Umatilla commission recommends street vacation and approves police station land‑use package

The Umatilla Planning Commission on Sept. 24 recommended city‑council approval of a street vacation (SV‑1‑24) and approved the land‑use package for a new Umatilla Police Department (CU‑3‑24), including two variances and a replat to consolidate lots for the project site.

Staff described the street vacation as a largely procedural action to allow the city to realign part of C Street, relocate utilities in an alley and create secure parking access for the proposed police station. "The alleyway vacation is necessary to get some utilities out of the way to allow a larger building," staff told the commission.

Consultants from Mackenzie presented the police‑station design and explained the variances: a reduced glazing percentage on the building faces nearest major streets (to meet security needs) and a modified landscaping layout that shifts more planting to publicly visible areas rather than the secured lot. Architect Austin Sykes said the design targets roughly a 30‑year planning horizon for staffing and operations and described an L‑shaped single‑story building with a community/training room facing Sixth Street.

The commission closed the public hearings on both items, unanimously recommended approval of the street vacation to city council, and voted to approve the police‑station conditional‑use, replat, site plan and variance requests. Staff said the city expects to select a construction delivery contractor shortly and will return with updated findings or administrative steps as required by the design and procurement process.

What happens next: the street‑vacation recommendation goes to city council for final approval; the approved CU‑3‑24 decision can be appealed to city council as provided in the city’s review procedures.