Lane County Commissioners Tuesday voted three to two in favor of negotiating a long-term lease of the Forest Work Camp.
KLCC’s Kira Hoffelmeyer has more.
The commissioners will negotiate a five year lease with Veteran’s Legacy. The newly established nonprofit wants to use the land to provide rehabilitation services, specifically for veterans affected by post-traumatic stress disorder, adjustment disorders and therapy for those with addiction issues.
Lane County’s Devon Ashbridge says the nonprofit’s readiness appealed to all the commissioners despite the close vote.
"Now, there was some concern expressed about the size of the mission for the organization and the potential difficulty in implementing that," says Ashbridge. "But again, that mission for veterans was something that each of the commissioners expressed an appreciation for."
The 100 acre property is located just west of Eugene. It was opened in 1991 as a work camp for the Lane County jail. It closed in 2008 due to lack of money. The land was subsequently turned over to Lane County Public Works.
If negotiations fail with Veteran’s Legacy, they will be reopened with the other two interested organizations. The zoning ordinance permitting the land to be used for rehabilitation services will expire if not established before March 2017.
Follow Kira Hoffelmeyer on Twitter @kirahoffy.
