You may have heard of Alaska’s bridge to nowhere, but have you heard of Hermiston’s street to nowhere?
Northwest Eighth Street, located off of West Alder Street, is 100 feet long and comes to a sudden stop where a fence extends across of it. According to Hermiston City Planner Clint Spencer, the street was originally dedicated and improved as part of the Butte Crest subdivision. At the time, the city intended to extend it north to connect West Alder with future northern development.
In a memo to the mayor and city council, Spencer said it became apparent that the street extension would not provide superior connectivity than the existing streets.
“This created a dead end stub street . . . and providing no benefits to the public at large and creating maintenance issues for the city street department,” Spencer wrote.
At Monday’s Hermiston City Council meeting, Spencer recommended that the right-of-way be returned to the two adjacent property owners.
“It dead ends into a house right now,” Spencer said. “It’s 100 feet long and it’s never going anywhere.”
The city will be responsible for removing the curb, gutter and sidewalks, but will no longer have to maintain the street.
Also Monday, the council voted to submit an application for a $300,000 Connect Oregon grant to pay the city’s portion of the rehabilitation of the parallel taxiway at the Hermiston Airport. The total cost of the project is $2,944,444, with the bulk of the project being paid for by the Federal Aviation Administration. If Hermiston receives the Connect Oregon grant, it will only have to pay $33,333 out of its Airport Reserve account.
The council also approved a liquor license for Delish Bistro, 990. S. Highway 395, Suite 854.
