Springfield, Oregon, is getting bigger.
The city council voted Tuesday to expand city limits by 30.5 acres, unanimously approving three separate annexations for a proposed water treatment plant, an RV parking and storage facility and a home/adjacent road.
This 30.2-acre lot destined for RV storage used to be a gravel quarry and is now vacant. Big Bass LLC, a company with the same president as Springfield construction company, John Hyland Construction, bought the property and applied for annexation to convert it to an RV parking and storage facility.
“It’s a pretty simple project, just going to store some RV’s,” President Shaun Hyland told councilors. “(RV storage is) needed in Springfield. There’s not much out there.”
Kris McAlister, Springfield resident and Executive Director of the unhoused-serving nonprofit Carry it Forward, argued against the annexation which might require the city to expand its stormwater system to the property. McAlister said councilors should prioritize residential and public good annexations over the proposal from a for-profit company.
“There are dozens of people not set up with sanitation or property who are waiting to annex into the city but are told they have to wait and get $50,000 to $100,000 to tie into existing infrastructure,” he said.
