Neighbors push back as UO seeks taller buildings in dorm development

Eugene’s Planning Commission this week will weigh a set of land-use changes that would allow the University of Oregon to grow the footprint of its East Campus area, starting with two dormitories planned for the Fairmount neighborhood, east of Hayward Field.

The council-appointed planning commission will decide on Tuesday, Nov. 18, whether to recommend to the City Council changes that would allow the construction of a five-story residence hall at Moss Street and 17th Avenue, scheduled for completion in 2028.

It would be the second phase of UO’s Next Generation Housing Plan, a decades-long planning effort for the East Campus area and the groundwork for the university’s next 20 years of growth.

The first phase is already underway: A seven-story residence hall being build on 17th Avenue between Moss and Columbia streets and slated for completion in fall 2027.

The university says new student housing is much needed, pointing to housing waitlists and research showing that students who live on campus have better grades and graduation outcomes.

In the next five to six years, the university expects an increase of about 900 dorm beds and 100 family housing units in the area, said UO spokesperson Angela Seydel.

The UO’s East Campus area comprises about 43 acres of university-owned property, bounded roughly by 15th and 19th avenues and Agate and Villard streets.

Officials estimate the East Campus can ultimately accommodate more than 3,600 new student beds and 400,000 square feet of other campus development.

“Expanding university-managed housing enhances access to high-quality, learning-centered communities and contributes positively to Eugene’s overall housing capacity by reducing demand on the private market,” she said.

Bigger and higher 

If the land-use changes are eventually approved by the City Council, they would also soften the buffer between campus and the surrounding residential neighborhood.

Height limits on parts of East 15th to East 19th avenues and from Columbia Street to Moon Lee Lane and Villard Alley could rise from the current 45-foot cap to 85 feet.

The width of the designated transition zone — a strip between the area proposed for a higher height limit and residential properties — would grow from 60 feet to 75 feet wide, but height limits in that zone would rise from 30 feet to 45 feet.

Some buildings west of Villard Street, the “graceful edge” between campus and the neighborhood, could get a lot bigger and higher. More land would be redesignated as “institutional,” and UO could build residence halls without a separate conditional-use review.

“The university has planned for campus expansion in this area since the 1960s,” Seydel said. “While the area has been used for low-density housing in the interim, it is a prime location for higher density housing.”

Residents push back 

The university has hosted two open houses on the proposal, which has drawn testimony from trustees, university officials, student leaders and residents. More than a dozen people spoke at the Oct. 21 public hearing.

In emails and remarks at the meeting, many residents said the land-use changes would erase hard-fought planning protections and erode the university’s commitment to maintaining the Fairmount neighborhood’s character.

Friction between residents and the university is far from new in the neighborhood, given past projects like the construction of Hayward Field and Matthew Knight Arena.

“The proposed collection of East Campus Land Use changes is simply too much, too far, and too detrimental to our neighborhood,” wrote Steve Gab, a 40-year resident of Villard Street who lives 20 feet from the site of the second proposed dorm.

The Fairmount Neighbors Association Board of Directors, represented at the meeting by resident Susie Smith, opposed parts of the proposals. The group recommended an alternative “stepped-back, multi-tier height limit approach” to reduce noise, visibility and sunlight impacts.

City Councilor Alan Zelenka, who represents the area, said the changes could push noise and traffic deeper into the neighborhood.

“I think you need to take into consideration all these things and make sure that the Fairmount neighborhood doesn’t have to prepare and put forth an appeal,” Zelenka said. 

In emails, some neighbors said it felt impossible to absorb the hundreds of documents submitted by UO’s planners or to understand their language. Others questioned the rationale behind campus expansion, citing declining out-of-state enrollment, a looming nationwide enrollment cliff and vacancies in privately developed student housing.

“As a longtime (11 year) teacher at UO, I can tell you that my students often note that they do not choose to live in UO dorms because they are more costly than other housing options in Eugene,” wrote Stephanie LeMenager, a Villard Street resident who teaches English. 

On-campus housing and food expenses for the 2025-26 year are about $17,400 while off-campus costs total $13,095, according to university estimates. UO takes a “mission-driven approach” to housing, focusing on student success instead of market competition, Seydel said.

Officials said at a Board of Trustees meeting in September that the university plans to borrow $100 million to $150 million through revenue bonds to pay for the East Campus expansion. The expansion will cost about $277 million.

“The Next Generation Housing project is expected to fully self-fund the cost of debt service through room and board fees charged to students living in the residence halls,” Brian Fox, UO’s associate vice president for budget, financial analysis and data, said in an email.

Protecting pedestrians

Traffic is another major concern. Agate Street, just west of the neighborhood, is already one of the most congested corridors in the area, and it is often closed during athletic events at Hayward Field.

In response to public input, UO has said it will study the street to identify ways to accommodate all modes of transportation. But residents want to expand the study to include Villard Street. And some have said traffic-calming features like raised crosswalks won’t be enough to protect pedestrians.

Meanwhile, university-owned houses on Villard Street have been abandoned or fallen into disrepair, according to resident Sharon Flynn. UO doesn’t plan to change the zoning for the land it owns on Villard Street, meaning the height limits stay at 37 feet for now, but the university plans to build 10 to 70 family townhouse units on the street. 

“I feel like they just want to build, build, build,” Flynn said. “But I just think some thought needs to go into what’s needed, because you’re changing a beautiful neighborhood.”

Gab, the longtime Villard Street resident, added: “I’m in favor of students living on campus. I just wish [UO] would do it with some integrity.”

Zelenka and UO Community Relations Director Karen Hyatt are scheduled to appear at the Fairmount Neighbors Association’s Tuesday meeting shortly after the planning commission meeting.

If the planning commission recommends the land-use changes to the City Council on Tuesday, councilors will hold another public hearing before eventually voting to adopt, amend or reject the proposals.