PENDLETON – The city of Pendleton took another step to
\nopening an area on the town’s South Hill for a massive housing development.<\/p>\n
“It’s probably the biggest ever in Pendleton,”
\nCity Manager Robb Corbett said. “It\u2019s three times the size of the Sunridge
\nsubdivision south of the middle school, but with an arterial road, allowing
\naccess to neighborhood streets. There could be 1,000 homes, plus commercial
\ndevelopment in the western parcels.”<\/p>\n
The city plans development of commercial and residential
\nproperties on about 250 acres south of Interstate 84 between Exits 210 and 216
\nwithin its urban growth boundary. The city estimates an $8 million price tag
\nfor a new road connecting Highway 11 near the Red Lion Inn with Highway 30 at
\nthe I-84 Exit 216 intersection. Given elevation changes, the project will
\nrequire a $3 million water boost station, Corbett said.<\/p>\n
Oregon\u2019s U.S. Sens. Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden on July 29
\nannounced securing funding for community projects across Oregon in the Fiscal
\nYear 2023 Senate Appropriations bills. One of those items was $1.5 million for
\nPendleton for this housing expansion project.<\/p>\n
The city council at its July 26 meeting authorized the
\nPortland infrastructure engineering firm Murraysmith to complete two bid-ready
\nwater transmission main designs. The cost of the order is not to exceed
\n$128,692.<\/p>\n
The council approved a five-year professional engineering
\nservice agreement with Murraysmith in June 2017 and recently approved a
\none-year extension of the agreement to July 18, 2023, the meeting agenda
\nreported.<\/p>\n
The order addresses the design of two water transmission
\nlines. Both are related to water system master planning projects:<\/p>\n
One design is to replace the 1910 concrete box gravity line
\nwith a new 24-inch water transmission main. The older transmission main
\ntransfers water from the water filtration plant reservoir to the South Hill
\nreservoirs. The new line means the city can abandon the gravity line, adding
\nacres for development consideration.<\/p>\n
The second design is for a new 18-inch transmission main to
\nallow for development of about 270 acres. This is part of the booster pump
\nstation replacement already under design with Murraysmith.<\/p>\n
“The goal of the water lines and boost pump station is
\nto enable residential and commercial development whenever that might go
\nahead,” Corbett explained.<\/p>\n
City staff intended to perform this work in-house but there
\nare three vacancies in the Community Development Department Engineering
\nDivision, prompting the city to seek a contractor. One is a newer position that
\nhas not been filled, another is from a retirement in January and the third is
\nfrom a resignation in June. The city has not had success with filling these
\npositions to date.<\/p>\n
Pendleton has done outreach and advertising, garnering one
\nnon-qualified application to date, Corbett said. Lack of engineers has been an
\nissue for both municipal and private sector firms.<\/p>\n
The Umatilla County Board of Commissioners approved a $2
\nmillion revolving fund to Pendleton for the road late last year. The city is
\napplying for state and federal grants for the water and road projects now.<\/p>\n
“Pendleton\u2019s policy is that developers have to pay
\ntheir own way,” Corbett said. “The city is trying to put the money
\ntogether, with the understanding that the developer would pay us back. We\u2019re
\ndoing just enough right now, then we\u2019ll create a reimbursement district,
\nallowing property owners to repay us, based upon their development. There are
\nhuge upfront costs. We\u2019ll partner with developers to jump start the project.
\nOnce repaid, the money will be reinvested.”<\/p>\n
The city used its $2 million from the county to make a loan
\nto another developer building house on Southwest Nye Avenue<\/p>\n
“The houses will be built and the loan repaid before
\nthe (connector road) project gets off the ground,” Corbett added.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
He also said the properties belong to the Rees and Goad
\nfamilies and Pendleton real estate broker Jim Whitney.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
PENDLETON – The city of Pendleton took another step to opening an area on the town’s South Hill for a massive housing development. “It’s probably the biggest ever in Pendleton,” City Manager Robb Corbett said. “It\u2019s three times the size of the Sunridge subdivision south of the middle school, but with an arterial road, allowing […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2043","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-in-the-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n