Eugene Residents Urge City to Block Proposed Amazon Megawarehouse

At a Nov. 10 Eugene City Council meeting, a long string of public commenters urged city leaders to block a proposed Amazon megawarehouse planned for the Clear Lake West Eugene area. Speakers described a range of impacts they say the project would bring to the Beltline corridor and nearby neighborhoods, and organizers circulated an online petition opposing the development.

Residents raised specific worries about traffic on the Beltline and the potential for delayed emergency access to RiverBend Hospital, concerns that make the project immediately consequential for public safety. Longtime neighbors warned that increased truck traffic and site operations would strain local infrastructure and heighten risk for drivers and first responders. Commenters also flagged the prospect of wetlands fill on the site and an uptick in diesel truck emissions, drawing the attention of the Lane Regional Air Protection Agency, which is involved in air quality review for the proposal.

Public testimony at the council meeting included both current and former Amazon employees reporting poor working conditions, and longtime neighborhood residents describing noise, safety, and infrastructure concerns. Speakers questioned the quality of jobs that a megawarehouse would create and raised broader labor practice issues tied to large logistics firms. Additional criticism centered on secrecy around the project, including the use of nondisclosure agreements by the developer, which many residents said impeded transparent public review.

The proposed development has also prompted debate about compatibility with Eugene’s stated community values in the Clear Lake overlay, a set of local planning priorities that residents say emphasize environmental protection, neighborhood character, and careful land use. Opponents argued the scale and operational profile of a large distribution campus would conflict with those values and with the surrounding land uses.

City permitting is underway and will include municipal reviews and coordination with regional agencies. Lane Regional Air Protection Agency involvement signals that air quality permits and emissions modeling will be part of the formal review process. Organizers of the opposition have collected signatures through an online petition to demonstrate public concern, and those materials were cited during public comment at the council meeting.

Beyond local impacts, the controversy reflects broader tensions seen globally when large logistics operations locate near residential areas. Questions about labor conditions, corporate transparency, traffic infrastructure, and environmental compliance are recurring themes wherever supply chain hubs expand into urban or semi urban corridors. For Lane County, the immediate stakes remain traffic safety, emergency access to RiverBend Hospital, air quality, and preservation of wetlands and neighborhood character as the city continues its permit review and community dialogue.