© 2023 KLCC

KLCC
136 W 8th Ave
Eugene OR 97401
541-463-6000
klcc@klcc.org

Contact Us

FCC Applications
Oregon's Willamette Valley seen from Eugene
NPR for Oregonians
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Available On Air Stations

Land Swap Between City / County Gets Green Light From Judge

MVIMG_20181010_123312.jpg
Rachael McDonald
/

A judge has given the go-ahead for Lane County and the City of Eugene for a land-swap that involves a remnant of the original land deeded to the county by Eugene and Mary Skinner.

 

Lane County want to sell the City of Eugene the so-called butterfly lot and purchase the former City Hall lot. The county would like to build a new courthouse on that land. The City wants to use the butterfly lot for a new City Hall building and a town square. Part of that would potentially include a year-round farmer's market. Ken Darling, who is a descendant of the Skinners, says the deed stipulated the parcel to be for public use. Darling says his great, great grandfather was a lawman:

townsquare.jpg
Credit City of Eugene
/
Rendering of town square proposed for the current butterfly parking lot in downtown Eugene.

“He knew better, when writing up this 40-acre donation that if he wanted it for him and Mary, for this to be properly donated, for there to be restrictions in it so that these types of things didn’t happen.”
The county will next submit paperwork to the judge and then the Darling family has 30 days to appeal the judge’s decision.
 

Rachael McDonald is KLCC’s former News Director. Rachael has a BA in English from the University of Oregon. She started out in public radio as a newsroom volunteer at KLCC in 2000. After reporting for the Northwest News Network and KAZU, Rachael returned to KLCC in 2007 as Morning Edition host and a general assignment reporter covering politics, the environment, education, and the arts. She was hired as KLCC News Director in 2018. Rachael departed KLCC in June, 2022.
Related Content