Posted: Wednesday, February 19, 2003 12:00 am
Nomination an attempt to save CHS building
By CHRISTIAN HILL
Gazette-Times reporter
An intentionally muzzled Corvallis City Council forwarded Tuesday night the citizen nomination of Corvallis High School as a historic building.
Councilors took the speak-no-evil tack after both City Attorney Scott Fewel and city planners warned residents later could claim prejudice if they officially comment on the effort to list the school on the National Register of Historic Places.
The vote was 8-0. Councilor Justin Roach was absent.
The unanimous decision concluded a strange evening where Mayor Helen Berg explained three times why it was risky for councilors to take a position and for residents to sway them to one side.
The Corvallis School District plans to build a new $46 million school and then demolish the existing facility. A local group, Save CHS, is attempting to save the 68-year-old school and a wing built in 1946, both identified as historic resources.
A historic designation could aid in saving the school from the wrecking ball.
The Corvallis Planning Commission is scheduled to hear the application for the new school on March 19. Residents could appeal that decision to the City Council. They can testify at either hearing.
Taking a position on the listing could introduce a "perception of bias" if councilors later hear such a challenge, city planners have warned.
Fewel added that a claim of bias by a councilor is sufficient grounds for a resident to appeal any decision to the state Land Use Board of Appeals.
"It doesn't put us in jeopardy on the land use issue," Councilor Hal Brauner said of the council's decision.
Councilors didn't hold a public hearing on whether to support the nomination to help isolate themselves from potential claims of bias.
In that same vein, Berg also asked residents who testified during the "visitors' propositions" portion of the meeting only to testify to whether councilors should take a position and not on which side.
Two residents brought forward an opinion, words that induced rebukes from Berg each time.
The only comment councilors added to the forwarded nomination is an explanation on why they didn't take a formal position.
The state Advisory Commit-tee for Historic Preservation is scheduled to consider the nomination Feb. 27. It will decide whether to forward the nomination to the National Park Service for a final decision.