Lane County Commissioners have voted to loosen overnight sleeping rules in the urban areas just outside of Eugene.
Camping on private property is allowed in Eugene’s city limits, with some limitations. It hasn’t been allowed in the urban growth boundaries - populated areas that are technically unincorporated.
Those include fragments around Eugene’s edges and parts of the River Road and Santa Clara neighborhoods.
Lane County Senior Planner Rachel Serslev told commissioners Tuesday that the change will allow people to sleep in an RV or tent on private property when they have the owner's permission.
“If a tent is proposed, it must be five feet from property lines and the property owner is not allowed to require any payment for this overnight sleeping,” she said.
Property owners are also required to provide access to sanitation, storage and garbage disposal.
The rules are based on Eugene’s policies and will be enforced by the city, not the county.
The expansion also removes restrictions that prevented Eugene’s Rest Stop program, authorized overnight sleeping in designated parking lots, from locating in those areas as well.
The change does not impact camping rules around Springfield - which already limited enforcement of private property camping rules to assist displaced wildfire victims staying with family and friends in the community.
