We shrink back from the truth if we believe that the destructive forces of the modern world can be "brought under control" simply by mobilizing more resources?of wealth, education, and research?to fight pollution, to preserve wildlife, to discover new sources of energy, and to arrive at more effective agreements on peaceful coexistence.  Needless to say, wealth, education, research, and many other things are needed for any civilisation, but what is most needed today is a revision of the ends to which these means are meant to serve.

One of the Last Remaining Open Spaces
            The Riverfront Research Park, RRP, has become one of the most
controversially debated land-uses on the campus of the University of Oregon. From Eugene Sand and Gravel's primary aggregate mineral supply, to becoming designated the Willamette Greenway, to the development of the Riverfront Research Park; the history of this land tells the story of environmental, and political and economic changes in Eugene over the past forty years.   It is a story of continual ecological deterioration, not one of healthy restoration or preservation.
        The City of Eugene and the University of Oregon incepted the park project, as early as 1983 , to improve the local metropolitan area economy by increasing and diversifying the job market.  As Eugene was facing economic recession from a diminishing job market in natural resources industry, the RRP intended to be a recruiter for increasing high-tech, information-based jobs.   The University intended for the project to complement the city's needs, but also as a means to increase market based, industry related research through faculty and student research on campus.
Since the beginning of its planning phase, it has faced serious and widespread opposition on a number of grounds.   The fundamental root buried in those grounds was the Willamette Greenway corridor.    In the classic community battlegrounds between economy and ecology, many dedicated individuals have fought for over a decade, from the courtroom to the greenway itself, to retain some of the last remaining open space in Eugene along the Willamette River.  The RRP was speculated as the largest economic investment in Lane County.  11 years later, the park has yet to finish construction in the first of four phases.

Land Acquisition & The Playing Fields Master Plan
         In 1968, through the use of condemnation procedures, the Oregon State
System of Higher Education acquired approximately 35 acres from Eugene Sand and Gravel, an aggregate mining and asphalt company .  This completed the acquisition of the lands that were proposed for development 20 years later.    By 1975, the University of Oregon was working to establish a system of sports and recreation playing fields north of the University, south of the Willamette River.  On September 30, 1977, recommendations were made for the McArthur/ Gardner/Partnership to be commissioned  to work with planners and landscape architects to develop the plans for the University lands.   On February 7, 1978, the preliminary site plans were approved for the development of the playing fields.  Within the staff notes recommending the approval, "it is recommended that a relatively high priority position be given to this item within the listing of auxiliary enterprise projects for 1979-1981."   The legislature in 1973 approved of funds for various sports and recreation improvements at the University of Oregon.  One field of which the construction was unfulfilled, and the dedication of use of a previously existing playing field for women's softball activities, initiated the prioritization of the construction of new fields.  The Playing Fields Master Plan called for four regulation size soccer fields, six to eight court sports areas, and a facilities building with lockers, bathrooms and storage space (see map in Appendix).   The existing pedestrian/bike path would be re-routed around the fields and would be widened to accommodate maintenance and emergency vehicles.   From the year of planning to develop the Playing Fields Master Plan and acquire funds, one field, still currently existing, near the Autzen footbridge was completed.

The North Campus Plan
              The University, by June of 1982, passed the North Campus Plan  see in Appendix).   This plan focused on potential developmental needs of the University and outlined general policy statements on land use development and preservation.   It states in preliminary policy in the beginning of the plans, "The University realizes that University behavior with respect to the Willamette River Greenway is particularly instructive and symbolic, and therefore it will take a leadership position in the development of the Greenway."   In this section of policy, the University appears to prioritize the preservation of open space stating that, "The prevalence of open space in the north campus area provides an opportunity for the development of wild areas that could be used in support of instructional activities in a number of fields including botany, ecology and landscape architecture."    The plan contained a section allocated to policies regarding preservation of lands north of the tracks, given that the area west of Autzen footbridge had been allocated for playing fields under the 1979 Playing fields Master Plan.  The land to the east was to be preserved.  "This area should be developed and managed in a way to encourage natural diversity in its flora and fauna to serve the needs of instructional activities…"  which have been mentioned.   A third area to be preserved under the North Campus Plan was the Silva Orchard.  North of the Millrace and south of the railroad tracks, this orchard no longer exists.
          Throughout the plans, the agenda for these lands north of campus shows that it has been recognized that the University can be a leader in preserving the Greenway, supplying students with playing fields and working with the local ecological assets to improve and expand educational programs.

The Riverfront Park Study
        By 1984, the University and City of Eugene began to develop the project of the Riverfront Research Park.   The city badly felt the need for new employment opportunities to diversify the job market and to improve the marketplace by having high technology, service-oriented, and information based jobs.   City officials found that the RRP could be a great asset the economy.   The University wanted to improve its research abilities on campus by increasing the number of facilities to do more research.   They felt that creating the RRP would improve Industry- University relations and open up more opportunities for marketable research.
        The preliminary Riverfront Park Study  was completed in September 1985, and was officially approved by January, 1986.  The study reviewed the impact of the park's proposed development, and found many benefits to implementing the park.   It stated that a Special Development District ordinance shall be applied to the park, and amendments will be made to the Eugene/Springfield Metropolitan Area General Plan to accommodate the RRP project.  Among the policies reviewed, the study stated that the project should protect the Willamette River bank by,
 1) directing future development away from this environmentally sensitive area; 2)establishing a buffer strip beginning at the top of the bank and extending a minimum of 35 feet to the south…This policy is intended to protect the riparian strip along the river which will result in: 1) preservation of valuable natural elements; 2) riverbank stabilization; and 3)protection of developable property from potential debris from major flooding…

Urban Renewal Plan for the Riverfront Research Park
            The City of Eugene created an Urban Renewal plan , establishing their role in the RRP project.   It was declared under ORS 457, that the area was "blighted"  and thus, enabling the city to create an Urban Renewal District to help fund the development of the RRP.  The intentions of the city were stated in the goals of the project;
   The development of the Riverfront Research Park area is intended to play a critical role in the diversification of the metropolitan area's economy by providing a unique opportunity to develop an area that supports and uses research activities of the University of Oregon.  The development is envisioned as a critical factor in attracting and establishing new industrial activities and providing an opportunity for exchange of concepts and techniques between University of Oregon researchers and industries which produce and market related technology.

  The plan designated 148 acres for renewal.  Urban renewal projects typically allocate a percentage of the surrounding property taxes from land/business/home owners included in the district as tax-increment finances to fund Urban Renewal projects.  Tax increment financing of the 148 acres would fund the 67 acres of RRP infrastructure.

The Eugene/ Springfield Area General Metropolitan Plan:  "University/ Research" & Land Transfer Conditions
            The Eugene/ Springfield General Metropolitan Plan  was amended to include a section entitled "University/ Research" , designating the land use for light industrial, research and development, University use, and mixed-use to allow for retail and multi-family dwellings, and University use.  The city adopted the Riverfront Park Study and the amendments to the Metro Plan on September 9, 1985 and were appealed to LUBA.  The court affirmed the city's decision of adoption .  The State Board of Higher Education approved of the Land Transfer Conditions  on October 18, 1985 establishing the authority of the University to use these lands for the RRP.

The Public Process
           From May to September of 1985, there were six public hearings to discuss the Riverfront Park study and the Metropolitan area plan amendments.   They were held by the Eugene and Springfield City Councils,  both Cities' Planning Commissions, and the Lane Council of Governments .  As Bayard H. McConnaughey, professor of Biology noted,
 As it turned out, at public hearings, there was almost unanimous opposition to this development, or to other various aspects of the proposal, from both University personnel and other Eugene citizens, much to the surprise of the administration.  The opposition centered on three major considerations:
  (1) Doubts as to whether the project would in fact bring the anticipated benefits to Eugene, together with concerns about possible adverse effects.
  (2) Concerns regarding the site--whether it is the best site, or even a suitable site for such a development, and as to whether this is the best use for that site.
  (3) Process: As mentioned above, the administration allowed itslef(sic) to become greatly overcommitted to the project before taking any of the preliminary steps necessary to ascertain its feasibility or desirability.

Bayard's sentiment of the public process, although is only one individual's opinion, it is the only available synopsis of the results of the public hearings that took place in 1985, in all available public information regarding the history of the RRP.    These three major considerations were also thematic concerns in 1997, to those that petitioned for another review.  Furthermore, because of the tremendous stagnancy in the build out of the RRP, current reviews could only make assumptions as to whether Eugene and the University would see major economic or educational benefits of the project.
           Throughout 1987, there were six open public town meetings to review ideas on the Master Plan of the RRP project.   The first forum in March discussed Park Objectives, Site Constraints, Transportation, Amenities, General Design.  The second forum discussed Alternative Master Plan Concepts, and the third forum discussed the proposed Master Plan .

Riverfront Research Park Special Development District
          The City developed an ordinance specific to the RRP, the Riverfront Park Special Development District, which was included in the Metropolitan plan amendment, and the Urban Renewal Plan; it was adopted on May 11, 1987 .  This adoption of this ordinance was appealed to LUBA  and the city's decision to approve the ordinance was ultimately upheld. The Ordinance set guidelines as to what could be done in the park.  Manufacturing Uses permits up to 40% of the gross floor space of each business to be used for production of goods.  Accessory and supporting uses are permitted to use no more than 25% of the gross floor area.  Examples are; retail sales of goods and food services, and accessory manufacturing activities.  Thus, up to 65% of the total floor space can be used for production and manufacturing of goods for private, profit production.   The standards established for the Greenway designated protection of the riparian strip- "the area between the top of the river bank and the water's edge."   The ordinance follows the wording of the 1973 Greenway Act stating "to the greatest possible degree"  the RRP "…will provide the maximum possible landscaped area, open space, or vegetation between the activity and the river."     There have been no environmental feasibility studies completed to this date to ascertain what the most effective and most ecologically sound distance away from the river should be.

Conditional Use Permit: The Willamette River Greenway
             After the completion and release of the RRP Master Plan in December 1988, the next step was the application for a Willamette Greenway Conditional Use Permit.   The University filed for the permit in 1989.  The permit was approved, but citizens filed suit  with the Land Use Board of Appeals against the City soon afterwards.       The court affirmed the city's approval of the permit on the grounds that the RRP mater plan and Design Guidelines were in accordance with the Riverfront Park Study, the RPSDD ordinance, and the Metropolitan Plan. By 1991, the RRP project had permission to begin construction.

The Riverfront Research Park Master Plan and Design Guidelines
        The 67 acres of land devoted to the project is owned by the Oregon State System of Higher Education (OSSHE), now called Oregon University System (OUS). This land was given via the Land Transfer Agreements to the University, who would hire developers who would then establish leases for each business.  Those leases can be set for up to 75 to 99 years, after which the University owns the building space.  The responsibilities of the development are shared between the City of Eugene, the University, and a hired developer or team of developers.  The City is responsible for the funding of the necessary public infrastructure, such as roads, sidewalks, the pedestrian/cycling path, sewer and water lines, and other items, as well as being responsible for recruiting tenants.   The University was responsible for the overall design, and recruitment of new businesses, and the hired developers were responsible for the design and financing of the buildings.   The hired developers had the primary responsibility of marketing the site, recruiting tenants and securing the funding required to begin construction of each new building.

        Five partners shared the cost of the RRP.  The city provided the infrastructure through by establishing the Riverfront Urban Renewal District. The State Board of Higher Education made the land available through Land Transfer agreements with the University.  The State of Oregon committed $7.65 million for the project through the State of Oregon Regional Strategies Program. Some of this money was planned to be used to bolster incentives for incoming businesses.  The hired private developers would finance the construction of the buildings. The developers are responsible to fund initial development; and new businesses were able to set up payment programs through long-term lease agreements.
 

Environmental Deficiencies of the Riverfront Research Park
        The environmental impact of development along the greenway was severely
underscored.  Goal 5 of the master plan was, "[t]o enhance the appearance and use of the riverfront area."  (See Appendix for list of RRP's goals and objectives) Under the park's objectives, the Willamette River was given these criteria. "10.) to take advantage of the Willamette River, the Millrace, and the millpond as amenities for the buildings of the Research Park while increasing public accessibility to the riverfront by provision of roads, parking, and bikeways.

            The plan outlined "Environmental Considerations", stating that the park is primarily being developed within the Willamette River Greenway, "and therefore development in this area will require particular attention and sensitivity."      The plan called for "terracing" as the answer to give special considerations to the greenway.  Terracing was a matter of building height; the farther away from the river, the taller the buildings were allowed to be. Terracing worked with the setback rules, that all construction will be at minimum 35 ft. from the river's edge.  Such construction within 75 ft of the river will not be more than 3 stories tall, 45 feet in height.   Also, no buildings within 75 ft, of the river are allowed to have a continuous wall for more than 100 ft.  Essentially, the levels of sensitivity allude to 100-foot long , 45-foot high walls along the riparian edge.   For the protection of the millrace, the setback is a mere 15-ft.  But, if more than 125 ft away from the Willamette, as the millrace is, the master plan allows for buildings to be up to 6 stories tall.   Strong considerations were also given to preserve open space.   37.5 acres are to be preserved as open space.   Most of this area is between buildings, as landscaped areas and mowed lawns.   This type of preservation is not the same as the current open space undergoing ecological succession.

            Since, 1967, there has been priority placed through policy on preserving the lands along the river as open green space, as the Willamette River Greenway.   Even the North Campus Plan from 1982, stated that some riverfront land would be preserved, and the other section west of the footbridge was designated as playing fields.    No document stated why the University's planning objectives changed.   Furthermore, how much research and development needs to occur before it is realized that efforts to preserve lands to allow for natural ecological processes to function in their normal state, is essential for life on this planet?   If every area under consideration for preservation followed these same levels of sensitivity, we would have no open spaces, instead, only riverside research parks.

           As a public educational institution that teaches courses of sustainability, land use planning, and sustainable design, the University demonstrates, by the lack of inclusion of perspectives from these disciplines, that it is not concerned with the preservation of the environment.   The University has been and still is very interested in the development of the park to increase Industry- University ties, through corporate induced, student and faculty led research.  The lack of environmental concern remains evident by the lack of integrity in the park's construction and in all of the other amenities that should be considered.  For example, solar energy usage, sustainable building materials, high quality designs to incorporate passive cooling and heating systems, and water conservation.  These design ideas are not included in the RRP Design Guidelines.  Actually, the developer of the second building, Larry Campbell told the Register Guard, "the reworked plans call for a concrete building with windows on all sides and canopied entrances. It will blend with the main research park building."   How is this design representing research and development?  This design is very similar to housing structures made by Habitat for Humanity, a development organization who builds homes made from concrete blocks in developing nations.

        The plan mentions the promotion of alternative transportation, but there are approximately 15 bike-parking spaces, half of which are uncovered.   The plan states that bike parking should be a minimum of 15% of the car parking.   It is very difficult to promote cycling as a viable form of transportation when there are not nearly enough spaces to accommodate a substantial amount of cyclists.

        These attempts to promote environmental principles and standards are clearly deficient in the master plan.  There are many arguments, too many to list in their entirety, to illuminate in the fact that construction of concrete on the last remaining open space on the Willamette River, within the boundaries of the Willamette River Greenway, does not protect and enhance the riverfront.  In fact, it destroys any possible restoration that could take place.

The Precautionary Principle
        We do not know, and can not ever fully predict the full impact of development in environmentally sensitive areas.   Throughout history, environmental exploitation has resulted in clean up and restoration attempts, and impacts far greater than were originally perceived.   The precautionary principle  is a rule to follow; when potential impacts can lead to environmental destruction with effects unknown, it is best to be preventative and not allow the development to continue.
        Adoption of the precautionary approach signals a shift from the historically accepted policy-making paradigm, which places undue reliance on the
        infallibility and comprehensiveness of scientific knowledge, and clings to the notion that nature's assimilative capacities are unbounded, or even
        ascertainable.

        Constantly, permits are issued because incomplete studies show little or no impact, while the impacts can be severe.   Eugene is rapidly growing as a city and the amount of open space for its residents is dwindling rapidly.   Is it more important to destroy a beautiful and valuable natural amenity for speculative developments?  Many  have already answered NO.