By Alex Paul
Linn County Communications
At a public hearing held after their regular board meeting on Tuesday, April 21, Linn County Commissioners Roger Nyquist, Sherrie Sprenger and Will Tucker approved a Level 3A Outdoor Assembly Permit for a one-day Nut Growers Society Summer Tour.
The event will be held on Aug. 5 on 98 acres of Third Knight Farms, owned by James Lee III that is zoned Exclusive Farm Use.
The property is approximately 3.78 miles east of the city of Tangent and 1.95 miles east of the intersection of Hwy. 34 and Interstate 5.
Christine Roth, executive director of the Oregon Hazelnut Commission and the Nut Growers Society, said the field day caters to growers, processors and machinery providers only. It is not a public event.
The event may host as many as 800 individuals. According to the Planning & Building Department’s staff report, last year’s summer tour was held on a nut farm near Dayton.
Roth said Oregon has a long history of growing hazelnuts — also called filberts — with the Nut Growers Society founded in 1915.
Participants will enter the farm off Goltra Road. Emergency vehicles will use Hwy. 34 for entrance and egress.
There was no public opposition to the permit request Tuesday and Associate Planner Julia Fox said the Planning & Building Department did not previously receive any comments in opposition to the permit request.
In other business the commissioners:
- Opened bids for the North River Drive Improvement Project. The bids will be evaluated by the Road Department staff and a winning bid will be brought back to the board for final approval. Bids were: North Santiam Paving, $2,247,650; River Bend Construction, $2,339,239; Knife River, $2,718,238.14; Wildish Construction, $2,796,343.72.
- Opened bids for the North River Drive Public Access Improvement Project. The bids will be evaluated by the Road Department staff and a winning bid will be brought back to the board for final approval. Bids were: River Bend Construction, $963,845.47; North Santiam Paving, $992,088; Knife River, $1,021,117.42; Wildish Construction, $1,034,461.86.
- Were told by Dr. Adam Brady that there were 42 births – 20 girls and 22 boys – and 129 deaths – 63 females and 66 males – in the county in March. There were three suicides, all females.
- Extended a lease to provide office space for the Ball Metal Beverage Container Corporation in the Wheelhouse office complex at 421 Water Ave. in downtown Albany for three additional months.
- Approved amending the Linn County Planning Commission Bylaws and Operating Procedures to include new state revisions and to change the starting time of Planning Commission meetings from 7 p.m. to 6 p.m.
- Approved a lease agreement for use of the Courthouse Diner by the Mad Platter Café.
- Appointed Kerry Johnson of Scio to the Linn County Budget Committee.
- Announced that the 2026-27 Linn County Budget Hearings would begin at 9:30 a.m. on Monday, April 27, at the Linn County Fair & Expo Center. The meetings are open to the public. A schedule of hearings is posted at www.linncountyor.gov/media/47991.