CRESWELL – City manager Vincent Martorello reviewed an unsigned 2020 land‑swap agreement between the City of Creswell and South Lane County Fire and Rescue at January’s work session.
Under that proposal, the fire district would have received the Community Center parcel at 99 S. 1st St. and parking area to build a new “hub” fire station, while the city would have taken over the current fire station site at 55 S. 1st St. and converted it to parking. The City Hall, Community Center, and SLCFR stations are clustered on the same block.
The agreement was authorized by council resolution at the time, but was never actually signed by the then–city manager, Michelle Amberg, or the fire chief, Martorello said.
Martorello explained that circumstances have since changed.
SLCFR Chief John Wooten now estimates they are at least seven years away from constructing a new station in Creswell and would prefer a site closer to the highway or on the east side of town, citing logistical challenges with the existing downtown location.
Meanwhile, the Community Center’s usage and revenue have increased notably since 2020, with Martorello describing it as a growing “community asset” with additional, untapped potential for community and small‑scale recreational uses.
“If the decision is to dissolve the agreement and start reinvesting in the Community Center, what does that look like?” Martorello asked the council. “It has gained in popularity, and it’s bringing in more revenue without a lot of advertising and investment since 2020.”
Given these shifts, Martorello and Wooten jointly recommended dissolving the old land‑swap agreement so the city can plan for the long‑term future of the Community Center on its current site.
Martorello suggested the cleanest way to do this is a new council resolution formally voiding the 2020 authorization, ensuring the record is clear for future staff and councils.
Councilors discussed the next steps if the swap is dissolved. Martorello laid out a phased approach, with the first priority being a building assessment of the Community Center, including the roof (which has been leaking), the building envelope, structural elements, and systems, to understand repair needs and any internal damage.
The next step would be a community survey to ask residents how they would like to use the Community Center over the next five to 15 years, once the city understands the likely cost of repairs and upgrades, so expectations are realistic, Martorello said.
Longer term, Martorello would like to turn that information into a multi‑year capital improvement program – three, five, or 10 years – and fold it into future budgets.
Councilor Staci Holt said she did not want to raise public expectations for “great things” before the city knows what it can actually afford to fix.
“Do we have another alternative besides just dissolving it? I mean, it seems like the cleanest break,” Mayor Nick Smith said.
Assured by head nods, councilors generally felt that ending it was the cleanest and most sensible option.
Martorello said he will bring back a draft resolution to formally do that, and then, once he obtains quotes for the building assessment (and later, survey work), he will share those costs with the council before entering into any contracts.
