Echo group seeks county help to preserve St. Peter’s Church, proposes small senior community center

Members of the Echo Heritage Association briefed the Umatilla County Board of Commissioners in a July 13 work session on an eight‑year effort to stabilize and reuse the historic St. Peter’s Church near Echo.

Mike (speaker 3), a presenter for the group, said volunteers and in‑kind donations carried much of the restoration work and that the nonprofit has tracked both cash and volunteer‑hour contributions. "We think, however, that the likelihood that this project is gonna last isn't too good unless there's money," he said, describing recent fundraising and bookkeeping the group provided to the board.

The group said it recently acquired three lots behind the church to expand usable space and proposed building a small senior/community center to host meetings and events that would generate ongoing revenue to maintain the church. Presenters said they purchased the back lots "for $50,000" and plan to meet with an architect this winter to develop a final design and address sanitary and well questions.

Presenters described the deed transfer history and recorded conditions attached to the property: "there are, I think, seven conditions," they said, and added that the deed allows nonreligious community use if the site is treated respectfully. The group noted the building currently lacks heat and plumbing, limiting immediate use for regular services.

County staff (speaker 7) told the group the project appears eligible for Umatilla County’s community development grants, which are funded with state video‑lottery dollars. Staff said the county awards roughly $100,000 twice a year for community development projects and that the fall cycle deadline is the first Friday in October; staff offered to provide application materials and the solicitation guide to the association.

The presenters also reviewed a recent survey and described land‑use issues connected to alley and street vacates. County staff advised that, because the site lies in a platted subdivision under county jurisdiction, vacating small alley segments or replatting would follow land‑use procedures and might require a formal replat application.

Commissioners thanked the group for their work, and presenters said next steps include clearing and flattening the acquired lots, addressing utilities, and refining designs with an architect. The association asked the county for continued cooperation and information about grant and technical resources.

The board did not take action at the work session; staff and the association said they would continue coordination and that formal grant applications could be filed in advance of the fall cycle deadline.