West Linn holds public forum on Oppenlander property; council declines rushed May bond and seeks more options

The West Linn City Council convened a public listening session on Feb. 18 to gather community comment and consider options for the 10-acre Oppenlander site after the school district offered the city a letter of intent with a purchase timeline and a new appraisal-based asking price.

Mayor Saskia Bielandszkowski told the meeting the district’s most recent letter of intent gave the city until May to enter a purchase and sale agreement at a new asking price, and noted the updated appraisal raised the district’s expected price to $7,900,000 (district-stated figure). Several public speakers, local sports associations and children who use the park urged the council to preserve Oppenlander as open space and playing fields.

Dean (Friends of Oppenlander) and representatives of West Linn Baseball described the site’s community value. West Linn Baseball’s vice president, Seamus Barron, told the council the park provides three youth-sized fields and 2 senior regulation-size baseball fields; losing Oppenlander would eliminate half of available senior fields and “would cripple the program at the…