The city of Hermiston is looking for ways to enhance the aesthetics and livability of the community, and needs input from the public.
The Community Enhancement Committee has already developed a preliminary draft of ideas for projects to enhance the community, and before making a recommendation to the Hermiston City Council, would like to solicit any additional ideas that committee members may not have thought of. Residents may submit their ideas through the city’s website by 5 p.m. on May 7.
Enhancement projects currently in the “Enhance Hermiston” draft phase include a re-designed downtown entryway, increasing pedestrian pathways through the city, creating visual buffers near railroad right of way through the city, water tower painting, decorative way-finding signage, enlarging Hodge Park by assuming control of an existing train display, and installing and maintaining decorative plantings in existing median boxes on Highway 395 south of town. The full draft list of recommendations can be found online.
The “Enhance Hermiston” plan is intended to provide a logical, systematic, and financially viable approach to implementing projects to improve the visual appeal of the city. City officials receive many recommendations for various projects to benefit the community, and many of them are excellent ideas, however the costs and planning necessary to implement them often prevent them from gaining traction. The Enhance Hermiston plan will get viable projects on to a list with preliminary project scope, intention, and cost estimates. Creation of this list of viable projects then will allow the city to plan for future funding, or move quickly to take advantage of opportunities if they arise because much of the initial planning has already taken place.
The enhancement plan was one of several projects which the city council gave to the CEC when it was created in 2014. The CEC has since been brainstorming and vetting various projects for the plan, but has not yet made a formal report to the council because the group wanted to get some additional public input first.
After public proposals, or comments on existing proposals, are received, the CEC will review them and discuss adding them to the draft plan at their May meeting. Once a draft plan is finalized, it will go to the city council for its consideration.
