By Christian Wihtol

Why did Kathleen Jones-McCann build her colossal house — and without getting county permits?

She blames it on the COVID pandemic.

At the Lane County Board of Commissioners meeting on July 7 of this year, Jones-McCann told commissioners she decided to build the house — about 150 feet from the older home she lives in — near the onset of the pandemic.

It had occurred to her, she said, that “if [the pandemic] doesn’t end or there’s other government calamities, I could be housing my kids and my grandkids.”

Before starting construction, she said, she twice drove to the Lane County planning and permit office, but the doors were closed, due to the pandemic. So she built without permits. County staff told commissioners the office was indeed closed to the walk-in public at times during COVID. But, they said, except for a couple of days at the start of the pandemic, customers routinely applied for permits via email and phone. Jones-McCann didn’t do that.

Jones-McCann told commissioners that her contractor advised her to take photos of the work as it was being done and turn the photos over to the county to secure permits. She took photos, but never took them to the permit office.

Jones-McCann portrays herself as something akin to a survivalist or prepper — with lots of money.

“I am a recluse, I have been my whole life,” she told commissioners.

The new house consists of a 2,400-square-foot residential second floor, sitting atop a 3,200-square-foot garage, county records show.

Jones-McCann said she needs the garage for her motorhome. The house is built to “bullet-proof” standards, she said. It has a new well that can be operated by a hand pump in the absence of power, she said. It has a 1,500 square foot array of rooftop solar panels, photos show. “I put in solar panels in case all the electricity went out,” she said. 

Jones-McCann has hoarded a cache of food at the house. “We went and we gathered food stores. I’ve got enough food to feed half of Eugene,” she told commissioners.

It is unclear who, if anyone, lives in the building.