Council reviews report on River Road, Santa Clara.

Byline: Edward Russo The Register-Guard

The Eugene City Council on Wednesday accepted a report about the River Road and Santa Clara areas, and sent out an important message along the way: There will be no talk on the politically charged question of annexation anytime soon, and planning for the transition of county properties into the city will proceed carefully.

Two years in the making, the "River Road and Santa Clara Transition Project Final Report," recommends 10 goals, 11 strategies and 38 actions to address issues that are important to county and city residents who live side-by-side in the sprawling areas west of the Willamette River.

The council praised the consultants and residents who worked on the report, including Jerry Finigan, chairman of the Santa Clara Community Organization, and Rob Handy, chairman of the River Road Community Organization.

The report "is another milestone in the relationship between the former independent communities of River Road and of Santa Clara and the city of Eugene," Finigan told councilors.

Most of the 28,537 residents in River Road and Santa Clara live in unincorporated areas that are under the county's jurisdiction. But the entire area is within Eugene's urban growth boundary, and the city's role in the area is growing because the city annexes properties as they are developed.

This policy has created a patchwork of city, county and special districts in the areas that provide police and fire protection, road maintenance, parks recreation and other services.

Annexation has long been a sore spot among some county residents, who bristle at the thought of paying higher city property taxes.

"It's the elephant in the room," Finigan said.

The consultants recommended that the city prepare an annexation plan, with a potential schedule, to give county residents a better idea about their future. But Handy said that would be "premature." First, the city and the residents should engage in collaborative efforts to create greater trust, he said.

"Domination will never result in cooperation," Handy said, reading from a 2002 report on the area.

Most councilors were reluctant to push for an annexation schedule.

"We should put annexation on the back burner," said Councilor Gary Pape, who represents the Santa Clara area, east of River Road.

Lead consultant David Reed said that residents are mainly concerned about land use issues, specifically how to preserve the character of their semi-rural neighborhoods in the face of increased development.

Mayor Kitty Piercy said the semi-rural character of the areas presents a conflict between residents' desire to preserve what they have and Eugene's goal of promoting dense development.

"It's hard to meet both of those goals at the same time," she said. "We are just at the beginning of that struggle."

The consultants' work, which cost the city $240,000, ends on July 1. The River Road and Santa Clara community organizations are to take the recommendations and lead the "transition planning," with city financing, in the next year.

Patrice Philpott, one of 12 residents on a committee advising the consultants, said she was encouraged by the City Council's reluctance to endorse an annexation plan. The key will be if something of substance comes from the report, she said. "It's still talk, so the next step is important," Philpott said.

TRANSITION PROJECT FOR RIVER ROAD AND SANTA CLARA

City-hired consultants and area residents for the past two years have worked on a plan to guide the eventual annexation of the River Road/Santa Clara areas into Eugene.

Issues: "River Road and Santa Clara are a patchy, complex mosaic of incorporated and unincorporated areas. Urban services are provided by multiple jurisdictions and agencies in a fragmented and confusing way. Rapid growth and infilling are viewed as a threat to liveability and neighborhood character. Hostility and distrust have built up over many years. Residents feel they have little voice in decisions that affect their quality of life."

Residents' concerns: Land use; governance in representation and annexation; parks and recreation; transportation.

What to do: Eleven strategies and 38 proposals address governance, landscape and institutions. Proposals include improving access to Willamette River greenway, especially north of Belt Line Road; modifying city and county rules to encourage more open space and neighborhood preservation; maintaining older streets "as is" and blending in newer streets; using "traffic calming" devices to reduce vehicle speeds; preserving historic buildings, heritage trees and established orchards; using environmentally friendly stormwater drainage; keeping the River Road Park and Recreation District; establishing a Santa Clara community and recreation center.

Read the report: Visit www.eugene-or.gov/portal /server.pt or read a copyat Eugene's main library, 100 W. 10th Ave.

What's next: The River Road and Santa Clara neighborhood associations will lead transition efforts in the coming year. Goals include refining framework for a transition plan and creating more community support for a plan.