Sean C. Morgan
The Sweet Home Planning Commission Monday approved a conditional use permit for the new City Hall.
During its regular meeting, the Planning Commission also recommended to the City Council the approval of a zone change, from low-density residential to highway commercial, for the bulk of the property.
The conditional use permit is contingent upon council approval of the zone change at its next regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday in the Sweet Home Police Department training room. The council will hold a public hearing.
City ordinance requires public uses, such as schools and city buildings, to obtain a conditional use permit.
The conditional use permit applies to about 6.5 acres on four properties. Three small properties along Highway 20 that are part of the conditional use permit are already zoned highway commercial. The rezone applies to the largest property, which is approximately 5.3 acres.
The city is planning to remodel the former U.S. Forest Service Sweet Home Ranger District office located on the largest of the properties.
The use of the property includes parking in support of City Hall, storage in an existing shop building, office space, public gathering space and similar uses that customarily occur with a City Hall.
Planning Commissioner Edie Wilcox said she has heard that Public Works may move to the same property and was concerned about potential noise from Public Works vehicles there.
Community and Economic Development Director Jerry Sorte said that any Public Works buildings would be subject to an additional conditional use permit and that this conditional use permit applies only to City Hall functions.
The City Hall building, including covered porches is about 13,225 square feet. The shop building is about 1,904 square feet with a 672-square-foot loading dock.
The public had no comments on either the rezone or the conditional use permit requests.
The council purchased the building as its new City Hall in July 2016 for $750,000.
The building was constructed in 1989 for the Ranger District, which moved to its work center at 4431 Main St. in May 2006. With shrinking staffing and budget levels, Ranger District officials sought to save more than $100,000 per year. The district had paid $240,000 per year in lease payments for the 12,000-square-foot building.
The council decided to purchase the building due to a number of problems with the current City Hall building, 1140 12th Ave.
The schematic design estimate to remodel the new building is approximately $1 million. The city opened bidding for the project in August and is scheduled to accept a bid for a contractor this month.
Present at the meeting were commissioners Thomas Herb, Chairman Lance Gatchell, Eva Jurney and Wilcox. Henry Wolthuis and Greg Stephens were absent.
In other business, the commission:
– Continued a hearing to allow an applicant to submit new drawings on a proposed partition of a 38,000-square-foot property on Mountain View Road.
The applicant, Mark C. Rose of Corvallis, proposed partitioning the property, 980 Mountain View Road, into three lots with another partition later to create a fourth lot. He plans to construct houses on each lot, with a single driveway serving all four. A single house already exists on the property.
The buildable area is surrounded by steep hillsides sloping down from Mountain View.
Commissioners were concerned, based on comments, about drainage issues and how to build sidewalks on Mountain View along this property.
Additionally, based on a misunderstanding of property width requirements, Rose said he wanted to redraw the property lines.
Commissioners were also concerned about fitting in space for a fire engine to turn around.
Staff Engineer Joe Graybill said a tunaround must be 96 feet from curb to curb.
During the continued hearing, the commission may receive additional comments, including new drawings from Rose.