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The 11 people now gardening at the River House Community Garden will be offered plots at the city's other community gardens, officials said. Rodents have also been a problem at the garden.
The city of Eugene is closing its River House Community Garden and giving the space to the adjacent River House Outdoor Center to be used for city recreation programs.
Kelly Shadwick, community engagement manager for Eugene Parks and Open Space, said the city offered the 11 gardeners at River House new plots in one of the other five community gardens in Eugene, a free 2025 garden permit and help with relocation.
Shadwick said the city made the decision “due to several safety issues, operational challenges and space needs.” The city will remove the garden plots at the end of the season.
The River House — part of the city’s Library, Recreation and Cultural Services Department — specializes in outdoor programming. It is along the Ruth Bascom Riverbank Path at the north end of Adam Street.
Shadwick said the changes will allow participants of River House activities, many of them kids, to gather in a safe space that is protected from road traffic and the bike path.
She said the city established the garden when the recreation department managed the city’s community garden program. Since then, the garden program has moved into the parks department, “and operating a community garden and an outdoor recreation center, each with different missions and infrastructure needs, has presented increasing challenges in such a small space,” she said.
Shadwick also said rodent activity in the area is worsened by the garden and has caused damage to the building and recreation equipment.
Pat Bayes, a volunteer coordinator at the nearby Whiteaker Community Garden, said the closing of the River House garden is “a loss for the community but it’s also a gain for the community,” because of the recreation programs there.
Bayes, 79, has been tending a plot at the Whiteaker garden, about a half-mile northwest from River House, for more than a decade. On Saturday he was harvesting leeks from his 600-square-foot plot to make room for garlic plants.
Bayes has seen demand rise at the community garden as more people learn about organic gardening and healthy foods. He called the shared space a community resource and said it’s more affordable than gardening at home because the city provides water through shared irrigation lines.
The plots for the 2025 season cost $60 for a half plot (about 200 square feet) and $100 for a full plot (about 400 square feet), which also includes access to shared tools and a debris bin, according to the city. Each fall, gardeners can ask for their permits to be renewed. For gardeners who don’t renew, their plots become available for new gardeners who submit applications to a lottery.
Eugene’s community garden program saw a 39% spike in applications in the spring with more than 200 people entering the lottery for 65 available plots, according to a social media post by the parks department in March.
Shadwick said the city will likely establish more gardens in the coming years.
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