River Road to discuss support for Riviera Shopping Center Feb. 3

from River Road Community Organization and staff reports

We will have an interesting array of information sharing and decision-making at our Feb. 3 RRCO General Meeting.

First, a discussion of alleged increases in drug-related problems last year at the Riviera Shopping Center. It is easy to take the familiar for granted but we are fortunate to have the Riviera in our community.

There you can get your vehicle’s oil changed at Lube It USA or if you prefer to do it yourself, purchase your oil and filter at AutoZone. If you’re even more skilled and your vehicle requires it, you can rent needed specialized tools from Action Rent-All to get the job done.

If you’re hungry, there are a range of options from fresh donuts at Cal’s, a full menu diner at Terry’s or if you prefer Asian cuisine, Kim’s is your place. If a beverage is your need, you can grab a beer at Kind Hop or a latte at Black Rock Coffee Bar.

You can get a mani/pedi at Nail Royalty after you bank at Wells Fargo. And don’t forget the unique shopping opportunities at Dollar Tree and Lit Up Smokes.

Just south of Dollar Tree, we have the car wash, laundromat, Chinese restaurant, Mexican bakery, and Domino’s Pizza too!

All these are available to you without leaving the neighborhood.

It is the case almost everywhere in Eugene that we share our publicly available spaces with the less fortunate unhoused. Unfortunately in recent years, the Riviera’s businesses have met challenges such as messy restrooms and negative interactions with customers and staff.

This activity increased late summer and early fall last year along with a rise in alleged drug dealing in the shopping center parking lot.

Shopkeepers and Jon Belcher of RRCO reached out to the Eugene Police Department for assistance. They rotated their surveillance unit in the Riviera parking lot for a couple of weeks and upped their street crime unit patrols, both of which discouraged undesired activity.

Owners also reached out to the management staff (Equitable Social Solutions) at nearby River Avenue Navigation Center with concerns that some of the issues might be associated with their clients. They worked with their clients to establish expectations for behavior off campus.

They also doubled their security staff and expanded their patrols to cover nearby businesses. As a result, many Riviera Center businesses report a significant decline in the spike of problems.

We, too, can help maintain the ambiance of the Riviera that will discourage the unwanted behaviors in our community. It is as easy as making it a priority to frequent the businesses at and around the Riviera Shopping Center. They are an important park of what makes River Road the place we enjoy.

Please attend the Feb. 3 RRCO general meeting for perspectives and Q&A with Kind Hop Beer Bar co-owner Zena Benson, EPD Community Engagement Team Specialist Jeff Blondé, and River Avenue Navigation Center Manager Glenn Porter.

The Feb. 3 RRCO meeting also includes:

• Proposed RRCO Bylaws. Board Member Terry Morton will present the draft revised bylaws and field questions before the membership votes whether to approve them. This will be the final step in separating our 2010 Charter into (1) a shorter Charter approved earlier by the membership and awaiting City Council approval,and (2) bylaws that can be modified without Council approval. At the end of that discussion, the membership will have the opportunity to approve the bylaws or send them back to the board for revision. You can find the proposed bylaws here.
• Upcoming March RRCO Board Elections. We anticipated that there will be one or more vacancies. Clare Strawn will walk us through the opportunities of being a board member. And remember, to be eligible to be a board member or to vote to elect the board you need to be an active RRCO member. The requirement to be active is to live, own a business or property in the Neighborhood and have attended a General or Board meeting in the past year. The Feb. 3 meeting is your last chance to become active.

For more information, see the River Road Community Organization website, https://riverroadco.org/.