Early Planning Underway for New Union County Sherriff’s Facility and Wallowa Rail Line Improvements
By Garrett Christensen on Wednesday, March 8th, 2023 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
UNION & WALLOWA COUNTY – Though the 2023 legislative session and the onslaught of bills orbiting it are keeping county commissioners busy, that doesn’t mean there aren’t local plans getting underway. According to Union County Commissioner Matthew Scarfo, two major projects are in the preliminary planning and study phases for Union and Wallowa Counties.
For the first project, the Union County Sheriff’s Office is in the early stage of evaluating the plan for a new Sheriff’s Facility and county jail. Contracting the Mackenzie design firm at a cost of around $51,000 dollars, Union County provided the Sheriff’s Office an additional $9,850 in ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funding to cover this initial phase. As the evaluation is still underway, the final construction cost, construction timeline, structure design and even a location for the facilities have not been decided on. According to Scarfo, the cost will likely be in the millions and require state or federal funding, though this funding cannot be applied for until a more complete plan or “pitch” is ready for submission.
Regarding the second project, the Wallowa-Union Railroad Authority are in the early study period for a proposed repair and rehabilitation of their owned tracks. The Railroad Authority owns roughly sixty-eight miles of track between Elgin and Joseph, using it for the Eagel Cap Excursion Train, peddle bike tours and even shuttling river rafting groups in Wallowa County. However, the line is only usable by full scale trains between Elgin and Minam, limiting its potential utility. Like with the Union County Sherriff’s Office, the project is still in the early planning phase with an emphasis on getting it “identified,” or far enough developed to make it viable for greater funding.
