I support the community’s concerns about EWEB’s new proposed water reservoir project at 40th and Patterson.

What an opportunity to give something special to this community; however, EWEB’s reputation as the leader and perpetrator of community and neighborhood visual blight suggests EWEB cannot be trusted with this opportunity.

EWEB’s history is about engineering and never about design. There is a radical difference. Their community design history cannot be trusted with this reservoir project, and protest is warranted. It is not about trees or the number of water tanks, it is about community.

To integrate a water reservoir with its “open space gift” could result in a special place like a park or some other community possibility. If a concept is generated and multiple uses and users explored, an integrated design solution can be found, called design.

Single purpose design solutions lack imagination and do not offer any community pride. If EWEB, as a community resource, cannot think beyond their single and immediate needs, then lack of community support is deserved. This has to change. It’s time for EWEB’s board and leadership to integrate their needs, seek opportunities with a broader vision and become a member of this community.

Otto P. Poticha, FAIA

Eugene

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