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1. How do I know if my land is being considered for inclusion in Urban Reserves?

To see if your property is included in the proposed Urban Reserve area, visit the interactive map in the Urban Reserves Options Story Map and scroll down to the to the 27-year option where there is an interactive map that includes an address search function. If your property is included, we will notify you before the public hearing process begins.

2. What will happen if my property is included in Urban Reserves?

Being included in Urban Reserves means your property will be among the land considered first when a UGB expansion is necessary. Land designated as Urban Reserves will remain rural, and can’t be urbanized, unless it is brought into the City’s urban growth boundary (UGB) through the formal state-directed process for UGB expansion, and is subsequently annexed into city limits.

3. Will Urban Reserves put restrictions on my property?

When Urban Reserves are designated, the City and County will work together to develop policies and code changes to ensure that rural land does not become fully developed before being brought into the UGB. The intention of any code updates for land within Urban Reserves would be to keep rural land rural and ensure that development and land division will not hinder the transition to urban land uses and services. Any new policies or code changes in Urban Reserves areas would need to be agreed to by both Eugene and Lane County.

4. Can I keep doing what I’m doing on this land if it is included in Urban Reserves?

Yes, property that is included in Urban Reserves can continue to be used as it is currently.  Urban Reserves don’t trigger any changes in use.

5. Will Urban Reserves impact agreements set out by Homeowners Associations (HOAs) or through Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions (CC&Rs)?

CC&Rs and other types of HOA agreements are private contracts and are not enforced by the City or County. Urban Reserves cannot change private neighborhood agreements. These private agreements can be more restrictive than zoning laws and may include details on things like accessory dwelling units and minimum lot sizes. The City enforces its zoning laws; it will not enforce CC&Rs even if a property owner applies for a permit to use property in a way that conflicts with their CC&Rs. If a neighborhood is eventually brought into the Urban Growth Boundary, the zoning would change to allow for future urban uses.

6. Do I have a choice about whether my property is included Urban Reserves?

Based on State land use requirements, we have to consider specific areas for Urban Reserves regardless of property owner desire, but staff and decision-makers want to know your opinion about any proposed Urban Reserve area.

7. Can I still provide input?

Yes! As part of the adoption phase, there will be opportunities to provide public comment to decision makers. When that time comes, property owners and interested parties will receive notices, and we will share information on the project’s webpage and Engage Eugene page. Sign up for the interested parties list here.

8. Will I get City services, such as water and sewer, if my property is included in Urban Reserves?

Having your land included in an Urban Reserves area will not change your current service provision. Property owners are only eligible for services, such as sewer and EWEB water, when their property is annexed into the City of Eugene. To annex and receive City services, Urban Reserves land would have to first be brought into the Urban Growth Boundary and then meet the requirements for voluntary annexation. See the next question for more information on this.

9. If my property is in Urban Reserves, then brought into the UGB, will I be required to annex into the City?

Annexation into the city limits is voluntary. Annexation typically occurs when a property owner proposes to develop a property that is within the UGB but is not within the city limits. There has been no discussion of requiring properties to annex if they are brought into the UGB. To annex into the city limits, the property must:

• border the city limits and
• be within 300’ of services (water, wastewater, streets), or
• be willing to extend those services to the project site at the developer’s cost

See the property owner matrix for more information on City and County differences in services, land use, and taxes.

10. What’s the likelihood that my property will come into the UGB if it’s in Urban Reserves?

This is hard to say. There is a chance that the city could need to expand sooner than expected, or that land designated as Urban Reserves would never be included in the urban growth boundary (UGB). In the future, if analysis shows that we need more land to accommodate more people, we will consider expanding the UGB and will look to Urban Reserves areas first. Essentially, Urban Reserves become the first priority land to grow into. However, how much the UGB expands and where within Urban Reserves the UGB expands will depend on several factors, including how fast Eugene’s population grows, how densely we are growing within the UGB, and what kind of land we need (residential, employment, etc). Our Growth Monitoring Program is tracking this. See the graphic illustration on the next page for more information.

11. What will be the impact on my taxes if my property is brought into the UGB?

Bringing property into the UGB does not change the tax rates applied to the property. The tax rates would only change if the property was brought into the UGB and then the property owner chooses to annex into the City limits. See the property owner matrix for more information.

12. If my property is zoned Exclusive Farm Use and is included in Urban Reserves, would I lose my farm tax deferral? What if my property was brought into the UGB?

Being designated as Urban Reserves will not change your farm tax deferral. Property owners who currently farm their land and receive the farm deferral can continue to do so, even if their property is brought into the UGB. The farm deferral program is tied to the use of the land, so property owners can continue to receive the farm deferral even if their zoning changes when they are brought into the UGB. For land currently zoned for Exclusive Farm Use (EFU), property owners would need to reapply for the farm deferral if they were brought into the UGB but can continue to receive it. When a farm deferral property changes use (i.e. is no longer farmed), it will be disqualified from the deferral. Lane County Assessment and Taxation staff are happy to discuss this process in detail with individual property owners.

13. How will my land value change if my land is in Urban Reserves? How will my taxes change if my land is in the UGB or the city limits?

There is no effect on the taxable value as a result of solely changing the land use designation of a property. For private property, the taxable value is equal to the property’s ‘assessed value,’ which is, by law, lower than the market value of the property. Unless the property redevelops or changes use, Oregon state law limits the increase in a property’s assessed value to 3% per year, and it cannot exceed the property’s real market value. It is normal for the market value of a property to fluctuate year-to-year and this does not trigger a recalculation of the Assessed Value.

If a property were brought into the UGB it is likely that its market value would change, but this alone would not change the tax rate or the assessed value. However, if property is brought into the UGB and then the use of that property changes to be consistent with the new zoning then the assessed value would be recalculated. If the rezone occurs, but no new development occurs that shows use is consistent with the new zoning, then the billed taxes proceed as normal. If a property is annexed into the City limits, the tax rate applied to the taxable value will increase, and the overall tax burden will increase accordingly. See the property owner matrix for more information.

14. Return to Urban Reserves Web Page

Click here.