The Oregon Parks Commission this week voted 7 to 1 to sell a 38-acre wayside on Highway 99 between Eugene and Corvallis to a lumber company. The sale still has to be approved by another state agency.
The woodsy wayside started as a highway rest-stop in the 1920s. It was shuttered about a decade ago, because of water problems. Chris Havel with the Oregon Parks Departmentsays it became an unmaintained parking area for all intents and purposes.
“It doesn’t really contribute anything significant to the state park system in Oregon. It doesn’t provide recreational experiences. It doesn’t really protect a significant amount of property at 38 acres and we decided after long deliberation inside the department to dispose of the property.”
After taking public comment, the Parks Department put the property up for public auction. The highest bidder was Eugene-based Shiloh Forestry. The bid of $255,570 was below the appraised value of the land so the Department of Administrative Services will review the sale before it’s finalized. Funds from the sale will go to improve state parks.
