Wednesday, September 23, 2026 / Hileman Landing / north Eugene / Vida
One key, eight years, and a 1.2-acre property nobody can drive to
An elderly Vida landowner says Lane County's Hileman Landing gate agreement turns an old access practice into temporary permission; the county says it needs clear control of its keys.
Daniel Davis owns 1.2 acres beside Hileman Landing Park, but the only road to it runs through a locked Lane County gate. From 1991 through 2018, he says, the county gave him a key after he proved ownership. For the past eight years, the key has come with an agreement he refuses to sign.
Davis, who uses a walker, says the agreement recasts access to his land as temporary county permission and lets the county withdraw it or require appointments. Lane County says practices changed so it can track access to gated property and make responsibilities clear. The disagreement sits on top of a complicated land history: a 1939 easement covered the area, but Davis' parcel was later split away without the easement being extended to it.
Davis and the person holding his power of attorney have proposed a permanent lock-and-key arrangement that preserves what they consider a property right. The county says he can receive access if he signs its agreement. No court has settled the underlying claim, and the reporting does not establish that either side's legal interpretation has won.
Field notes
What changed: Fresh reporting documented the long-running Hileman Landing access dispute, the county's current agreement and the land records behind both positions.
Why it matters: The case puts disability access, public-park control and private property rights into the same locked gate, with no permanent resolution after eight years.
Who may be affected: Daniel Davis and future owners of his parcel, Lane County Parks, and people concerned with access rules at gated public land.