A mock-up of the Eugene Clean Fuels Facility in the Trainsong neighborhood of Eugene.
Courtesy of USD Clean Fuels
The city of Eugene has rejected a proposal for a fuel transfer facility in west Eugene.
The “Eugene Clean Fuels Facility” would have loaded biofuels from rail cars onto an estimated 40 trucks per day. It would have been located on railroad property off of Bethel Drive in the Trainsong neighborhood of northwest Eugene.
City staff approved the project’s zone verification last June, but pulled it for reconsideration in October. This followed pushback from concerned neighbors, and a legal appeal from local environmental group Beyond Toxics.
On Wednesday, the city reversed its original ruling and denied the application. In a letter explaining the decision, Senior Planner Jeff Gepper said staff had used inaccurate maps during its initial review.
“It appears that over time, some versions of the city’s zoning map have incorrectly shown the subject property as unzoned,” he wrote. “However, a property’s depiction on the zoning map is, in and of itself, not enough to change the zoning.”
Related: Proposed Eugene fuel transfer facility faces backlash from local group
Gepper said the property is actually classified as Heavy Industrial. He said Regional Distribution Centers are prohibited within that zoning, and the proposed fuel transfer facility meets that definition.
Beyond Toxics Executive Director Lisa Arkin told KLCC she was overjoyed by the decision. The nonprofit had previously expressed concern about the potential for spills at the facility.
“I’m glad the system worked in the favor of public health and public safety,” said Arkin. “Even though that’s not what the city ruled on, that was the end result.”
In a statement by email, a representative for USD Clean Fuels, the company behind the application, told KLCC it looks forward to evaluating the city’s decision and planning its next steps.
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