectful dialogue across all sectors of this community. Be open, listen with respect and carefully consider alternative viewpoints. That is how we riparianistas with very varied viewpoints came together and forged a consensus on these ideas. Our community can do the same.
Consider this sharing of our ideas today not just a presentation, but an invitation. Please join the discussion. We have a webpage with a text of the Principles and Guidelines and an e-mail link. The webpage address is http://bluegreeneugene.blogspot.com. We warmly invite you here at the City Club and those of you in the radio audience to discuss these issues with us this Tuesday, October 4 at 5pm at Café Perugino. We also plan to schedule forums to continue the dialogue.
We have a lot to celebrate this weekend. Let’s put the Willamette River on the list. Let’s put it on the top of the list. Celebrate! That starts with “C” and that rhymes with “E” and that stands for Eugene – River City!
posted by Blue Green Eugene at
9:23 AM
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