Clatsop County commissioners are preparing to take the first steps leading to the development of the second phase of the North Coast Business Park in Warrenton.
In a work session Feb. 10, the commissioners agreed informally to move forward with the county’s longtime plans to develop the property for light industrial use.
The property, which is located off U.S. Highway 101 behind the new Costco Warehouse Store, is owned by Clatsop County and consists of approximately 200 acres, including just over 100 acres of non-buildable wetlands.
Nicole Williams, Clatsop County assistant manager and project manager for the Business Park Phase II, said the work session gave the current five-member board an opportunity to review the 10-year-old Master Plan that laid out the initial vision for the property.
"The board recommitted to the strategies of the Master Plan," Williams said.
The 2000 Master Plan proposes setting aside most of the buildable land for light industrial use, with some acreage eyed for public facilities. The county also is committed to extending Ensign Lane through a portion of the site to connect Highway 101 with Alternate Highway 101.
Williams said the next step is to select a consultant to perform a wetlands delineation of the property to determine the specific land area that is available for development. The county has received approximately 10 bids for the wetlands study and currently is reviewing them, she said.
At its March 10 meeting, the board of commissioners will be asked to award the bid for the consultant.
The wetlands study is essential before the county can design plans for the Ensign Lane extension or design the configuration of lots on the property.
Meanwhile in April, the county is expected to submit a Request for Proposals to update the 2000 Master Plan for the project.
Williams said the Master Plan update will provide the commissioners with current information they will need as the project moves forward. The update of the 2000 plan is expected to include such items as cost estimates for the various segments of the development and potential funding sources, as well as construction timelines, the feasibility of leasing versus sale of the available parcels and the feasibility of setting aside a portion of the land for public facilities.
Under the original Master Plan, the county proposed earmarking approximately 16 acres for a new county jail that would be located in the vicinity of the Oregon Youth Authority facility and the Clatsop County Transition Center. Additionally, the county has proposed using some of the property to build separate Public Works facilities for Clatsop County, City of Warrenton and the Oregon Department of Transportation.
The county has $8.6 million set aside for the North Coast Business Park Phase II development. That’s the amount the county received from selling 75 acres of highway frontage property – part of the North Coast Business Park Phase I development – for commercial development.
The county is under a timeline of sorts to get the Business Park Phase II development underway. It has an agreement with the Oregon Department of Transportation to complete the Ensign Lane extension by the end of 2013. And the county is hoping to build the road and begin developing the property at the same time.
Attending the Feb. 10 county commissioners’ meeting were Warrenton Mayor Gilbert Gramson and Rick Gardner, executive director of Clatsop Economic Development Resources (CEDR).
The city is responsible for zoning and approval of all local permits for the property, which is located within the city limits. CEDR will assist the county in marketing the property.
Gardner said he believes the county’s long-held goal for the property will provide a big boost to the area’s economic growth by opening new sites for light industrial uses.
"We think the original strategy was very good," Gardner said. "We think it’s a good plan."
Gardner added that the timing in pursuing the property’s development couldn’t be better.
"There’s no better time than in an economic downturn, so when the economy comes back around, you’re ready," he said.