The City of Springfield's efforts to expand their Urban Growth Boundary to a rural area near Mount Pisgah have hit a snag. The largest landowners on Seavey Loop Road have changed their stance from neutral to opposed to the city's plans.
Bob Straub started acquiring land on Seavey Loop in the 1950s. The late Oregon governor's grandson manages the 56 acres with his sisters.
Straub: "My grandfather liked the idea of preserving the land for farming use. He always felt a close connection to the farming community."
Jim Straub says his family originally took a neutral view of Springfield's UGB expansion. The city wants to change the zoning to commercial / industrial. After doing research and talking with neighbors Straub says…
Straub: "We realized that this wasn’t just strictly a monetary decision that my family was making here. It was really about the livability of the community. And we've got our roots out there."
Straub grew up on Seavey Loop and his parents still live there.
Springfield Development Services Director Len Goodwin says the city will honor the Straubs' request to be outside of the UGB plan. But the city needs more industrial and commercial land and would likely move forward with a smaller footprint.