In a guest viewpoint in the Register-Guard, Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy and Eugene Association of REALTORS® president Marie Due call for seeking common ground for moving forward together:

Challenges offer opportunities for people to talk and work together, and to do things better and smarter. We in Lane County have the opportunity to choose how we manage the challenges confronting us.

Some challenges we agree on, even if we aren’t sure of the solutions.

For example, public safety throughout Lane County is threatened by expected cuts to federal timber payments. Eugene, Springfield and other communities recognize the problem isn’t for Lane County government alone: We need to work together to find a solution. Already, the city of Eugene has proposed to help through an innovative funding exchange with Lane County.

Other challenges sometimes divide us.

Last year, the Oregon Legislature passed a special law mandating that Eugene and Springfield maintain separate urban growth boundaries. This new configuration requires planning efforts that reflect the new conditions and still recognize our regional economy and shared future.

Another example: More than a decade after Eugene’s Growth Management Study concluded that most residents want to “Recycle Eugene,” we are working on policies that would preserve the quality of life in our neighborhoods as we live together more densely and continue to seek to grow up, not out.

Still other challenges are new, and we are just coming to grips with them.

Not long ago, people who suggested the supply of oil might not keep up with demand — “peak oil” — were seen as Chicken Littles. Now we read stories daily about the effects of rising fuel costs on every aspect of our lives. People are driving less and taking public transit more. Ironically, Lane Transit District has had to consider reducing services because it, too, is being hit with rising fuel costs.

Across the county, housing prices are falling the most in suburbs with the longest commutes. Thankfully, here in Lane County we aren’t seeing the same kind of drops in home values.

Meanwhile, prices of food and other commodities are rising with the cost of fuel, prompting insecurities and a rethinking of how we use our agricultural lands.

While there remain skeptics of climate change, most now appreciate the connection between the greenhouse gases we produce and changes to our climate. Regions are experiencing wetter or drier weather, warmer or cooler temperatures, and more intense or frequent storms. Change and uncertainty are the name of the game. Here in Lane County, we depend on natural cycles to store adequate water in the winter to use during the summer.

Rising fuel prices, concerns about climate change and dwindling funding for major new roadway projects demand that we rethink how we get from place to place.

Indeed, in a May 30 Register-Guard story about $4 gasoline, Veneta Mayor Tim Brooker says that leaders need to rethink everything from how we repair roads to the plastic items we use.

We must appreciate our diversity and recognize that each community is different and will define “smart growth” for itself. But we also must appreciate that we face a time of great change and great challenges. It’s time to explore ways to achieve our greater common good.

The state is taking a “Big Look” at our land use planning system. It is time to for us in Lane County to take a fresh look together at how we provide affordable housing, living wage jobs and practical transportation choices while protecting our quality of life and the environment.

The National Association of REALTORS® publishes On Common Ground free of charge in order to promote a wide range of views on growth issues, with the goal of encouraging a dialogue among REALTORS®, elected officials and other interested citizens. To obtain On Common Ground and to learn more about smart growth from the REALTORS®, visit www.realtor.org/SG3.nsf.

At an all-day conference on Wednesday in Eugene, we in Lane County can learn from REALTORS® and other experts from across the state and nation about ways to grow better and smarter.

The Lane County Moving Forward Together™ smart growth conference is co-sponsored by the city of Eugene and the Eugene Association of REALTORS®. Other co-sponsors include the Springfield, Cottage Grove, Oregon and National associations of REALTORS®; the city of Springfield, Lane County, the Lane Transit District and the Oregon Transportation and Growth Management Program. For information and registration, visit www.movingforwardtogether.net.

Old and new challenges could affect our quality of life in Lane County. Join us in seeking common ground for moving forward together.

Kitty Piercy is the mayor of Eugene and Marie Due is the president of the Eugene Association of Realtors.

At the Lane County Moving Forward Together™ conference on June 11, 2008, Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy will be moderating the opening session with John Fregonese and participating in the concluding “next steps” panel.