Roseburg Zoning Proposal Could Clear Path for UCC Childcare Facility at Former Woolley Center

ROSEBURG, Ore. - A proposed change to Roseburg's zoning code could remove a hurdle for Umpqua Community College's plans to turn the former Woolley Center property on Harvard Avenue into a childcare facility.

The Roseburg Planning Commission held a public hearing July 6 on a city-initiated amendment that would allow a day care facility as a permitted use in the city's Public Reserve, or PR, zoning district.

Under Roseburg's currently published zoning code, day care facilities are not permitted in the PR zone. The proposed change would allow that use, potentially clearing a land-use obstacle for childcare projects on properties with that zoning designation.

The proposal comes several months after Umpqua Community College announced plans to explore using its former Woolley Center at Fir Grove for expanded childcare services.

According to UCC's April 8 announcement, the college is considering the former Woolley Center property on Harvard Avenue as the location for a licensed childcare facility serving infants, toddlers and preschool-aged children.

The building became available after UCC moved its GED, Adult Basic Education and English as a Second Language programs to remodeled facilities in downtown Roseburg.

UCC does not plan to operate the childcare center itself. Instead, the college said it intends to provide use of the building and surrounding property to a qualified organization with experience in early childhood education.

Plans could include remodeling the existing building and potentially expanding the property to create additional space specifically designed for childcare.

When the project was announced in April, UCC President and CEO Dr. Rachel Pokrandt said childcare availability was a significant issue for families across Douglas County.

The project was still in its early planning stages at the time, with UCC saying construction was not expected to begin for at least a year.

Federal funding is also being pursued for the project.

UCC initially said the effort was connected to a proposed $1 million federal funding request supported by U.S. Rep. Val Hoyle. The college said the money, if appropriated, could be used to complete design work and begin construction.

Since then, a fiscal year 2027 Community Project Funding table released by the House Appropriations Committee lists $500,000 for the "Umpqua Community College Douglas County Childcare Facility."

The listing represents proposed congressional funding and does not mean the money has been finally awarded.

The July zoning proposal appears to address another piece of what would be required for a childcare facility to move forward at a property in Roseburg's Public Reserve zone.

As of Aug. 12, the city's published online zoning code still lists a day care facility as prohibited in the PR zone, meaning the proposed change has not yet been reflected in the city's codified regulations.

UCC has not announced a childcare operator or a construction start date for the former Woolley Center project.