Commissioners Delay Survey Over College Street Right of Way Inclusion

Baker County commissioners paused action Wednesday on hiring a surveyor to map a county owned 62 to 64 acre parcel just south of Hughes Lane after debate over whether to include the College Street right of way in the work. The parcel, purchased in December 2022 for $1.45 million, has been discussed as a future site for a multipurpose event center and other development, but commissioners did not reach agreement on the scope of survey work at the Dec. 3 meeting.

Commissioner Michelle Kaseberg urged postponement of the optional $8,800 task that would map the College Street right of way, noting the corridor lies inside Baker City limits and any extension would require city approval. Chairman Shane Alderson questioned the need for expanded survey work now without a definitive plan for the property. Commissioner Christina Witham argued the county should document precise boundaries regardless of immediate development plans.

County economic developer Bryan Tweit and former commission chairman Bill Harvey attended and advised support for surveying the land to identify potential issues early. Baker City Manager Barry Murphy was not present at the meeting but has previously stated the city has not weighed in on a College Street extension, and that the southern end of the right of way may be too narrow for a standard street while a nearby driveway complicates a straightforward extension.

Commissioners agreed to table the contract until the Dec. 17 meeting to allow for further consideration and potential coordination with Baker City. The discussion took place against the backdrop of a Nov. 6, 2025 voter approved measure that requires county voter approval for event centers that cost $1 million or more and meet other criteria, a point several commissioners and residents raised during deliberations.

For local residents, the delay means a slower timeline for site planning and the possibility that access and infrastructure questions will shape future options for the tract. Coordination between county and city officials will be critical if the county moves forward, and any plan for a large event center would be subject to voter review under the newly approved measure.