Wada property still key for the city
Ontario moves forward with plans to bring acres into urban growth boundary
By Katie Pizza
Argus Observer
Thursday, November 20, 2008 10:36 AM PST
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| A 75-acre piece of property near the Ontario Municipal Airport along Southwest Fourth Avenue, just west of the Yturri Beltline as seen Wednesday afternoon. The property has been owned by Shingo Wada since 1952, though he is currently working to rezone the property. Currently the land is moving from Urban Growth Reserve into the Urban Growth area to make it more appealing to businesses who may seek to move to Ontario. |
Ontario — Ontario city officials are still looking for ways to make Ontario more attractive to large businesses that may be searching for a new place to call home.
One of these possibilities is a piece of property situated near the Ontario Municipal Airport along Southwest Fourth Avenue, just west of the Yturri Beltline. This property is currently owned by Shingo Wada, who said he has owned the property since 1952.
However, before Wada can sell the 75 acres for development, it would first have to be brought from the Urban Growth Reserve into the Urban Growth Area.
“I signed the paperwork this morning,” Ontario City Manager Henry Lawrence said in a phone interview last week.
Lawrence said this action deferred payment of development and annexation until after closing. Lawrence said the total fees for consultant work would not be more than $10,000, with annexation fees close to $70,000, or 2 cents a square foot. Lawrence also said whomever Wada chooses to sell the property to will pay the annexation fee. Lawrence said the deal was to “not require him to come up with as much money upfront.”
Lawrence said the addition of the Wada property into the city would help encourage development. This is not the first time the property has been considered for a possible sale.
The Ontario School District had also planned to buy the property in 2006 but backed out of the deal after unexpected hurdles arose, including opposition from the Federal Aviation Administration, which expressed opposition to the district using the property to build a new high school.
“The biggest problem was the FAA. The FAA indicated they’d oppose (the sale) based on proximity to the airport,” Ontario School District Superintendent Dennis Carter said at the time.
The FAA has helped fund projects for the city’s airport, so city officials were hesitant to upset the federal agency. Another major obstacle for a property sale was the $28 million bond that would have funded construction of a new high school was overwhelmingly shot down by voters.
“The voters voted against the bond,” Wada said Wednesday. “It sort of threw a monkey wrench in it.”
However, current plans are moving ahead, and Ontario Economic Development Coordinator Alan Daniels spoke highly of the property’s close proximity to the Yturri Beltline and the Interstate. Daniels also said it is important to have areas in the city that are ready for new businesses.
“The old saying ‘no dirt, no deal,’ is very true,” he said. “If they don’t have a place to set up a business, they move on.” He said Ontario currently lacks property that is properly zoned and ready for businesses.
“It’s important to the city,” he said of the rezone deal. “It gives us the opportunity to attract good business, more good business, to the city of Ontario.”
Another area the city would like to put a welcome mat on is the Stelling property, situated north of the Yturri Beltline south of Malheur Drive and the Ontario Wastewater Treatment Plant. A proposed project for the area would include making storm drainage improvements and adding 2,180 feet of water and sewer extensions, five fire hydrants and improvements for Northwest Fourth Avenue from Dorian Drive to the Yturri Beltline in order to make that part of the city more attractive to potential buyers. The plan, if a grant is approved by the Oregon Economic and Community Development Department, would have a $995,792 price tag.
The area was also a point of discussion at the Ontario City Council’s Oct. 2 work session, when Lawrence said he wanted to rezone the property to commercial to suit potential developers.
However, the land currently has trees and other growth on it that would cost the city money to remove. At the session, Lawrence said he intended to rectify this issue by working out a plan to allow residents to cut down the trees to use as firewood, which would aid the community and reduce city expense. However, because of a nearby farm with grazing cattle in the area, Lawrence said a schedule would have to be developed to keep the cattle from escaping. On Wednesday, Lawrence said he believed this issue has been resolved. Daniels said residents interested in chopping down trees on the property for firewood can now do so.
Daniels said interested residents can pick up a woodcutting permit and a map of the area at either Ontario City Hall or the wastewater treatment plant, situated at 1900 S.E. Fifth Ave., near the site. This permit relieves the city of any liability if the resident is injured while cutting the firewood. Other stipulations include no cutting at night or selling the wood.
For further information regarding the cutting area contact Alan Daniels at (541) 212- 1676.
