NEWS
MyEagleNews.com
Wednesday, July 3, 2019
A7
City receives two local bids for Weaver Building
By Richard Hanners
Blue Mountain Eagle
The city of John Day received
bids from two local parties for the
Weaver Building on Main Street.
Harsh Patel bid $70,000 for
the downtown mixed-use building
with plans to complete remodeling
work by next year.
Tyler Sheedy and his wife,
Krista Qual, bid $125,000 with
plans to complete the remodeling
in three phases that could last 3-5
years.
Both parties wanted the city to
carry the financing and planned to
use income from commercial rent-
als on the ground floor and residen-
tial rentals on the second floor to
pay the city.
The city bought the 120-year-
old, 12,000-square-foot building in
November 2017 using a $100,000
Main Street Revitalization Grant
from the state.
At the time, the building housed
four businesses on the ground
floor, Naturally Yours, Etc., Karen
Barntish LTC and H&R Block,
along with six upstairs apartments,
one of which was occupied. Natu-
rally Yours moved out of the build-
ing in February 2018, which freed
The Eagle/Richard Hanners
The city of John Day received two bids for purchase of the Weaver Building
on Main Street.
up one of the retail spaces for dem-
olition and remodeling.
The city hired Alpine Abate-
ment to remove asbestos and lead
paint from the interior walls of
the vacant ground floor unit and
all 6,000 feet of the second floor.
Many of the walls were stripped
down to studs, with most of the
$75,000 abatement cost covered
by a state Department of Environ-
mental Quality brownfield grant.
The council held a public hear-
ing on proposed conditions for the
sale of the building on May 28.
City Manager Nick Green said
the real market value of the build-
ing and lot was $138,960. The city
agreed to accept installment pay-
ments for the building, which qual-
ifies for a 15% rebate on eligible
improvements through the city’s
urban renewal incentive program.
Patel, whose father owns
Dreamers Lodge Motel in John
Day, said he wanted to create eight
quality residential units upstairs.
He estimated the total cost to
remodel the building at about
$500,000.
Patel said an engineer and an
architect looked over the building
for him. He said the ground floor
units were not ADA-compliant and
did not meet fire code. He said he
was advised to demolish the build-
ing and start over but didn’t want
to do that.
Patel said the city loan could be
paid off in a couple years, but the
sale would be contingent on fur-
ther due diligence by the city. He
said he wanted assurances about
termite damage or rotting founda-
tions in the aging building.
Sheedy, a local building con-
tractor, and his wife described their
experiences in the rental business
in the John Day area. They also
planned to build eight residential
units upstairs.
Sheedy said he planned to do
much of the remodeling work
himself but noted that the proj-
ect would require engineering
that could make the project more
expensive and complicated.
A fire-protection barrier of dou-
ble sheetrock was needed between
the ground floor businesses and the
upstairs residences, so the three
current tenants would need to move
out one by one while the work was
underway, Sheedy said. He esti-
mated remodeling costs at about
$236,000, excluding engineering,
and about $43,000 in rebates.
The building has at least five
levels of historic construction,
Sheedy said. His plans include a
facelift for the front of the building
in line with the downtown vision
promoted by Kim Randleas. Use
of brick or stone veneer could cre-
ate a similar look to the historic
Grant County Bank and Johnson
Bros. buildings on Main Street, he
said.
Mayor Ron Lundbom asked
what would happen if an inspec-
tion found termite damage or rot-
ting foundations, but both bidders
assured the city the project was
doable.
Airport receives City to apply for big federal highway grant
$10 million grant John Day estimates
The
Grant
County
Regional Airport received
more good news with the
announcement it had been
awarded a $10 million grant
by the Federal Aviation
Administration.
Transportation Secretary
Elaine Chao announced $3.18
billion in Airport Improve-
ment Program grants on June
24. A total of 358 grants were
awarded to 327 airports in 46
states.
Airport Manager Haley
Walker informed the Grant
County Court of the news
during its June 26 meeting.
She told the Eagle the FAA
funding is directed at proj-
ects described in the regional
airport’s five-year capital
improvement program.
The airport’s largest CIP
item is to rehabilitate and
widen runway 17-35 at a cost
of $6 million, she said. A deci-
sion on how to use the $10
million will be made by the
airport commission, she said.
In May, the airport learned it
was awarded $6.25 million
to decouple its two runways
and make takeoffs and land-
ings safer. The court agreed
to front the airport funding
for design and environmen-
tal review to get that proj-
ect started. The county will
be reimbursed by the grant
award, Walker said.
Work on apron repairs will
take place sooner, but insuffi-
cient funding exists to com-
plete all the work so it will be
done in phases, Walker said.
The first phase will address
the north corporate apron,
which provides parking and
access to other aprons and the
Forest Service SEAT base.
That work will cost $1.3 mil-
lion, she said. Work on the
general aviation apron will
take place at a later date, she
said.
In other county court
news:
• The court approved the
sale of the Grant County
Health Department building
on East Main Street in John
Day to Community Counsel-
ing Solutions for $400,000.
The county will pay about
$1,400 in closing costs.
• Fair Manager Mindy
Winegar requested that repair
work to the concrete floor of
the Trowbridge Pavilion be
addressed as soon as possi-
ble. The uplifted and cracked
floor poses a serious tripping
hazard, she said. The court
had already agreed to remove
the large cottonwood trees
whose roots were the cause of
the problem, she noted.
Grant County Judge Scott
Myers advised Winegar that
she could loosely word a
request for bids if the cost of
emergency work was under
$150,000. He said the court
would assist in finding a con-
tractor who could grind down
the raised portions of the
concrete.
County
Commissioner
Jim Hamsher noted that some
of the money from the sale of
the Health Department build-
ing could be used to fix the
pavilion, but Commissioner
Sam Palmer asked if it was
wise to spend large sums of
money repairing the pavil-
ion rather than erecting a new
building.
• The court agreed to pro-
vide a quit claim deed to the
Grant County Child Cen-
ter for the Bright Beginnings
daycare and preschool build-
ing near Humbolt Elementary
School.
The county took owner-
ship of the building about
20 years ago to help the non-
profit organization apply for
a federal Community Devel-
opment Block Grant, Myers
explained. But that arrange-
ment should have lasted no
longer than 20 years, he said.
• The court approved a
wildlife protection agree-
ment with the federal Wild-
life Services agency limited
to $40,000.
• The court credited Kim
Hilton of Hermann Finan-
cial in La Grande for helping
the county negotiate a 2.84%
increase in health insurance
costs by MODA Health.
Myers noted that dis-
cussions had started with a
12% proposed increase in
the annual contract. He said
the plan’s provisions were
the same and called the
negotiated increase fair and
reasonable.
• Grant County Emer-
gency Management Coordi-
nator Ted Williams presented
the countywide emergency
plan for annual review and
approval. He said it was bet-
ter for the court to approve
the plan each year rather than
every five years. The cities
will be provided copies of
the large document on flash
drives rather than CDs, Wil-
liams said.
• Palmer’s duties as the
county’s public health admin-
istrator will be handed over
to CCS Executive Direc-
tor Kimberly Lindsay effec-
tive July 1. She will be paid
$500 per month to han-
dle the state-mandated posi-
tion. Palmer said he wanted
to devote his time to other
county issues.
$470,000 in spring
flood damages
By Richard Hanners
Blue Mountain Eagle
Pretty pictures promot-
ing city projects played a
possible role in John Day’s
decision to apply for a large
Federal Highway Adminis-
tration grant.
Mayor Ron Lundbom
said an official at the June
10-11 Regional Economic
Diversification
Summit
hosted by the city of John
Day encouraged the city to
apply for a BUILD grant
with a deadline of July 15.
City Manager Nick Green
said he hadn’t planned to
apply for the grant, which
ranges up to $25 million,
until next year. When Lund-
bom told the official they
weren’t ready to apply, the
official encouraged them to
go ahead, noting that they
had “pretty pictures” that
could influence the award
decision.
Green told the city coun-
cil June 25 that about $900
million in BUILD grant
funding was available this
year, with about half going
to rural areas. The U.S.
Department of Transporta-
tion could waive the 20%
match typically required for
the grants, he said.
With council consensus
to proceed, Green said he
would bring back a scoping
recommendation on July 9.
A primary goal is to find
funding to pay for the Sev-
enth Street extension from
Bridge Street to Patterson
Bridge Road, but funding
from a large BUILD grant
also could pay for linking
Government Road to Valley
View Drive and upgrading
the bridges on Bridge Street
and Patterson Bridge Road.
“These are highly com-
petitive grants that use a
rigorous merit-based pro-
cess to select projects with
exceptional benefits,” Green
told the council.
“If we do not win, the
DOT will typically provide
recommendations on how
to make our application
July 5th, First Friday:
Have a sweet tooth or consider yourself an excellent
judge of food? Then the First Friday dessert crawl is the
event for you! Join downtown John Day businesses this
Friday as they present to you their desserts. Even better
you get to tell us what you think! Fill out the score card
and be entered to win a gift bag with prizes from all the
participating businesses.
more competitive in future
rounds,” he added.
In other city council
news:
• An unexpected request
during a public hearing
delayed the city’s sale of
0.18 acres near the former
Oregon Pine mill site to JD
Rents owners Robert and
Bonnie Watt for $7,745.
The Watts didn’t real-
ize they should have made
their request for addi-
tional land behind JD Rents
during the negotiating phase
and not the public hearing.
They said they needed more
space to allow vehicles with
trailers to turn into the shed
building currently on the
site.
Some
councilors
expressed concern that the
Watts’ request for more land
to the north would block
any opportunity for Eastern
Oregon Building Mainte-
nance to expand west if they
wanted to acquire some of
the former mill site.
The matter will be
brought back after council-
ors have a chance to visit
the site and learn more
about the Watts’ request.
• The city sent a damage
estimate from April flood-
ing to the state Office of
Emergency Management on
June 4 that totals $473,377.
That includes $396,904 for
repairing Fourth Avenue,
a main route to the airport,
where Canyon Creek has
eroded a steep embankment.
• The council approved
six resolutions for the fis-
Everyone is
flocking to the
Prairie City
FIBER FEST
July 27 & 28, 2019
• Workshops • Vendors
• 50 + Shades of Fiber
PRAIRIE CITY FIBER FESTIVAL EVENT • SAT & SUN • JULY 27 & 28, 2019
Fir Acre Farms, Oregon City, OR
Little House Rugs, Auburn, WA
Shaggy Bear, Scio, OR
Sinfully Soft, Roosevelt, WA
The Craft Shop at Mountain Shadow
Ranch, Cottage Grove, OR
Thedoza’s Angoras, Eugene, OR
Back Corner Farm & Fiber, Sweet
Home, OR
Feathergrass Fiber, Idaho Falls, ID
Jitterbug Rugs, Lakeview, OR
Portland Cottage Wool, Canby, OR
Quilts & Beyond, Prairie City, OR
Rock N’ More Accents, Corvallis, OR
Star Eagle Fiber, The Dalles, OR
Wandering Pines Ranch, Weiser, ID
Wooly Moss Roots, Mapleton, OR
Agape Angoras, Mr. Vernon, OR
Dancing Goddess Soap, Idaho Falls, ID
Elegant Fibers, Cheney, WA
Grumpy’s, Prairie City, OR
Jette Seal, Reno, NV
K & R Crafts, Elkton, OR
Pine Creek Studio, John Day, OR
Ranch Hands Wool Co., Seneca, OR
Sid & Tork, LLC, Newman Lake, WA
Sudan Farm, Canby, OR
Twists & Turnings, Portland, OR
Walking One and Only, Prairie City, OR
Whistlekick Pygoras, Winlock, WA
Roseanne Anderson • $105
WS 106 BRAZILIAN EMBROIDERY
Anna Marie Smith • $60
WS 102 LEARNING to SPIN on a WHEEL
Sari Peterson • $90
WS 107 NEEDLE FELTING FUN
Nancy R. Skakel • $75
WS 103 EXQUSITE ‘WEAVING’
Roseanne Anderson • $100
WS 108 COBWEB SCARF
Nancy R. Skakel • $75
WS 104 HAND FELTED SLIPPERS
LeBrie Rich • $110
WS 109 FELTED VESSELS
Nancy R. Skakel • $75
WS 105 LEARNING to SPIN on a DROP SPINDLE
Sari Peterson • $75
CLASSES WILL CLOSE SOON, PLEASE REGISTER ASAP
WS 101 FA BULOUS LOCKER HOOKING
Participating this month
are: etc., A Flower Shop
N’ More, The Ugly Truth
Bar & Grill, Java Jungle,
House to Home, 1188
Brewing Co.
Special Note: This event
is geared towards adults
but is family friendly. (A
fee is required at some
locations).
The Eagle/Richard Hanners
Robert Watt, standing, explains his request to expand his
planned acquisition of city property at the former Oregon
Pine mill site during the John Day City Council’s June 25
meeting. Sitting are Councilor Brandon Smith, left, and
resident Elliot Sky.
WORKSHOP SCHEDULE • FRI & SAT • JULY 26 & 27, 2019
While you’re out enjoy
sales and specials, plus
food, fun, shopping and
so much more!
For the most current info or vendor forms
128883
By Richard Hanners
Blue Mountain Eagle
cal year 2020 budget, which
tops $10.3 million. The gen-
eral fund appropriation is
$1.3 million based on the
$2.9915 per $1,000 property
tax mill rate which has been
in place for a long time.
• Two trail construction
contracts were approved.
Funding will come from
the $191,300 Recreational
Trails Program grant the
city received from the Ore-
gon Parks & Recreation
Department.
Traverse LLC of Prai-
rie City will construct the
Davis Creek trail section for
$61,985 and the North Trail
section for $54,885. Brad
Armstrong of John Day will
construct the River Trail sec-
tion for $51,500.
• The council agreed to
name a new road from High-
way 26 to the city’s commer-
cial greenhouses Johnson
Drive in honor of D.R. John-
son, who last owned the Ore-
gon Pine mill site.
• Councilor Brandon
Smith is moving out of state.
His last day on the coun-
cil will be July 23, Green
said, but Smith noted he’ll
likely miss that meeting.
Green said advertising to fill
the vacancy will begin right
away and an appointment
could be made at the July 23
meeting.
• Lettuce, tomatoes and
other garden produce are
now growing in the city’s
commercial
greenhouses.
Ag project leader Matt
Manitsas said the first har-
vest could take place in
mid-August.
www.PrairieCityFiberFest.com
Mailing: 530 E. Main St., Suite #3 • John Day, OR 97825