The City of Eugene held a public hearing on a permit application submitted by the University of Oregon to commence phase two of the Knight Campus project on Aug. 30.

The UO needs city permission for the project through a Willamette Greenway permit because of the Knight Campus’ proximity to the Willamette River.

The City of Eugene’s Hearings Official, Virginia Gustafson Lucker, listened to presentations on the permit application from city and UO staff, which were followed by testimony from community members.

Lucker is responsible for holding public hearings in response to land use permit applications and issuing decisions based on the permit criteria and public hearing testimony.

Presentations focused on the criteria for a Willamette Greenway permit laid out in chapter nine of the Eugene Code. 

“The applicant has to demonstrate how they’ve established setbacks to protect the quality of the river,” Nick Gioello, a Eugene Planning Department staff member, said during the public hearing. “The site is over 700 feet from the river… This site’s not going to impact anything in the river or near the river.”

The Willamette Greenway is a protected section of water and land on either side of the Willamette River, which was established by the Oregon State Legislature. It occupies much of the land between Franklin Boulevard and the Willamette River, including the site of the Knight Campus. 

A Willamette Greenway permit is necessary for a private landowner to develop any land within the Willamette Greenway. The UO has already received one of these permits for the construction of the Knight Campus’s first phase.

The standards were intended to direct development away from the river, maintain physical and visual access and preserve the habitat and vegetation near the river, according to the Willamette Greenway Code Amendments Frequently Asked Questions.

The community members who testified against the project focused on the effects the project would have on the environment immediately surrounding the proposed construction. 

The concerns included possible damage to the UO Urban Farm, the Eugene millrace — a ditch dug over 150 years ago to power water mills — and all of the surrounding trees, vegetation and wildlife. 

“If the applicant has only included their building footprint for consideration for the issuance of this permit, I think that that’s a misrepresentation of the actual impacts of the planned development,” Jenna Witzleben, a UO student and member of the Save the Urban Farm organization, said in her testimony.

The new section of the Knight Campus will be around 700 feet away from the water, according to Gioello. But the Eugene millrace flows back into the river after running through the Knight Campus.

During his testimony, Eugene resident Drew Simran said he fears the construction could negatively impact the river ways.

“I fail to see how this protects, preserves or enhances the Willamette River Greenway,” he said.

As part of his testimony, Simran also requested a record extension which was granted. This means Eugene residents could submit written testimony to Lucker seven days after the hearing.