Sean C. Morgan
The Sweet Home Economic Development Group Board of Directors will tell the Linn County Board of Commissioners that it remains interested in county property for potential development as a new festival site and park.
The board also will seek advice from an environmental attorney about the property, members decided Oct. 15 at their monthly meeting.
In August, Commissioner Roger Nyquist urged the SHEDG Board to request the property, some 193 acres formerly owned by Morse Bros., now called Knife River, and then the Western States Land Reliance Trust, which lost the property to the county for nonpayment of property taxes.
Nyquist told the board that cleanup is complete, with Knife River’s cooperation, and the county was expecting a letter from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality at any time.
Since then, a SHEDG committee has been researching the property, which was last used as a rock quarry.
Director Rob Poirier said he found encouraging a report presented by fellow Director Rachel Kittson-MaQatish on Oct. 15 but noted the board still has much work to do before deciding whether to ask the county for the property.
Kittson-MaQatish said the board probably needs to get back to Nyquist and let him know it is actively looking at the property and remains interested.
Director Rick Ely added that the board should also let the commissioners know SHEDG remains interested, but he does not want to move on developing the property until the DEQ has issued a “No Further Action” letter on the cleanup.
The property is cleaned up to a commercial standard but not to a residential use standard, according to Kittson-MaQatish’s research, and directors were concerned about how that would impact the property value, were the board to sell a portion of the property.
Directors also were concerned about the potential tax liability, although SHEDG President John Wittwer pointed out some potential uses that might reduce the tax burden, such as reclamation and education.
A festival site for the Oregon Jamboree, which is owned and operated by SHEDG as a fund-raising event, is unlikely to be tax-exempt, Wittwer said. Property tax exemption is based on the use of a property.
The board needs to analyze the financial impact of the property further, he said.
Kittson-MaQatish said she would like to seek the opinion of an environment attorney to look at it from an environmental and land-use perspective.
Board members also remain unsure of what the best choice might be for ownership, the city, county, SHEDG or another.
At this point, said Jamboree Festival Director Erin Regrutto, she doesn’t see any deal breakers and suggested taking a report to the full county Board of Commissioners and setting up a time line for further action.
Following the discussion, the board voted to hire an environmental attorney and to give a presentation to the commissioners.