Laserfiche WebLink
LandUsePlanning <br />CurrentSituation <br />BoththeRiverRoadandSantaClaracommunitieshavebeentransitioningfromruralunincorporated <br />neighborhoodstourbanizedcommunitiesformanyyears.TheCityhashadplanningauthorityoverthe <br />entiretyofbothcommunitiesviaintergovernmentalagreementwithLaneCountyforcloseto20years. <br />Thetwocommunitiesareundergoinggradualandincrementalannexationandurbanizationrangingfrom <br />relativelymajorsubdivisionstolargelotpartitionstoin-fillorredevelopment.Ruralsubdivisionpatterns <br />arebeingsupplantedbycontemporarydevelopments,oldercommercialbusinessesmustcompetewith <br />newshoppingcentersonBeltlineRoad,andopenfieldsandwoodlotsaredisappearing.Someolder <br />roadsinCountyjurisdictionroadsarebeingre-constructedtofullCitycollectorandarterialstandards. <br />Populationandtrafficisincreasing.Newresidentsarearrivingwithdifferentdemandsandperspectives <br />fromthoseneighborsthatmayhavelivedinRiverRoadandSantaClarafordecades.Servicesthathave <br />beenprovidedforyearsbylocalinstitutions(suchaslocalparksandwaterdistricts)areundernew <br />pressurestoaddressanewÒgenerationÓofcitizenneeds,andsomespecialservicedistrictsarealso <br />experiencingdecliningrevenuesasduetoannexationandshiftstoCityserviceproviders. <br />ThesituationdescribedaboveisnotunusualoruniquetoSantaClaraorRiverRoad.Such <br />circumstanceshavebeenrepeatedacrossOregonandthenationfordecadesasruralcommunitiesgrow <br />andbecomeurbanneighborhoodsandcities.Giveneconomicrealities,populationgrowth,landuselaws <br />(bothcommunitiesarewithinEugene/SpringfieldUrbanGrowthBoundaryandthuslongslatedfor <br />urbanization),changingdemographics,propertyrightsissuesandmore,bothRiverRoadandSanta <br />Clarawillcontinuetoincorporateandurbanize.Akeycommunityissuethereforeistheextenttowhich <br />thesetwocommunities(andtheCity)cancooperativelyidentifythemostimportantelementsoftheir <br />ÒruralÓheritageandacttopreservesuchattributesevenasincorporationanddevelopmentadvances <br />apace.OtherchaptersofthisWhitePaperdescribearangeofoptionswithrespecttoservicessuchas <br />publicsafety,parksandrecreation,andstreets.ThisÒLandUsePlanningÓsectionfocusesonthebroader <br />landuseplanningcontextwithinwhichsuchservicesaredelivered. <br />TheCity(insomecasesinpartnershipwithLaneCounty)hasseveralplanninginitiativesunderwaythat <br />willimpactandpotentiallybenefitRiverRoadandSantaClara.Manyoftheseinitiativesaredescribed <br />hereinandinotherchaptersofthisWhitePaper,includingamastersurfacewatermanagementplan,a <br />reviewofÒcontextsensitiveÓstreetstandards,andparkssystemsupgrades.TheCityisalsoundertaking <br />aÒperiodicreviewÓ(aprocessmandatedbyOregonlanduseplanningstatutes)ofitsComprehensive <br />Planthatwillincludeprotectionsforspecificstreamcorridors.Suchprotectionsareconsistentwith <br />neighborhoodHeritagestrategiesoutlinedintheÒStreetsÓ,ÒParksandOpenSpaceÓandÒSurfaceWateÓ <br />chaptersofthisWhitePaper. <br />RiverRoad <br />TheRiverRoadcommunity,particularlysouthofHornStreet,ischaracterizedbylongeast-westblocks. <br />BetweenHornandHowardStreettherearemanylongnorth-southblocksandsomelonglocalstreets <br />thatsimplydeadend.ThesestreetpatternswouldÒdateÓtheareaasolderthanotherpartsofthe <br />community.TheRiverRoadcommunitynorthofHowardtoBeltlineRoadhasasubdivisionandlocal <br />streetpatternthatlooksmoretypicallycontemporaryandurbanthansouthofHoward(e.g.blocksare <br />shorter,thereismoreregularpatternofconnectivitybetweenstreets,etc.),althoughthepatternisstill <br />verygrid-like.TheBramblewoodParkdevelopmentisanexceptiontothischaracterization,exhibitinga <br />mixofcul-de-sacandcurvilinearstreetsthatindicateamorerecentsubdivision. <br />ThereappearstobeonlyacoupleoftractsleftintheRiverRoadcommunitythatcouldaccommodate <br />substantialnewresidentialdevelopment,thereforethepotentialformostnewhousingwillbelimitedto <br />singlelotorsmalltractprojects,orre-developmentandin-fill.Newercommercialdevelopmentis <br />concentratedalongBeltlineRoadwitholdercommercialdevelopmentalongportionsofRiverRoad. <br />Approximately30%ofRiverRoadhasbeenannexedtotheCitythrough2005. <br />RiverRoad/SantaClaraCommunityTransitionProject24 <br />TransitionandHeritageWhitePaperMay2006 <br /> <br />