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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 16, 2019)
LOCAL A3 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2019 RV park construction halted at EOTEC By JADE MCDOWELL NEWS EDITOR B lame was cast in multiple directions Monday night as the Hermiston City Council and Farm-City Pro Rodeo board discussed delays to con- struction of an RV park at the Eastern Oregon Trade and Event Center, but the bottom line remained the same: the city planning commission has put a mor- atorium on construction at the site. “This is like our own lit- tle version of the govern- ment shutdown here,” coun- cilor John Kirwan said. John Eckhardt of Knerr Construction said he didn’t believe the RV park would be completed before the 2019 Umatilla County Fair if they didn’t break ground by Feb. 8. “I don’t believe we will be able to pull it off,” he said. “This is a pessimis- tic schedule — we might be able to pull some rabbits out of our hat. But it is a realis- tic schedule.” The city hired Knerr Construction in October using a “bid-design-build” process to construct the RV park, with the hope of using the park as a revenue source for EOTEC. City Manager Byron Smith said the proj- ect was expected to cost roughly $3 million. Due to budget constraints, a sec- ond project to build offi ces and storage space for the fair staff will be put off until after the RV park. Smith said after city staff studied the project with Knerr Construction, they felt the best place to put the RV park would be the unde- File photo Construction has been halted on the RV park at the Eastern Oregon Trade and Event Center in Hermiston. veloped southeast section of the property, between the rodeo arena and Ott Road. Previous plans had placed it in the northwest cor- ner, but moving the park next to Ott Road would keep residents from need- ing 24-hour access through the entire EOTEC property, and would leave room north of the event center to build the fair offi ces. Smith said the southeast location is also the best scenario for utility hookups. As the rodeo board has pointed out, however, there is a downside: It would take away part of the overfl ow parking next to the rodeo arena. Rodeo board member Dennis Barnett said a total of 2,500 vehicles parked in the overfl ow during the 2018 rodeo, including 800 on Saturday night. On Jan. 9, the planning commission had its annual review of EOTEC’s park- ing variance, which allows EOTEC to have fewer park- ing spaces than would usu- ally be required in exchange for meeting certain condi- tions. In light of testimony from the rodeo board about the RV park’s effects on rodeo parking, the commis- sion altered the variance to state no new construction could take place at EOTEC until the commission had approved an overfl ow park- ing plan. Councilors expressed frustration at the new devel- opment Monday. Kirwan said construction costs would only keep going up, and every month the RV park was delayed also meant thousands of dollars of lost revenue for EOTEC because “somebody didn’t get what they want.” “Putting this off is only hurting everyone in this room,” he said. Rodeo board member Mike Kay countered that the city had been asked by the planning commission to put together an overfl ow park- ing plan fi rst in 2017, then by the end of 2018, and had failed to do so. “The parking plan is not on us,” he said. Barnett, along with Kay and EOTEC advisory com- mittee member Steve Wil- liams, all said a major com- ponent of the problem was the city’s lack of commu- nication. They said the plan for the RV park wasn’t pre- sented to them until the Nov. 29 advisory commit- tee meeting, and described it being presented as a done deal that would be under construction shortly. Wil- liams said the board wasn’t given a chance to look over traffi c studies, budgets or other details, and he won- dered what the point of the advisory committee was. Barnett said EOTEC has limited space left for devel- opment, and as it continues to grow, stakeholders just want to make sure the best decisions are made for its future. “If this ends up being the best place to put it, and you make provisions for 2,500 cars, I’m all for it,” he said. “We want EOTEC to be successful.” Councilor Roy Bar- ron called the delay “fi nan- cially irresponsible” and lamented the loss of rev- enue for EOTEC. But he also expressed understand- ing at the rodeo board’s frustrations and admitted that the city had dropped the ball when it came to communication. “Let’s have a discussion. Let’s talk about it,” he said. Smith said city staff are working on an over- fl ow parking plan, includ- ing possible solutions such as a temporary lease with EOTEC neighbors, and he believed they would have a plan ready to present to the planning commission at its February meeting so the ban on new construction could possibly be lifted. He also proposed sitting down as soon as possible with rep- resentatives from the fair and rodeo board, along with EOTEC general manager Al Davis, to further discuss the RV park location. Councilors asked if con- struction could go on during the fair and rodeo — or at least be paused during that week — instead of waiting until the next year to start construction. Eckhardt said that would be feasible. Mayor David Drotz- mann encouraged city staff to spend some time getting feedback from stakeholders and the community about the location of the RV park. “We have to be prepared that it’s going to be delayed, that it’s not going to be done by the next fair and rodeo, and I think if we accept that, we don’t have to rush,” he said. BRIEFS Truck driver hits gas line Herald to launch weekly entertainment section By HERMISTON HERALD The Hermiston Herald and its daily affi l- iate the East Oregonian will soon be intro- ducing a brand new section focusing on America’s most popular pastime, screen viewing. Whether it is antennae, cable, dish, or a variety of streaming services like Netfl ix, Americans spend more time viewing news and entertainment on screen — television, computer, smart phone or tablet — than any other activity besides work and sleep, according to recent survey data. In response, the HH and EO are launch- ing “Screen Time,” a new weekly tabloid section that will publish each Wednesday in both newspapers. “Given the viewing habits of modern Americans on both big screen and an array of mobile devices, it became clear to us that it was high time to reinstate a screen view- ing guide,” said Publisher Chris Rush. “It has been several years since we last published such a product.” However, unlike previous publications, this will be no ordinary TV guide. “Screen Time will not only include net- work listings for Broadcast, Cable, Dish and DTV, but also Streaming highlights, movies, sports, and even a weekly listing of cooking shows,” said Rush. “We will also include entertainment features, puzzles, and more in a full-color 24-page package.” The new section will be included as part of the regular subscription price of both the Hermiston Herald and East Oregonian and will be supported with local advertising. The launch date for Screen Time is planned for Feb. 13, to continue each and every Wednesday. Bridge work will cause detours on South First Street in Hermiston By HERMISTON HERALD A section of South First Street in Hermiston will be closed during February and March as the city replaces a bridge over the canal near Southeast Crestline Drive. The small bridge, which runs over the Maxwell Canal, is located on South First Street (Hinkle Road) south of Highland Avenue and north of Gettman and Feedville roads. Accord- ing to a news release from the city, “the existing canal crossing is approaching the end of its useful life, and will be replaced with a much wider box culvert in order to accommodate continued growth along this key north- south corridor.” Work is expected to run from early February through the end of March, and the city will release a list of closure dates after they are fi nalized with the contractor. Drivers who frequently used the road to get to loca- tions, such as the Hermiston Agricultural Research and Extension Center, will have to plan alternate routes. “The fact that this bridge closure is going to cause some major challenges for people to navigate around really highlights how important this road section is now, and how it will con- tinue to grow in importance in the future,” assistant city manager Mark Morgan said in a statement. “Due to the canal and railroad cross- ings in this area, there sim- ply aren’t any easy detours, which is why as our commu- nity continues to grow to the south, we need to work hard to develop additional street routes through this area.” 5 Theater Cineplex r Sale! Winte Off 10% s! cre 1/ e 31 n /19 S r a l o : s S Expire 541-720-0772 FREE Estimates! www.mybackyardbydesignor.com Need to Protect Your Patio? We can help! Patio Covers·Pergolas Solar Screens Retractable Awnings Screen Rooms Sun/Solar Shades & More! License #188965 Check wildhorseresort.com for showtimes A man driving a pickup truck Tuesday around 9:45 a.m hit a gas main line on Feedville Road, and was transported to Good Shep- herd Medical Center for his injuries. Umatilla County Fire District battalion chief Ed Clark said employees from local businesses, includ- ing Circle C Equipment and New Holland Agricul- ture, were evacuated for the rest of the day, and that Cascade Natural Gas had turned off the line by about 10 a.m., limiting any fur- ther danger to the public. Clark said he did not know the name of the driver, nor whether he was a Hermis- ton resident. BENT arrests two in Hermiston Police arrested two peo- ple Friday morning after Blue Mountain Enforce- ment Narcotics team searched a Hermiston resi- dence and found drugs. Pendleton Police Chief Stuart Roberts, who chairs the drug task force, said he only had limited informa- tion about the bust avail- able as of 2 p.m. Friday. He said police secured the home before 9:41 a.m., after obtaining a search warrant, and took two peo- ple into custody. He said he did not have the names of those arrested, but that a quarter pound of metham- phetamine was discovered early in the search. case where he was charged with the murder of James Cragun. A judge dropped those charges in August and sen- tenced him to 25 months for unlawful possession of a weapon, but because of time already served, Houf- muse’s sentence ended up being only a few months. Houfmuse arrested on probation violation The city of Umatilla has a new public works direc- tor. Scott Coleman stepped into the role on Wednes- day, Jan. 2. Coleman, a resident of Prosser, Washington, has spent most of his career working in irrigation tech- nology and construction, and has worked for irri- gation districts in Wash- ington. He most recently worked for the Sunnyside irrigation district for 18 years. He said he began looking to diversify his career and work in the pub- lic sector. HERMISTON — A Hermiston man is back in jail about fi ve months after murder charges against him were dropped. Tyree Houfmuse, 36, was arrested on a probation violation on Wednesday and booked in the Umatilla County Jail. Houfmuse had spent most of 2018 in county jail, between hearings in a Umatilla gets new public works director M A K R A V N E L O H P Thanks to modern technology and industry-leading expertise, Phonak is able to bring you the best possible solutions for your hearing needs $5 Matinee Classics Every Wednesday Credit & Debit Cards accepted Cineplex gift cards available 541-966-1850 Pendleton, OR I-84 - Exit 216 Renata Anderson, MA 2237 SW Court, Pendleton • 541-276-5053 www.renataanderson.com