Residents near Mount Pisgah are opposed to a plan by the City of Springfield to increase its Urban Growth Boundary. The group "No Industrial Pisgah" is meeting with two state lawmakers this week to find out if there's a way to prevent the UGB expansion.
The city of Springfield is working on a state-mandated expansion of its Urban Growth Boundary and eyeing the farmland around Mount Pisgah for industrial zoning. Charles Stewart lives and farms on Seavey Loop Road. Stewart and his neighbors are concerned about possible water pollution from industry, which could affect farms and the 4,000 acre Buford Park.
Stewart: "Ultimately, we're looking to permanently protect this neighborhood which again is the sole urban buffer to a park which is now visited by, it has half a million visits per year. This one park represents half of all Lane County parkland."
Johnson Crushers, which distributes rock crushing equipment, is currently nearby on Franklin Blvd. and under Springfield's plan it could expand to Seavey Loop Road. Stewart points out that its parent company has been fined in the past by the EPA for Clean Water Act violations. He says he doesn't oppose the company's growth but his neighborhood is not the right place for it.
State Senator Lee Beyer and Representative Phil Barnhart will meet with residents at Mount Pisgah Arboretum Wednesday evening from 5 to 6:30. The meeting is open to the public.