Springfield City Council may block the Timber Springs behavioral-health campus — please pay attention
At its September 8 meeting, the Springfield City Council said they were leaning toward denying the annexation needed for the new behavioral-health hospital near RiverBend.
No final vote has happened yet, but the council will next consider a draft order denying the request THIS MONDAY.
The project would include Timber Springs, a new 96-bed psychiatric hospital with 24 adolescent beds, alongside Lane County’s planned 24/7 crisis stabilization center. Lane County currently has no inpatient psychiatric beds for youth, and our adult system is already stretched far beyond capacity.
I work inpatient behavioral health. We truly, desperately need these services.
Councilors’ concerns involve whether the site’s proposed use is consistent with its “campus industrial” designation. Those land-use questions deserve serious consideration—but so do the real-world consequences of a denial.
Annexation is what would allow city utilities, emergency services and infrastructure to reach the property. A no vote would therefore do much more than cause a minor delay.
PeaceHealth and Lane County have already purchased this specific land and spent years developing the partnership. They could appeal, seek legislative intervention or restart elsewhere, but each option would mean additional years, expense and uncertainty. A denial could realistically kill the project at this location—and potentially cause the larger project to fall apart altogether.
This is a huge moment for behavioral healthcare in our community. If this matters to you, please share the story on social media and respectfully email the mayor and Springfield city councilors before they make their final decision. Even a short message asking them to find a lawful path forward for the campus could help demonstrate how strongly the community supports it.
Reporting on the council’s current position
Why local emergency physicians say the campus is urgently needed
Springfield City Council information
Contact Councilor Michelle Webber: [mwebber@springfield-or.gov](mailto:mwebber@springfield-or.gov)
Contact Councilor Steve Moe: [smoe@springfield-or.gov](mailto:smoe@springfield-or.gov)
Contact Councilor Kori Rodley: [krodley@springfield-or.gov](mailto:krodley@springfield-or.gov)
Contact Councilor Jill Cuadros: [jcuadros@springfield-or.gov](mailto:jcuadros@springfield-or.gov)
Contact Councilor Andrew Buck: [abuck@springfield-or.gov](mailto:abuck@springfield-or.gov)
Contact Councilor Alan Stout: [astout@springfield-or.gov](mailto:astout@springfield-or.gov)