Sean C. Morgan
Sweet Home has a lot going on, and public officials from several agencies are planning an information forum to give area residents a chance to learn more about them and how they may be affected.
“Rivers, Roads and Recreation” will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 25 at the Jim Riggs Community Center.
Topics will include access to public lands, the South Santiam Community Forest concept, the recreation planning and changes proposed for the Quartzville corridor, the Cascadia Post Office, a proposed county park and Jamboree site in Sweet Home, Highway 20, Sweet Home trails and the Sweet Home parks master plan.
Present at the meeting will be representatives of Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, the U.S. Postal Service, Linn County, the Oregon Department of Transportation, the U.S. Forest Service, the South Santiam Watershed Council and the city of Sweet Home.
“It’s an open house forum where people can come and learn about these projects,” said City Manager Craig Martin. Linn County Commissioner Will Tucker, who had been trying to schedule a meeting like this, worked with Martin to set up the forum.
Some of the ideas are conceptual, and some, such as the changes in the Quartzville Corridor, will likely take place in the next year or two, Martin said. The public officials thought it would be beneficial if the public could go to a one-stop forum to learn more about the projets.
Some of the projects have the potential for job creation , Martin said. The forest proposals may provide jobs beyond timber.
The Watershed Council will be available to discuss recent fish passage projects on Ames Creek and future projects.
ODOT will be available to discuss potential Highway 20 improvements east of Sweet Home.
Linn County is involved in several of the topics, including the Community Forest, a new park and Jamboree site.
The city is working on a new master, with a focus on Hobart Park.
The Sweet Home Trails Committee is ready to talk about the Foster Lake Trail and others that may connect to the Community Forest.
The Community Forest is a large idea that will develop a community forest corridor from Sweet Home to the National Forest, incorporating a number of possible features and opportunities in recreation, forest products and more, including a possible trail the length of the corridor. The idea may also help Cascadia with its Post Office, which burned in November 2011 and was slated for closure.
There will be a brief introduction of various projects and proposals, most of which are related at some level, along with the agencies involved, Martin said, and then members of the public will be able to speak directly with representatives of the projects and agencies.
“It’s really intended to be an opportunity for the public to learn about these projects and what they mean to them,” Martin said.
For more information, contact Martin at (541) 367-8969.