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ProjectBackground <br />Asnotedpreviously,theRiverRoadandSantaClaracommunitieshavebeen <br />HistoryofRiverRoad <br />neighborstotheCityofEugenealmostsincetheCitywasfoundedin1853.TheRiver <br />andSantaClara <br />RoadthoroughfarewasoncepartofOregonÕsfirstoverlandlinkbetweenPortlandand <br />CaliforniaÐtheOldTerritorialHighway.Thisstagecoachroadconnectedthesouthern <br />WillametteValleytotherestoftheregionin1865,andthefertileagriculturallandsin <br />RiverRoadandSantaClarawereimmediatelyattractivetosettlers.Fruitandnut <br />orchardsaswellaslargefarmsdefinedlandscapepatternsfordecades.(See <br />ÒÓforsettlementpatternsofRiverRoadandSantaClara). <br />EugeneÕsHistoricRiverRoad <br />However,significantchangebeganredefiningtheRiverRoadandSantaClara <br />communitiesasearlyas1950.Housesreplacedmanyofthefilbertandwalnutgroves <br />intheRiverRoadarea,andby1975subdivisionswithcurvedstreets,cul-de-sacs,and <br />urbanlotsizesbecamecommoninmanypartsofSantaClara.Yet,mostofRiver <br />RoadandSantaClarahasremainedoutsidetheEugeneCitylimits. <br />In1982,theÒMetroAreaGeneralPlanÓdeterminedthattheCityofEugenewould <br />provideurbanservicestotheRiverRoadandSantaClaracommunitiesupon <br />annexation.Subsequently,theCitymandatedconnectionsofallpropertiestothe <br />regionalsewersystem.Withincrementalannexation,thetransitionfromaruralto <br />urbandevelopmentpatternhascreatedapatchworkofCityandunincorporated <br />properties,andinturnhasfueledcommunitydistrustandhostility,particularlyamong <br />longer-termresidents. <br />In1986,theÒRiverRoad-SantaClaraUrbanFacilitiesPlanÓwasadoptedbytheCityof <br />EugeneandLaneCountywithelementsincludingsanitarysewerservice,landuse, <br />transportation,andpublicfacilities. <br />ServiceProviders <br />Toprovideservicestotheunincorporatedareas,anumberoflocalinstitutionshave <br />evolvedincludingtwowaterdistricts,tworuralfiredistricts,aparkandrecreation <br />district,andtheEugeneElectricandWaterBoard(EWEB).LaneCountyalsoprovides <br />police,transportation,roadmaintenance,andstormwatermanagementservices.For <br />propertiesthatareincorporated,theCityofEugeneprovidesawiderangeofurban <br />services.Threeschooldistrictsalsoservethearea.ByagreementwithLaneCounty, <br />theCityofEugeneprovidesbothCityandunincorporatedpropertyownerswith <br />planning,permit,andhistoricpreservationservices.Publicsafetyandtransportation <br />responsibilitiesaresharedbetweentheCityandCountyjurisdictions.(SeeAppendixB <br />forthematrixofserviceprovidersinbothannexedandunannexedareas). <br />ServiceProvidersinRiverRoadandSantaClara <br />RiverRoadParkandRecreationDistrict <br />LaneRuralFireandRescueDistrict <br />SantaClaraRuralFireProtectionDistrict <br />RiverRoadWaterDistrict <br />SantaClaraWaterDistrict <br />EugeneElectricandWaterBoard <br />BethelSchoolDistrict <br />EugeneSchoolDistrict <br />JunctionCitySchoolDistrict <br />CityofEugene <br />LaneCounty <br />AspropertiesareannexedtotheCity,specialservicedistrictsareaffectedbyalossof <br />taxrevenueandcustomersaswellaschangesinservicepatternsanddemands, <br />creatingmanychallengesforplanningthefutureofRiverRoadandSantaClaraand <br />providingqualityurbanservices. <br />8 <br />RIVERROAD/SANTACLARA <br />TRANSITIONPROJECT <br />