Variety of uses appear best for UAD, task force decides

This story was published Fri, Jun 23, 2000

By Dave Schafer
Herald staff writer

HERMISTON - When the Umatilla Army Depot closes, it should be replaced by a variety of public, industrial and agricultural uses.

That's what the members of the Umatilla Army Depot Task Force decided at a meeting Tuesday.

The group, comprised of local officials and area residents, is determining how the land should be used once the depot is closed.

A Portland firm, The Benkendorf Associates Corporation, was hired to draw up several options for the group. About two weeks ago, those options were unveiled.

Benkendorf proposed that the depot be used primarily for either agriculture, industry, public use or a mixture of all three.

A straw poll at Tuesday's meeting revealed that most of the task force members believed the best use would be a variety.

The group's second choice was solely industry, followed by public use. Agriculture was the last choice.

Task force member George Anderson of Hermiston said agriculture was not considered a viable alternative because of the lack of water that would be needed for irrigation.

However, he said that doesn't mean farmland would be excluded from the mixed uses plan.

Now that the group has decided on a direction, they will try to decide exactly how the property should be diced up and for what uses.

Benkendorf is scheduled to return to the group July 12 with more proposals on what types of mixed uses would go best with the structures and services available in the different areas.

Although no resolutions were passed Tuesday, the task force made a number of recommendations on what they'd like to see in that mixed use map of the depot:

* A large light and heavy industry area on the south side of the depot, where there is ample rail access and large warehouses.

* The current depot administration turned into an area of mixed uses, such as retail space and local government offices.

* Setting aside most of the areas covered by cement bunkers, or igloos, until a good use can be found, "Because we're really scratching our heads over what to do with them," Anderson said.

That means the task force would emphasize developing the southern portion of the depot instead of the vast fields that cover most of the 25-square-mile site.

* Possibly developing the eastern and northern boundaries of the depot into farmland, if water exchanges could be worked out.

 

Copyright 2002 Tri-City Herald. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.