In the 1/9/20 Eugene Weekly Letters, Rob Handy singled out Executive Director Jacob Fox and Resident Advisory Board commissioners Char Reavis and Michelle Thurston with Homes For Good / HUD for pulling a bait and switch by selling the Lombard site to a private developer.
He hinted that this was done to line their pockets and increase their power. In 1/16/20, Jacqueline McClure took up the hue and cry that this sell of property was a violation of the original purpose of this land. Both of these people represent the Willamette Greenway.
The Willamette Greenway was thought of and implemented from 1966-85. This is a 75-foot-wide path that would go from Eugene to Portland along the Willamette River for preservation and recreation. It was hoped that the various counties would appropriate the unused and vacant land adjoining the Greenway for this purpose. Eugene did not, and instead sold the land in 1998 to HUD/HASCA for low income tenant housing.
From the time the property was bought until the decision to sell it, there were problems with the land and with continuous lawsuits. The neighborhood wasn’t accepting to have low-income people live near them (“those people”). The Greenway Guardians overstepped their cause outside the pathway to work up the neighborhood and interfere with lawful ownership.
The River Road-Lombard neighborhood would have had well maintained federal buildings occupied by rigorously vetted low income neighbors (“those people”).
All RAB members are voluntary low-income tenants — no pay.
Sara Mach
Eugene
Resident Advisory Board Member
A Note From the Publisher
Dear Readers,
The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.
That’s because of you!
Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.
Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.
We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.
And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.
None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.
As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.
Thank you for standing with us!
Publisher
Eugene Weekly
P.S. If you’d like to talk about supporting EW, I’d love to hear from you!
jody@eugeneweekly.com
(541) 484-0519
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