Connecting Eugene and ASUO members held a panel Tuesday to let students know about their desire for University President Richard Lariviere to hear from students and community members before allowing developers to move forward with development on the Willamette riverfront.
Connecting Eugene, a group that opposes Willamette riverfront development, will attend today’s University Senate to present a resolution against development until plans for the property are reviewed by students and community members because they feel residents need a voice in this matter.  
Founded by University students and alumni in fall 2009, Connecting Eugene  aims to focus on pressuring University administration to meet a mandated review period for riverfront development. Connecting Eugene members will be wearing blue to show unified support for their resolution.
University graduate student Paul Cziko and alumni Allen Hancock, members of Connecting Eugene, were joined on a panel by ASUO President Amelie Rousseau and former anti-development advocate and alumni Josh Laughlin who explained the history of the University’s attempts to build along the Willamette River to students.
Cziko said he doesn’t like the structural encroachment on the riverfront.
“This is a large, four-story private office building in the middle of a sea of parking, right on the river,” Cziko said.
Hancock added that beyond the basic idea of the plan, he opposed development because of the way the University is moving forward with it.
“What we’re all kind of driving at here is that the University and the city both haven’t been in compliance with the very agreement that they set out together with one another,” Hancock said.
ASUO Environmental Advocate Nathan Howard also attended the meeting and described the context of the Riverfront issue through walking to a football game at Autzen Stadium.
“When you’re walking to that game, you’ve got that beautiful open space on the Riverfront,” Howard said. “That is what is being developed.”
University junior Esteban Vollenweider will be at the Senate meeting today wearing blue to show his support of the resolution.
“I have studied architecture and planning for three years, and everything I have learned has signified this is a bad idea,” Vollenweider said. “I think it’s really good that the community has created a powerful initiative to voice their opinion about the development of Eugene.”
Rousseau said she opposes development based on the issue of sustainability.
“Sustainability is an issue that the high majority of U of O students care about and really want to see UO prioritize,” she said.
The University Senate will meet today at 3 p.m. in room 175 of the Knight Law Center, where University faculty, staff and select students will vote on a resolution from Connecting Eugene requesting Lariviere hold a public review period.
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