Videra Oak Meadow, a small undeveloped property with wetland areas, is the center of a fiery dispute between residents of the Braewood Hills neighborhood in Southeast Eugene and Piculell Properties, an Arizona-based developer. 

The company intends to build 38 residential lots on 15 acres of the Videra Oak Meadow. Some members of the local community strongly oppose this development, claiming that the plans would encroach upon and harm the meadow’s ecosystem. 

“This is a truly special piece of property, not just a vacant field,” Julie Butler, secretary of the Save Videra Oak Meadow organization, said. 

In an email statement to The Daily Emerald, which Butler described as a compilation of responses from members of the organization, Butler shed light on what makes the property worth fighting for and said the plans for wetland mitigation ask for permission to remove 70% of the existing wetlands. 

According to SVOM, the land is made up of Oak savanna. It was once the dominant ecosystem within the Willamette Valley, but now takes up 2% of the area it used to cover. Most of the Oaks in the Willamette Valley today are over 100 years old. 

Butler’s said that the local ecosystem has a “sponge effect” where the wetlands absorb and slow stormwater flow, insulating a nearby creek from erosion and ensuring consistent flow during the dry summer months. 

Another benefit of the area is its presence as a source of clean water for the Amazon Creek, which the Videra Creek flows into. SVOM also cited the property’s utility as a natural fire break due to the nature of the native Oregon white oaks and the area’s geography. 

The Eugene City Planning Commission tentatively approved the project in February 2025. The commission determined the approval hinged on the property’s designation as a Goal 5 resource, which means Piculell Properties will not have to follow Eugene’s tree preservation and removal standards. 

“(The City of Eugene) has poorly written land use codes with loopholes any developer can dance through,” Butler said. “The city is trying to prove that the area is Goal 5 by using a map from 1978.” 

Butler said the city pointed to the map’s claim of the meadow containing “prominent and plentiful vegetation” as its justification for why the area meets the requirements.

Another grievance with the development cited by SVOM is the high cost of the planned housing. The parcel of land is located high in Eugene’s southwest hills with no access to public transportation and there are no shops or restaurants within walking distance. 

“This is unlikely to address the middle-income housing shortage nor does it do anything to lessen the issue of homelessness,” Butler said.

SVOM also contends that the city is more interested in helping the development than ensuring the current residents’ well-being. 

The statement from SVOM espoused a hope for a better future than what is currently outlined for the area. Their ultimate goal is to purchase and preserve the property. 

“Once purchased, we would donate it to the city as an addition to the current park and create a natural scenic space for everyone to enjoy,” Butler said.“Our hope is that the residents and neighbors will all contribute to ensuring the protection of Videra Oak Meadow for everyone to continue to enjoy and appreciate.”

The post Braewood Hills residents push back against Videra Oak Meadow development appeared first on Daily Emerald.

REI Co-op, the prominent Pacific Northwest-based outdoor retailer, will move its current Market District Eugene store to Oakway Center, on the north side of the Willamette River,  in 2026. 

The co-op, which has over 137,000 people holding membership in Eugene and just under one million in Oregon, cited the opportunity to have a larger space and a greater offering of outdoor items as reasons for making the move. 

The new location, at 95 Oakway Center, formerly Bed Bath and Beyond, is touted by REI as the second-largest in the state behind its Beaverton store.

“(Our original location) today is one of the smallest in the country,” Regional Director Bob Cagle said in a press release announcing the initiative. “Our Oakway Center space will be one level and nearly 10,000 square feet larger than the current store, enabling larger product assortments, improved dressing rooms and ample warehouse space.”

Two major additions to the Oakway Center REI location are a ski and snowboard shop and a full-service bike shop. For a town obsessed with the outdoors, bike and ski shops are surprisingly few and far between. 

Only Berg’s Ski Shop and Tactics, two homegrown Eugene-based shops, offer dedicated snowboard gear, with only Berg’s offering rentals to customers. 

“I can definitely see myself shopping at the new location,” Owen Pyle, a junior at the University of Oregon and avid skier, said. “I’m sure that it’ll definitely have some effect on Tactics and Bergs but I can’t really speak to the extent.” 

Pyle, who is also a lift attendant at Willamette Pass Ski resort, added, “Tactics is always a sponsor of our events at Willamette and Berg’s has a lot of ties to the resort as well. I don’t know if a company like REI that isn’t snow-focused or local would be as committed about giving back to the community and that’s definitely worrying.” 

REI also plans to feature a Re/Supply store in their new location, which allows customers to shop used gear at discounted prices. “I’m really excited about the secondhand store,” Pyle said.

REI added in its press release that it currently employs 41 workers at the Eugene branch. All will be welcome to continue their employment at the new store. No decisions concerning additional hiring have been made yet.

The post REI Eugene to relocate to Oakway Center in 2026 appeared first on Daily Emerald.

A new Oregon law took effect on Jan. 1, which will impose stricter penalties for drug use on public transportation. Senate Bill 1553 classifies the act as a Class A misdemeanor, marking a significant policy shift for the state, which fully decriminalized the possession of small amounts of hard drugs through ballot Measure 110 in 2020.

Measure 110 garnered both praise and criticism. Some law enforcement agencies expressed that without proper enforcement mechanisms in place, their ability to combat drug crime was hindered, while advocates contended it would save lives. Although data shows no direct link between the law and increased overdoses, public sentiment was negative, culminating in last year’s rollback of key aspects of the policy.

Under SB 1553, a Class A misdemeanor is the most severe charge short of a felony in Oregon, as offenders can face up to 364 days in jail, a $6,250 fine or both. The new law could notably impact systems like Eugene’s EmX bus line, which allows riders to board without any upfront fare validation and relies on transit police for fare inspections and addressing disturbances.

Holden Friedrich, a University of Oregon student and frequent EmX rider, shared mixed feelings about the law’s implications. 

“I think the new law is overly harsh in relation to the crime, but overall I feel like these kinds of laws are important to combat the drug problem in Eugene,” Friedrich said.

Friedrich, who identifies as an advocate for drug reform, added, “I’ve personally never seen drug use on the EmX, but I’ve often seen people visibly under the influence. While I’ve never felt directly threatened, I have definitely felt unsafe around people acting erratically.”

The law does not impose additional penalties for passengers found to be under the influence of drugs while riding public transit. In a statement supporting SB 1553, TriMet, Oregon’s largest transit agency serving the Portland area, cited a 30% decline in riders reporting that they feel safe on buses and trains.

For Lane Transit District (LTD), SB 1553 helps bolster a commitment to the enhancement of safety and community outreach that began in 2023 with the implementation of their Community Outreach and Communications Assessment (COCA). In July 2024, LTD appointed Sarah Koski as their first community resource liaison, a position which according to LTD serves as “a touchpoint between the district, the area’s unhoused population and local non-profit organizations.” LTD also partnered with the Reveille Foundation to offer housing services at Eugene Station, providing assessments and housing connections to underserved individuals.

A recent survey of PeaceHealth patients reveals that an overwhelming majority have experienced what they consider excessive wait times and unacceptable conditions.

The Oregon Nurses Association and Pacific Northwest Hospital Medical Association released the survey results last Thursday, showing that 97% of PeaceHealth patients reported negative experiences since the closure of PeaceHealth’s University District emergency room. 

The University District location closure aimed to consolidate staff at PeaceHealth RiverBend Medical Center and cut costs. However, some patients cited wait times and insufficient time with health care providers as their most significant complaints.

Bruk Esayas, a junior at the University of Oregon, shared his experience at RiverBend. 

“I visited RiverBend with an extreme case of tonsillitis,” Esayas said. “When I arrived at 10 p.m., I was told there would be a bit of a wait. The emergency room was filthy, extremely disorganized and smelled terrible. After getting my diagnostics taken, I waited for three hours before going to the front desk to stress that I was in extreme pain and on the verge of passing out.”

Esayas said he begged for acetaminophen or ibuprofen but was denied. 

“They said, verbatim, ‘You are one of the next guests to be seen by a doctor.’ That calmed me down, so I sat back down. Five more hours passed, and it was 6 a.m. After waiting for nine hours and continuously seeing people come in, get help and leave, I left the hospital without receiving any treatment.”

Seventy percent of survey respondents reported long wait times, with some claiming waits of over eight hours, similar to Esayas’ experience. More than half struggled to secure appointments, with some waiting as long as six months. Fifty percent of respondents also said they felt they had insufficient time with their healthcare providers.

The delay in addressing RiverBend’s rising wait times appears tied to the way PeaceHealth measures wait times versus how patients perceive them.

During a public meeting addressing the survey results last week, Dr. Charlotte Yeomans, a PeaceHealth hospitalist and PNHMA president, explained the disparity. 

“[PeaceHealth] only looks at the moment between when the patient was registered and the moment a triage nurse talks to them or pulls them into the room, and they call that the wait time. But patients themselves consider their wait time the entire time they’re in the lobby.”

The ballot measures Oregonians are voting on in 2024 will have a significant impact on not only the lives of Oregon voters, but also how they vote in the future. But what do they actually say? And what would happen if they were enacted? Let’s take a closer look at the statewide measures on the 2024 ballot and what some Oregonians think about them.

Measure 115

Measure 115 would establish an impeachment process for elected state officials, similar to that in the federal system. Currently, the only way to remove an elected official is through a special recall election. The measure would allow a two-thirds vote in the Oregon statehouse to impeach an official, followed by a two-thirds state senate vote to convict and remove the official. 

Oregon is the only state in the nation where the legislature has no power to impeach the governor. The amendment has received widespread bipartisan support.

Measure 116

Measure 116 would establish the “Independent Public Service Compensation Commission” to set the salaries for statewide officials and Oregon legislative representatives, in addition to district attorneys and certain officials. Currently, compensation is decided by the Oregon legislature. Under this measure, once the commission determines the salary, the legislature would have no authority to alter it.

The topic of paying Oregon’s elected officials more came into the limelight after Oregon’s former secretary of state, Shemia Fagan, was forced to resign after it was revealed she had taken a lucrative consulting job with a cannabis company her office was responsible for auditing. Fagan cited her inability to be financially stable on her $77,000 annual state salary as reason for her taking the consulting position. 

Measure 117

Measure 117 would implement ranked-choice voting in Oregon. If passed, voters would rank their choices for office, with the no. 1 ranking representing their preferred option. If a candidate receives 50% of the vote, they win. If no candidate reaches that threshold, the one with the fewest first-place votes is eliminated. If your top choice is eliminated, your vote would go to your second choice, this process would repeat until a candidate receives a majority of the vote.

Proponents of ranked-choice voting argue it reduces polarization and encourages greater voter participation. 

University of Oregon junior Will Cobb said he supports ranked choice voting. “I like it. Having the option to weigh the pros and cons of a couple different candidates instead of just choosing one sounds really good. So yeah I will be voting for it.” 

Measure 118

Perhaps the most polarizing measure on the ballot, Measure 118 would institute a 3% tax on corporations with sales over $25 million. The revenue from the tax would be distributed to Oregon citizens regardless of age or income, with the average rebate estimated at about $1,600. Alaska is the only other state with a similar model, which taxes the oil extraction industry and distributes a yearly rebate averaging $1,200.

Opinions on Measure 118 are sharply divided. Establishment Democrats, Republicans, corporations, and most unions oppose the measure, while more left-leaning groups such as the Pacific Green Party of Oregon support it. 

Opponents to the measure claim that it would jeopardize the security of the state budget and could cause companies to raise prices. 

Joey Barbey, a former small business owner and UO junior from the coastal town of Coquille, Oregon said he thinks Measure 118 would be good for Oregonians. 

 “Measure 118 only seems beneficial to me,” said Barbey. “$1,600 can really help some people, especially college students paying their own way like me.”

Eugene has been without an emergency room for nearly one year since the closure of PeaceHealth’s ER in December 2023 — but that may soon change.

During a citywide healthcare forum on Sept. 26, McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center CEO David Butler announced plans for a new 12-bed satellite emergency department that will be built in Eugene.

At the forum, Butler responded to an audience member’s inquiry about the possibility of a new hospital or emergency department in Eugene. According to Butler, McKenzie-Willamette’s plan has already been approved by Oregon Governor Tina Kotek.

“We actually met with the governor of Oregon and got the green light to move forward with a certificate of need application,” Butler said. “We’ve done a lot of due diligence in the Eugene area and found a local investor and a developer willing to help us put this plan together.”

Butler declined to reveal the facility’s exact location but said that a site had been selected.

“I don’t want to tell you about it—you might go out and buy it—but it has great access,” Butler said. “About 25,000 cars go by there every day, and we’re close to signing a contract, which would allow us to move into the design and architectural phase.”

PeaceHealth’s emergency room was a central location for students and residents to access emergency services. Since its closure, some people have been diverted to the nearby urgent care facility on East 13th Avenue.

However, urgent care is intended for non-life-threatening illnesses or injuries and is not a substitute for emergency services. For those needing immediate or life-saving medical care, the nearest ER is McKenzie-Willamette in Springfield, about 4.5 miles from the University of Oregon campus and on the other side of the Willamette River.

One student affected by the closure was UO junior Lily Thompson, who was struck by a pickup truck while crossing Franklin Boulevard last spring.

“I remember being on the phone with my parents, freaking out and trying to find an ER I could Uber to, but since there were none in the city, I ended up at urgent care,” Thompson said.

Thompson’s experience is not unique. Senior Henos Kissate was skateboarding down 18th Avenue last fall when he fell and knocked out several teeth.

“It was definitely very inconvenient,” Kissate said. “When the firefighters came, all they did was give me some Tylenol. I had to wait until the next day and pay for an Uber to get to where I could receive help. I ended up needing to see a dentist and an oral surgeon. It would have made me feel a lot better if I could have just gone to a nearby ER right away.”

According to Butler, the timeline for the new emergency department’s construction is around two to two and a half years. The satellite facility would  operate under McKenzie-Willamette’s existing license and could potentially expand beyond the initial 12 beds.