By James Day
A proposal by Silverton Mural Society to place a mural celebrating Silverton’s cultural roots on the new Civic Center is closer to fruition.
The Silverton City Council reviewed the latest proposal at its Nov. 20 work session, and although a vote was not taken, there was a strong consensus to move forward with the plan. New City Manager Cory Misley said he wanted to take a look at the project. No timelines were available for final approval for the project.
The Mural Society has been talking with the city since Nov. 10, 2022 on the mural plan, which has gone through a couple of iterations. The city and the Mural Society will share the approximate $17,000 cost of the project. The Mural Society has agreed to move the proposed mural from an attached spot on the west (Water Street) side of the building to an in-ground site on the east (First Street) side.
According to a timetable submitted by the Mural Society, the design will be worked on from January to March, with construction set to start in May, painting from June to October, installation in November and final touch-up in December.
Community Survey: Councilors also heard a report on a community survey that was conducted primarily online between July 27 and Oct. 15. The main goals of the survey were to understand how community members currently receive news and information about city events and meetings and how they might like to do so moving forward.
The council plans to do a deeper dive on possible actions to take as a result of the survey at a meeting in December.
Leaves: Silverton residents looking to dispose of their bagged leaves can do so on Saturday, Dec. 16 at the city shops at 830 McClaine St. in a service that receives assistance from Republic Services and Marion County Environmental Services. Bins will open at 9 a.m. and take leaves until 1 p.m. or until the bins are full. Residents need to take away the bags and no commercial leaf debris will be accepted.
Up next: The Silverton City Council will hold a pair of land-use public hearings at its 6:30 p.m., Dec. 4 meeting at the Community Center on South Water Street. The first hearing is a proposed annexation of the Kaufman Masonry factory at 827 Railway Ave. so that it can hook up to city water and sewer service. The second hearing will look at a zone change for developers hoping to build on 5.15 acres at 602 Eureka Ave., just east of The Oregon Garden. The zone change requested, from R-1 (single-family residential) to R-5 (low-density residential) would, if approved, allow for up to 51 units on the property. The maximum under the R-1 zoning is 42.
