The Neighborhood Leaders Council will meet tonight to discuss a variety of issues involving the city’s 24 neighborhood associations and their residents.
University-area neighborhood leaders are voicing concerns about the city’s plans to increase population density by curbing outlying city sprawl, and residents will hear a report dedicated to this initiative known as infill compatibility standards. City councilors want to preserve the city’s growth boundaries while still increasing its population, but local residents worry pressing too hard toward the middle of the city will have negative effects.
“The neighborhoods don’t want to be wrecked by willy-nilly housing standards,” said Bob Peters, chairperson for the South University Neighbors Association. “This is a neighborhood that wants to get along with students and invite them in, but parking and parties on the weekends change the environment of the neighborhood.”
The neighborhood leaders as a whole are not opposed to infill, but want the city to approach and execute its plan in an intelligent manner. In response, the city will appoint an 11- to 15-member working group that will provide input to the city and help with the infill plans. Peters and West University Neighbors chairperson Deborah Healey said they hope the members will be appointed tonight so the city and community leaders can begin dialogue to address concerns.
The West University Neighborhood is dense, and the city “can’t just dump everybody in our neighborhood” to prevent density everywhere else, Healey said. “We don’t want a big monstrosity next door to a single unit. That would be ugly,” she added.

While infill may generate the most interest, neighborhood committees will also update a report concerning Eugene Water and Electric Board.
The Neighborhood Leaders Council wants EWEB to take more accountability within the neighborhoods they work, and change its policy and procedures to better collaborate with the public.
When an EWEB electricity pole fell on a home in the Harlow neighborhood back in May 2006, residents felt that the power company acted “very cavalier” about the issue and should have taken “more responsibility,” said Bob Kline, a Harlow resident and NLC EWEB committee chairperson.
There will be a short introduction at 7 p.m. to open the meeting, followed by a public comments session, and then the committees will begin addressing the infill and EWEB issues. The meeting will come to a close with local neighborhood reports and end around 9 p.m.