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Goals
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<br />This River Road/Santa Clara Transition and Heritage Strategy White Paper is intended to contribute to an
<br />effective community transition plan for the territory within the Eugene/Springfield Urban Growth Boundary
<br />(UGB) in the River Road and Santa Clara communities. The suggestions herein encompass an array of
<br />potential urban service delivery opportunities and options that the City of Eugene, local special service
<br />districts and other service providers, and the citizens of River Road and Santa Clara could consider to
<br />assist in the transition of these neighborhoods as future urbanization occurs. The options identified are
<br />intended to be of equal usefulness to the City, other service providers, and the neighborhoods in fostering
<br />a creative dialogue on urbanization impacts and in reaching mutual agreement on effective strategies to
<br />sustain current and historic community institutions and heritage in the face of the changes brought about
<br />by annexation and urbanization.
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<br />Key Issues
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<br />Prior annexation and urbanization and in the River Road and Santa Clara neighborhoods have been
<br />driven by such factors as the demand for extending urban services to new developments, utility
<br />extensions, the development of individual existing lots, local landowner preferences, and the needs of
<br />local governments and service providers. The result is a checkerboard of gerrymandered and sometimes
<br />isolated incorporated territory, often as small as individual 5,000 square foot residential lots.
<br />Approximately 30% of River Road and 40% of Santa Clara has been incorporated into the City of Eugene
<br />to date.
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<br />From the perspective of the City of Eugene, and perhaps some special service districts, the foregoing
<br />situation may contribute to making service provision difficult to manage, in addition to raising issues of
<br />service and tax equity between in-City and unincorporated residents and property owners. Matters are
<br />further complicated in that the unincorporated areas of River Road and Santa Clara are not simply served
<br />by Lane County (or even served by the City under agreement with the County). Portions of the two
<br />neighborhoods are served by two independent fire protection districts, two water districts, and a parks
<br />and recreation district.
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<br />The range of land uses across the two neighborhoods are also very diverse, including large lot
<br />residential, agricultural lands and homes, newer subdivisions, commercial centers and older business
<br />uses, aging and brand new public institutions, public parklands, river floodplain and riparian areas, and
<br />even an adjacent railroad maintenance yard (this last use is just outside the neighborhood boundary).
<br />Existing streets exhibit the same range – recently improved urban arterials “morph” into treed rural roads;
<br />newer neighborhood streets are curbed and developed with sidewalks, but older streets are often
<br />minimally paved with drainage swales as the norm.
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<br />Based on published materials, most prominently the 2002 River Road/Santa Clara Urban Service
<br />Committee report, and discussions with service providers and the 2005 River Road/Santa Clara
<br />Transition Task Force, services such as police protection, sanitary sewer and water supply appear to be
<br />generally satisfactory (due to governance, condition of the infrastructure, and/or other factors). The real
<br />and perceived impacts of urbanization on certain other services - transportation, library, parks, fire
<br />service, and perhaps surface water - appear to be of greater concern for a variety of reasons. Some of
<br />these services originate with the City, some with Lane County, and some with special service districts.
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<br />Annexation and urbanization often brings new and more reliable water and sewer services, paved roads,
<br />improved public safety services, and new community facilities such as libraries and parks. Nonetheless,
<br />urbanization and annexation can also spell change in the form of more noise, busier streets, new and
<br />unfamiliar neighbors, the loss of trees and undeveloped open spaces (albeit some of these “open” spaces
<br />will be privately held, and not necessarily land suitable or available for the public domain), the demise of
<br />long standing area institutions (both local public service providers and private businesses), and “forced”
<br />connections to sewer and water lines based on public health concerns. For those already living in areas
<br />recently or about to be annexed, such changes can quickly “sour” whatever positive benefits annexation
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<br />River Road/Santa Clara Transition/Heritage White Paper
<br />DRAFT
<br />11-24-05
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<br />Service provider Review
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