QuickTake:

The university is seeking changes from the city to allow dorms and taller buildings in the area east of Hayward Field. Some neighbors are unhappy with the university’s proposal.

The University of Oregon is asking the city to make land-use changes that would allow denser, taller buildings and dormitories in the east campus area. 

The university’s request follows its completion in 2024 of a long-range plan for on-campus housing and other needs to account for projected growth. UO officials say the land-use changes are necessary so students can stay more closely connected and increase the supply of student housing.

But residents in the affected area say the proposals as written would encroach too closely on neighboring houses and make it too easy for the university to build high-impact projects without enough oversight and community feedback.

The Eugene City Council took an initial step toward weighing feedback and debate from both sides during a public hearing on the university’s proposals Tuesday, Jan. 21. Councilors didn’t make a decision, but they are scheduled to take action Feb. 9.

The university has filed three related land-use applications to meet its long-term goals for more student housing: change the property zoning to institutional; allow dormitories in the area; and increase the maximum building height from 45 feet to 85 feet.

Land-use changes for East Campus expansion advance to City Council

The affected areas are primarily east of Hayward Field on the southeast corner of Agate Street and 15th Avenue up to Villard Street. 

“Living on campus in residential communities that are in relatively close proximity to one another is really important,” Michael Griffel, an associate vice president for Student Services and Enrollment Management, and director for University Housing, told councilors. 

Bob Choquette, chair of the university’s planning committee, told councilors the proposed changes will help meet future needs and come with benefits that include improved student performance, reduced costs for students and an increased overall housing supply. 

Taliek Lopez-DuBoff, a student and member of the university’s planning committee, said changes would allow new residence halls that would help students — first-year students in particular — live near one another while strengthening their academic and social lives “at a critical point.”

Opponents are worried about the effects on the neighborhood.

Jeff Philpot, co-chair of the Fairmount Neighbors Association, said the changes would allow high-impact development to bypass public review opportunities. He said the community recognizes the need for student housing in the east campus but believes the proposal goes too far in what would be allowed.

Kay Rose, another resident in the area, said the traffic, especially along Agate Street, can be relatively quiet when the university is not in session, but heavier when students are taking classes.

“Every 50 minutes during class changes, the unregulated flow of students and other pedestrians can completely stop vehicle traffic for 10 to 15 minutes at a time,” Rose said, adding that the traffic analysis within the proposal is “flawed” and doesn’t take that into account.

“The university will spend hundreds of millions of dollars building out the east campus,” Rose said. “It’s reasonable to expect meaningful traffic mitigation.”

Ben Botkin covers politics and policy in Lane County. He has worked as a journalist since 2003, most recently at the Oregon Capital Chronicle, where he covered justice, health and human services and documented regional efforts to combat fentanyl addiction. Botkin has worked in statehouses in Idaho, Nevada, Oklahoma and, of course, Oregon. When he's not working, you'll find him road tripping across the West, hiking or surfing along the Oregon Coast.