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Please join us for this important meeting where we will be presented with the format for planning to get what we want and need in Bethel. With YOUR help and ideas, the new Bethel Plan process will work to make Bethel Better.
Please note: We didn't receive any requests for childcare, so no childcare will be offered at this meeting. It was offered as "If you will require childcare for this meeting, please email bethelneighbors@gmail.com to let us know the children’s ages who will need care during the meeting."
There has not been any overall neighborhood planning done for the Bethel area in over 40 years - since 1982. Little progress has taken place since the Building a Better Bethel report in 2014. This lack of planning is evident in the inadequacy of local amenities (theaters, restaurants), recreation facilities, and critical infrastructure such as bike paths and sidewalks. The ABC Executive Board knows that there are opportunities to make Bethel better - supporting the creation of new jobs and educational opportunities, building better transportation connections, easing the path for redevelopment in key areas, and strengthening business connections. At the April 19, 2023 work session, city councilors expressed a desire to move forward with the Bethel and University District plans. At that work session, there was acknowledgement that a new approach was needed.
The issues that have been brought up (environment, safe routes to school, Highway 99 corridor enhancement which includes sidewalks) are all connected to ongoing city council strategies and Bethel needs to tie our issues to the city strategies.
Our first step is to gather as many email addresses as we can. We've got big plans, and you should be the first to know! Sign up for our email list to be sure you're aware of the latest events, volunteer opportunities, and efforts taking place in the Bethel neighborhood!
To sign up for our monthly email newsletters, just go to the Home Page of our new website. At the bottom you will see Sign up for the monthly Newsletter.
Those who have already signed up to participate on our Bethel Planning Team will receive emails as we begin our planning. If you would like to participate and haven’t already signed up, sign up at our February 24 General Meeting or send an email to bethelneighbors@gmail.com.
Neighborhood Planning during our ABC General Meeting on February 24 at Petersen Barn from 3:30-5:30pm will be presented by:
Alissa Hansen – City of Eugene Planning Division, and Fabio Andrade – City of Eugene Office of Equity & Community Engagement
The new landscape for planning will include:
- New State of Oregon legislation
- Accessory dwelling unit requirements
- Middle housing requirements
- Climate Friendly and Equitable Communities
- Parking Reform
- Rules on housing planning and production
- Envision Eugene Comprehensive Plan
- Eugene 2035 Transportation System Plan
New state legislation emphasizes city wide planning processes. Traditional neighborhood planning processes have been time-consuming and costly.
A new approach to neighborhood planning
• Emphasis on community Engagement
• Responsive neighborhood planning process
• Clear and objective planning process
• Increase Neighborhood Association and community capacity.
Community Engagement:
Foster active participation from residents, businesses, and other stakeholders to ensure that future neighborhood plans reflect the desires and needs of the community.
Increase Neighborhood Association capacity:
Support neighborhood associations in their engagement efforts, so they include more residents and are more capable to deliver community-driven solutions to their area needs.
Responsive neighborhood planning process design:
Design a process that is responsive to current needs of residents and other stakeholders while maintaining alignment with the legal context in which city planning occurs.
Clear and objective planning process:
Neighborhood planning guidelines and templates will guide planning processes to meet minimum requirements and towards simple and actionable neighborhood area plans, which should be completed within two years.
City of Eugene Strategic Plan
Strategic goals and actions are relevant to neighborhood action planning
Urgent Community Needs
- Stabilize the cost of housing
- Increase sense of safety.
- Improve support for local businesses and the business environment.
Culture of Belonging.
- Strengthen relationships within the whole community, with emphasis on the inclusion of the most traditionally marginalized groups.
Communication and Outreach.
- Improve community awareness and understanding of priority topics.
- Engage with a broader cross-section of the community.