Oregon City Council last Monday approved a project development agreement with BP Husky Refining LLC for the city’s flood relief and erosion control project.

The agreement spells out the cost share of the project between BP Husky and the city.

The large drainage project, to be constructed in two phases, will relocate four watersheds to one drainage system out to the lake.

Phase I will relocate Heckman Ditch further from Wynn Road, and Phase 2 involves the relocation of three other streams – the Amolsch, Driftmeyer and Johlin ditches - to Heckman Ditch.

Councilman James Seaman asked about whether the project would impact an old building that may have historical value.

“There is a one room school house that’s near Bayshore and Stadium roads. There is a barn structure that’s built next to it. The Oregon-Jerusalem Historical Society was wondering if that has to be torn down. I don’t know if it’s in the way of the stream that we’re contemplating. I only found out about it on Thursday and over the weekend. It could be an important part of history,” said Seaman.

Public Service Director Paul Roman said the building would be in the way of the stream. He said he has heard that the school house may be the original Wynn Elementary School.

“The land is owned by Toledo Edison. There’s also a barn there. It is leased to the original property owner before Edison purchased the property. And just like any right of way acquisitioning, not only does the property owner have rights for damages, so do the tenants,” said Roman. “So the tenant there has certain rights. I don’t know to what degree the tenant wishes to keep that building or wishes to relocate that building. If that tenant is certainly willing to have it relocated, and it’s council’s wish to do so, we could. I know that it is in the way of the stream. I thought that if anything, you can easily move it closer to the road. Heckman Ditch will no longer be a ditch along the side of the road - it will be more out in the field. You could move this building closer to Wynn Road. It’s likely that we will have a lot of dirt hauling as a part of this project to other areas. We have moved buildings before. But it can be done. But as of right now, the property owner is Toledo Edison, and the building really belongs to them. It would have to be something that Edison would have to agree to. Whether there are agreements between their lease and the tenant of that building, there could be issues there as well. Those are things our consultants will look through. They typically do a survey of the site and put together a list of items that could be damages from the project. So it all goes into the acquisition process. That is something we will bring up as we get into it with Edison.”

Seaman said the situation should be examined by the city’s engineering department.

“Some people have this consideration of maybe moving it to Pearson Metropark, close to the Johlin Cabin or somewhere in that vicinity,” said Seaman. “It would be a nice piece of history if, after examining the interior of it, it is worth saving. Part of our history and tradition is always worth saving. But it does have to have some physical integrity to do that.”

Mayor Mike Seferian said it would be too expensive to rehabilitate the building.

“We won’t be sending any city engineers to look at any buildings,” said Seferian. “If for some reason the historical society wants to find a way to raise funds for it, more power to them.”

The historical society, he said, wanted the city to donate $300,000 at one time to rehabilitate a building on Pickle Road.

“The building was junk,” said Seferian. “I wouldn’t be part of any kind of deal like that. The same building here – it’s pretty bad. It costs a fortune to refurbish. And the historical society can’t afford it. They would have to go out looking for funds. Usually when they look for funds, they come to the city. You’re talking big money when you go to rehab something like that. If other entities want to do something to it, fine. But I want hands off on that.”

Seaman asked how the Johlin Cabin, an 1860s Black Swamp log home that was moved to the new Pearson North in Oregon, was handled.

Seferian said the city paid for part of the bill to move it.

“That is a very expensive cabin over there. I think there’s $400,000 in that building,” said Seferian. The school building was bigger and would probably cost more to rehabilitate and move.

“You’re looking at a lot more money,” he said.

Roman said the school building is not historically listed.

“But it’s a one room brick building. It would not be the easiest thing to move. It is being used by a farmer as a farm building. So we don’t really know what condition it is inside,” said Roman. “I agree with the mayor, it’s a question of what it would take to move a building if they were willing to donate it. You can ask movers to give a a quote. Most movers would know whether it can be done or not. We have moved homes, but not brick homes. So this would probably be more difficult.”

Council member Sandy Bihn said she would like to see the school building moved next to the Johlin Cabin.

“I think it merits some looking into to see what the cost would be and how it might be preserved. And I personally would like to see it in Pearson Park next to the Johlin Cabin,” said Bihn.

She heard from people who had seen the interior of the building that it was in “fairly good condition.”

“That is just a visual and not an engineering perspective. But I would hope we would check it out carefully. At least look at our options to see if there is any help we could get." 

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