Wayfinding project could get council approval

By Terry Murry on Monday, May 24th, 2021 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories

HERMISTON – The Hermiston City Council meets at 7 p.m. today (Monday) at the Hermiston Community Center. A public hearing on a senior housing cluster zoning change has been withdrawn from the agenda.

The council will vote consider adopting the City Wayfinding Program. The project was designed with help from a consultant to do more than just mark the gateways to Hermiston. It also includes directions to downtown, the medical district, parks, and other points of interest. The committee that worked with Merje Design of West Chester, Pennsylvania included members of the chamber of commerce, the school district, Good Shepherd Medical Center, the Oregon Department of Transportation, and others. The first phase of the project will be to identify parking areas.

The council will vote on awarding a construction contract to Tapani, Inc. for infrastructure construction at the South Hermiston Industrial Park. The city and Umatilla County will have to pay for 10 percent of the cost. The rest is covered by the U.S. Economic Development Agency and a local improvement district. Tapani’s low bid was $1,614,161.

The meeting at the community center will have a limited number of chairs for the public. Masks are required. The meeting is also streamed on Hermiston’s YouTube channel.