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CMH seeks street vacations to formalize campus; council told resolution could be initiated May 4
Summary
City staff and CMH outlined proposed conveyances and easements to create a cohesive hospital campus, identified affected parcels (including a privately held Lot 900), and proposed initiating the street‑vacation resolution on May 4 with a public hearing June 1 and second reading June 15.
City staff and Columbia Memorial Hospital representatives presented a plan to consolidate several rights‑of‑way and convey adjacent city parcels to formalize a unified CMH campus. The proposal would preserve utility access via easements, memorialize coordination protocols, and convey a 25‑foot strip on Franklin and the large parcel used for hospital parking (the "triangle" lot) to CMH while retaining protections for emergency access and underlying utilities.
Andrew Spence, the city manager, explained the statutory process under Oregon law: initiate a resolution of intent (minimum two weeks' notice), conduct public outreach and a hearing, adopt an ordinance and hold a second reading; if adopted the ordinance would take effect 30 days later. Staff proposed coming to council May 4 to initiate the process, holding the first public hearing on June 1 and a second reading on June 15. Councilors asked about the one privately held parcel adjacent to the proposed conveyances (Lot 900); staff said Lot 900 is a steep, trust‑held parcel (trust located in Minnesota) that staff had tried to contact but had not received a formal response.
Councilors also probed parking and lease revenue implications (staff reported the hospital lease asset for a parking lot generates roughly $14,000–$15,000 annually) and sought assurances about emergency vehicle routing and access. CMH and staff emphasized that major emergency routes (existing 20th/22nd/Franklin connections) would be preserved for ambulance and delivery access and that the campus agreement would document coordination and notification protocols to avoid disruptions to city utilities.
