City council works to keep FARM II on track

PENDLETON – The Pendleton City Council has approved the city being the owner of record for the land earmarked for Blue Mountain Community College’s FARM II. That comes as BMCC found itself facing hefty taxes from the Umatilla County Assessors Office as the owner of land that was originally purchased by the city and the Round-Up Association.

The groundbreaking ceremony for FARM II, which will include an indoor rodeo arena, was to have come right after the Pendleton Round-Up. However the taxing problem had to be addressed, even though steel for the structure was already arriving.

“We worked together and came up with a solution,” Pendleton City Manager Robb Corbett said. “The solution is that the city will own the property and that we would lease the property to BMCC.”

The original agreement had the Pendleton Round-Up owning the property and leasing it to BMCC.

“The tax liability that the college would have under that structure was so significant, there was no way they could precede,” Corbett said. “This is a poster child for cooperation. The city has worked in partnership with BMCC, Round-Up and Happy Canyon for a number of years.”

Mayor John Turner said that lease has an escape clause, just in case.

“There’s a provision in the lease that says if the tax assessment goes in a way that’s not favorable to the college and the city, the college has the right to terminate this lease,” he said.

Graphic of FARM II by Bouten Construction

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Elkhorn Media Group

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