Moved: (1) the University Senate declares opposition to the planned development of the first 4.3-acre increment of the Riverfront Research Park North of the railroad tracks on the South bank of the Willamette River until the University undergoes a student and faculty inclusive, open process for revising the RRP Master Plan; and (2) that the Senate President be directed to write and send a letter to the University President and the City of Eugene expressing the Senate's opposition to the planned development North of the railroad tracks along the South bank of the Willamette River.
Background: The University of Oregon's Riverfront Research Park (RRP) Master Plan was approved in 1989. The City of Eugene granted a conditional use permit in October 1989 which specified that construction must be completed by October 10, 2009. The University of Oregon has entered into a ground lease for a 4.3-acre parcel of land on the South bank of the Willamette River within the RRP to be developed by Trammell Crow. The conditional use permit, in requiring a 20-year time limit to complete construction, is intended to guard against changing conditions related to a project. The Campus Planning Committee serves as the primary mechanism for faculty, staff, and student input with regards to University Development, and was not properly consulted with regards to this specific 4.3-acre site. The University Senate passed a resolution on 13 Jan 1999 (US 98/99-04) that stated: "RESOLVED, that the University Senate hereby urges President Frohnmayer to exclude the University-owned lands in the River View and Gateway Sectors from any future commercial development and to designate these lands for open space, recreational fields and natural areas'.
This motion has no significant financial impact.