County to allow temporary emergency-access across property near Devil Slide pending formal agreement

Josephine County commissioners on June 16 discussed a request from Rural Metro and the Oregon Department of Forestry to cross county land to construct and maintain a gravel access route that would bring emergency vehicles closer to the Devil Slide area.

Public works staff said the proposal is not a full paved road but a gravel driveway wide enough for fire apparatus and ambulances; Oregon Department of Forestry would build and maintain the access and the county would incur no financial cost. Staff also noted the route crosses multiple parcels, that the railroad has already granted access for its portion, and that the work aims to reduce response times to a remote area with repeated incidents and homeless encampments.

Commissioner Richardson and other board members cautioned that repeated informal permissions can create easement-like rights and advised a written access agreement with conditions (gated access, insurance and indemnification). Legal counsel suggested an access agreement (rather than an easement) to avoid recording requirements and noted state entities can add complexity.

To avoid delaying emergency access, the board agreed to a two-step approach: legal staff will draft brief email permission language so Rural Metro and forestry can proceed as needed, and county counsel will prepare a more formal access agreement for the board to consider next week. The board emphasized the permission is limited to emergency vehicles and that a formal document will follow.

No formal roll-call vote was recorded on the permission; commissioners expressed unanimous support for quick action coupled with later formalization.