Transfer of ‘knife lot’ to nonprofit to build Sweet Home homeless camp OK’d | Homeless in the Mid-Valley

The dimension of about 2½ soccer fields, Sweet Home’s “Knife Large amount” is intended to household a homeless camp finish with Conestoga-model tents. The large amount is now owned by the Bend-based Household Aid Source Heart nonprofit, which will mainly fund the job. 

So-named for its distinctive shape, the Knife Great deal makes up a sliver of the previous Weyerhauser/Willamette Industries lumber mill internet site, which arrived under Linn County’s possession when it foreclosed on a subsequent owner.

The bulk of the mill internet site was bought to Sweet Home developer Josh Victor in February.

Cost-sharing and environmental concerns have held up the transfer of the Knife Ton right up until this week. Dependent on a research commissioned by Linn County Assets Management, it is home to a wide variety of pollutants, ranging from slag to oil residue from a retired logging truck assistance heart.

On Tuesday, Linn County commissioners unanimously accepted handing the Knife Great deal deed to the Spouse and children Support Useful resource Middle with the town of Sweet Home’s blessing.

Must the middle are unsuccessful to use the land as meant, the transfer agreement dictates the lot will revert again to Linn County.

The transfer of the 2.69-acre internet site follows months of back again and forth between county and town officers, with the previous voicing problems about a camp’s impact on a prepared RV dump web-site nextdoor.

Linn County Commissioner Will Tucker reported Tuesday he is happy the transfer is finally in the county’s rearview mirror.

“Everything’s spelled out on paper, and (Relatives Aid Source Centre) knows what they’re receiving,” Tucker reported.

In a independent interview, Sweet House Community and Financial Advancement Director Blair Larsen claimed that the structure of the tent village will be up to the Loved ones Guidance Source Heart.

The town, he stated, will donate a manufactured developing to the centre for the venture. Meanwhile, volunteers at Sweet Residence Substantial College are functioning on tents for the web-site, which will be saved at the rear of Sweet Residence Town Hall until finally the good deal is ready for use.

Sweet Residence, Larsen explained, will primarily be responsible for ensuring road obtain to the good deal. Other onsite expert services Sweet Property will fund, he mentioned, contain non-public safety patrols.

Larsen said substantially of the city’s remaining $42,000 in homeless assistance cash will most likely go toward the Knife Whole lot venture. He reported the campsite has no difficult deadline for completion.

“Acquiring people today to transfer a framework like that and getting them scheduled would make it really complicated to to set an real timeline on when that will be attained,” Larsen mentioned. “I know that there is motivation, particularly on Family Assistance Source Center’s section, to get going as before long as achievable.”

The Linn County Board of Commissioners are scheduled to fulfill in-human being subsequent at 10 a.m. Thursday, April 14 at the Linn County Courthouse.