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About Cottage Grove sentinel. (Cottage Grove, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 14, 2019)
8A | WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 14, 2019 | COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL Housing from A1 included the full package: a parking area, athletic fi eld, asbestos abatement, some demolition and the rebuild- ing of the gym. Th ough initial costs were estimated by the school district to be around $900 thousand for the whole en- deavor, the discovery of additional structural issues shot the cost of maintaining the gym alone up to around $1 million. With the other items still on the price list, fi nal es- timates on the fi rst option came to more than $2 mil- lion — more than double what was initially expected. A second option, which excluded salvaging the gym, dropped those costs to between $800 and $900 thousand — still not an en- tirely attractive option for a district trying to manage a gradually draining bond fund. Lastly, option three was to sell the property off with conditions. Th is April, the school board enlisted the services of the Lane Council of Gov- ernments (LCOG) Chief Financial Offi cer Howard Schussler to facilitate a di- alogue regarding these op- tions. “Th e intent was being able to really thoroughly go through these [options],” said South Lane School Dis- trict Superintendent Larry Sullivan. “And Howard’s re- ally a masterful facilitator — he makes sure everybody gets heard and that we real- ly exhaustively go through these things.” In considering the third option, the board also re- ceived advice from the city on rezoning and how it could play into the city’s housing plans. According to a strategy adopted earlier this year from the city’s latest hous- ing needs analysis, the city committed to working with the school district to look at surplus lands and how they may help the city meet its housing needs. “One of the major things they were looking at was how the city can help the school district fi gure out what to do with this proper- ty,” said City Planner Aman- da Ferguson, “and more spe- cifi cally, how can we meet some of our housing needs with this property?” In May, the board vot- ed unanimously to sell the property under the assump- tion it could be rezoned and that abatement of the asbes- tos could be stipulated upon sale. “We want to be good community members and if we couldn’t aff ord to build a big complex there or salvage that, what could we do?” ex- plained Sullivan. “And the goal was really to fi nd some way to work with the city — which we did collaborate with — to fi gure out a way where this could be poten- tially what they also need, which is housing.” Th ough appraisers at Duncan & Brown put the property value at around $745,000, Sullivan said the sale is likely to come in around $300 or $400 thou- sand due to the necessary abatement and demolition work. Local opinions Despite the board’s una- nimity on selling and rezon- ing, not all local residents have agreed with the plan. According to one area res- ident who asked not to be named, housing was not fi rst on his list. “I’d just as soon [prefer] it wasn’t residential,” he said. “Looking back, they’re do- ing the new swimming pool. What I think it should’ve been in the fi rst place was a big rec center.” As part of the 2016 pro- posed bond projects, the school district is currently renovating the Warren H. Daugherty Aquatic Center. “It would’ve been nice to have just a big rec cen- ter where people can go,” said the resident. “Even if you pay monthly dues, that would’ve been great. I would rather see something like that …” Another resident of the Harrison area, Simon Marti- nez, had heard of the rezon- ing but was somewhat indif- ferent about the municipal machinations at work. “I kind of fi gure they’re gonna do what they’re gon- na do,” he said. “I mean, they can talk, make people feel like they have something to do with what they’re going do with it. But my experi- ence is just that they’re mak- ing people feel like they have a say in what’s going happen — but they’re gonna do what they’re gonna do.” For his own part, Marti- nez was happy to concede that control to the district as long as life in the area main- tained a level of quality. “Th ey can do whatever they want around here and it’s not going make it as bad as where I moved from,” he said. “I hope they don’t do anything that messes up property values in that area, but again, you can just hope, right?” In a July 22 City Coun- cil meeting with Harrison’s rezoning on the agenda, resident Molly Patterson ex- pressed her disappointment with the rezoning and the lack of eff ectiveness dissent- ing voices seemed to have on the topic. Previously, Patterson and other concerned residents had attended a June 19 Plan- ning Commission meeting to voice their discontent with the rezoning issue. A request by Th e Senti- nel to speak with some of the other residents who appeared at the Planning Commission meeting was not answered. Cottage Grove 200 Gateway Blvd. Cottage Grove, OR 97424 4 (541) 942-5400 Mon. - Sat. 8am - 9pm Sun. 9am - 8pm Ed & Kori Sowa Independent Owner-Operators facebook.com/CottageGroveGroceryOutlet SAVE 40-70% ON GROCERIES. BEAUTIFUL, HUH? Come experience our new laser Dentistry without anesthesia In both public hearings, residents were told that their concerns could not be eff ectively addressed at the respective venues, in large part due to the fact that each panel’s responsibilities were simply to ensure that appli- cations were legally viable. From a municipal per- spective, hands were tied. And as future public hear- ings on the topic will follow, the process of civic engage- ment may become even harder. “Th at can get really com- plicated for people,” Fergu- son said, “because they are looking at multiple appli- cations and they need to be aware of what the concerns are for each one and ad- dress their concerns directly to that criteria.” While city and school dis- trict offi cials encourage civic engagement, the question of where and when to eff ective- ly render public opinion re- mains a curiosity for some. School districts, for exam- ple, are not required to allow public comment, but meet- ings are required to be held in public. “A school board meeting is a meeting for the board to do work in public. It’s not a public meeting in the same way as other meetings are,” said Sullivan. Th e board has regular ses- sions once a month, which are announced on the dis- trict’s website, and in which public comment is usually allowed. Depending on the project, some work ses- sions are open for comment as well, such as the case with the closing of Latham School. In the case of Harrison, the process has been on the table for quite some time. WWW.CGSMILES.COM and Gift Boutique “A Flower Shop and so much more” Creative Floral Arrangements Jewelry • Balloons Home Décor Fine Gifts Boutique Clothing & Accessories Deliveries Locally and Worldwide Locally owned and operated since 1984 Quality and Satisfaction Guaranteed 119 South 6th Street • 541-942-0505 First Presbyterian Church 3rd and Adams St 541-942-4479 Rev.: Karen Hill Worship: 10:00am Sunday School: 10:00am fpcgrove.com Calvary Baptist Church 77873 S 6th St • 541-942-4290 Pastor: Riley Hendricks Sunday School: 9:45am Worship: 11:00am The Journey: Sunday 5:00pm Praying Thru Life: Wednesday 6:00pm Hope Fellowship United Pentecostal Church 100 S. Gateway Blvd. 541-942-2061 Pastor: Dave Bragg Worship: 11:00am Sunday Bible Study: 7:00pm Wednesday www.hopefellowshipupc.com “FINDING HOPE IN YOUR LIFE” First Baptist Church 301 S. 6th st • 541-942-8242 Pastor: David Chhangte Sunday School 9:30am Worship Service 10:30am Youth Wednesday 6:30pm cgfi rstbaptist.com 350 E. W ASHINGTON A VENUE • C OTTAGE G ROVE The Flower Basket COTTAGE GROVE: 6th & Gibbs Church of Christ 195 N. 6th St. • 541-942-3822 10:00am Christian Education: Pre-K through 5th www.6thandgibbs.com Delight Valley Church of Christ 33087 Saginaw Rd. East 541-942-7711 • Pastor: Bob Friend Two Services: 9am - Classic in the Chapel 10:30am - Contemporary in the Auditorium 541.942.7934 A proud sponsor for the Kids Summer Reading Program w w w. s t a r f i r e l u m b e r. c o m Worship Directory Cottage Grove Faith Center 33761 Row River Rd. 541-942-4851 Lead Pastor: Kevin Pruett www.cg4.tv Full Childrenʼs Ministry available Services: 9:00am & 10:45am C ALL U S T ODAY ! A Proud Supporter of Our Community Since 1983 “We’ve been talking about the bond and what we’re going to do with the bond funds since Septem- Cottage Grove Bible Church 1200 East Quincy Avenue 541-942-4771 Pastor:Bob Singer Worship 11am Sunday School:9:45am AWANA age 3-8th Grade, Wednesdays Sept-May, 6:30pm www.cgbible.org DENTISTRY WITH FAMILY IN MIND P.O. Box 547 Cottage Grove, OR See SCHOOL 9A Church of Christ 420 Monroe St • 541-942-8565 Sunday Service: 10:30am Brent Bitner, DDS 541-942-0168 St. Philip Benizi, Creswell 552 Holbrook Lane Sunday 8:30 AM St. Andrews Episcopal Church 1301 W. Main • 541-767-9050 Rev. Lawrence Crumb “Church with the fl ags.” Worship: Sunday 10:30am All Welcome Seventh-day Adventist Church 820 South 10th Street 541-942-5213 Pastor: Kevin Miller Bible Study: Saturday, 9:15 am Worship Service: Saturday, 10:40 Mid-week Service: Wednesday, 1:00 Living Faith Assembly 467 S. 10th St. • 541-942-2612 Trinity Lutheran Church Worship Services Sundays: 9a & 11a 6th & Quincy • 541-942-2373 Youth Worship Sundays: 11a (all Pastor: James L. Markus ages welcome) Sunday School & Adult Education Mondays: 5:30p (6th-12th grades) 9:15am Sunday Worship 10:30 am Non-Denominational Comm. Kitchen Free Meal Tue & Thur Church of Christ 5:00pm TLC Groups 1041 Pennoyer Ave tlccg.com 541-942-8928 Preacher: Tony Martin United Methodist Church Sunday Bible Study:10:00am 334 Washington 541-942-3033 Sunday Worship:10:50am & 5:30pm New Pastor Craig Pesti- Strobel www.pennoyeravecoc.com Worship 10:30am umcgrove.org Old Time Gospel Fellowship 103 S. 5th St. • 541-942-4999 “VICTORY” Country Church Pastor: Jim Edwards 913 S. 6th Street • 541-942-5913 Sunday Service: 10:00am Pastor: Barbara Dockery Join in Traditional Christian Worship Worship Service: 10:00am Message: “WE BELIEVE IN Our Lady of Perpetual Help MIRACLES” and St. Philip Benizi Catholic Churches 1025. N. 19th St. 541-942-3420 Father John J. Boyle Holy Mass: Saturday Vigil – 5:30 PM Sunday – 10:30 PM For weekday and Holy Day of Obligation schedule see website OLPHCG.net Confession: 4 PM to 5 PM Saturdays or by appointment CRESWELL: Creswell Presbyterian Church 75 S 4th S • 541-895-3419 Rev. Seth Wheeler Adult Sunday School 9:15am Sunday Worship Service 10:30 am website www.creswellpres.org Our Worship Directory is a weekly feature in this newspaper. If your congregation would like to be a part of this directory, contact us today! S entinel C ottage G rove 541-942-3325 116 N. 6th Street Cottage Grove, OR
