Today’s Register-Guard has a guest opinion column co-authored by one of our board members, Ann Vaughn.

Here’s an excerpt form the article:

“For the past two years, residents of River Road and Santa Clara neighborhoods have been working together to protect what we love most about our neighborhoods while preparing for growth and inevitable change. Going back even further, the two neighborhood associations have spent the last 15-plus years gathering input about our neighborhoods, what we should protect and where we can improve.

In 2017, River Road and Santa Clara community organizations partnered with the City of Eugene and Lane County to launch the Neighborhood Plan process. Over 400 people came to the kickoff meeting at North Eugene High School. Our neighbors care deeply about their community and have been at the center of the planning process every step of the way.

We began with a “reaching out” phase, where teams of volunteers knocked on doors, convened home meetings, visited every local business, met our neighbors at grocery stores, food pantries, schools and events in our parks. Using this information, we began to see a structure for organizing the ideas — five distinct topic areas with a vision, goals, policies and a unique set of challenges and opportunities.

Together, we built a draft action plan that, implemented over time, will manifest our vision for our neighborhoods:”

For the rest of the editorial, please visit the Register-Guard editorial page. The column continues with short overviews of the five key areas we have been focusing on: Community, Land Use, Park & Rec, Transportation and Economic Development.

Please attend our Planning Event November 13. We will be reviewing proposed action steps that have been developed by incorporating input from citizen volunteers. The action plan is the last major step in creating this neighborhood plan, so we want to hear from as many people as possible to make sure we get it right. Come connect with neighbors while learning about what’s happening in your neighborhood!

Enjoy free refreshments, harvest-themed activities and a chance to win raffle prizes from local stores and farmers. This event is an opportunity for anyone who lives, works, and plays in River Road and Santa Clara to join in the planning process, meet new friends, and enjoy the bounty of the season.