(Exterior Elevation | Rendering courtesy of Sunriver Public Works)
Modern Facility to Replace 80-Year-Old Makeshift “Round House” Base
A new facility replacing a dingy 80-year-old repurposed one-time sewer treatment building known as the “round house,” is in the pipeline for Sunriver Public Works.
The current one-bathroom shop with a single window is used primarily to store equipment and house the Sunriver Owners’ Association (SROA) crews tasked with maintaining a range of infrastructure and service needs.
But Public Works has long outgrown the aging facility, which also presents a number of functional challenges after it was adapted from its days as a 1940s-era sewage holding tank, or wastewater treatment “digester,” from the time of World War II/Camp Abbot.
The concrete-walled plant was still in use up until 1967, before being converted into an operations building to house equipment, tools, and personnel.
SROA Public Works Director Mark Smith said the department’s crews work diligently 365 days a year and are proud of the services they provide to keep the resort in prime condition, for residents and visitors alike, but deserve to share a similar sense of pride in their work environment.
And now, the long-discussed goal to create a new, more efficient, base is becoming reality thanks to a $1.6 million project sanctioned by the SROA Board, to be funded from association reserves.
One of the old buildings will be demolished to make way for a customized 13,100-square-foot facility including enclosed bays to keep vehicles and heavy equipment out of the elements — which will save staff time digging them out every time it snows.
General Contractor for construction of the project is Central Oregon-based Wolf Construction & Development, with structural/civil engineering by Bend’s LB Engineering.
The new facility will improve the overall efficiency, safety and well-being of staff, including conditioned workspaces to get out of the elements during heat or cold events, wildfire smoke days, etc.; efficient working spaces and tool storage as part of the larger shop; safer chemical and paint storage; additional office and locker space; appropriately sized and efficient breakroom; separate restrooms for men and women, and proper storage space for items such as maps, archives and owner directories.
The project was processed publicly through the Deschutes County Planning Department In accordance with SROA Design Committee Manual of Rules & Procedures, including holding informational neighborhood meetings.
Public Works crews work to maintain Sunriver as a top-tier community year-round, with responsibilities including:
- Maintenance and snowplowing of 66 miles of roads and 34 miles of pathways;
- Maintenance of SROA-owned facilities including: SHARC, Member Pool, boat launch, tennis and pickleball courts;
- Fort Rock, Paulina & Mary McCallum parks;
- Street signage;
- Buildings & infrastructure;
- Landscaping;
- Restrooms;
- Daily pathway trash can pickup;
- “Ladder fuels” reduction, tree removal on commons.
The Department has a fleet of snow removal vehicles for clearing Sunriver’s roads and pathways. Crews generally start plowing after 3” has accumulated on the main roads and during heavy or continued snowfall, will work around the clock in 12-hour shifts to keep roads clear.
To support Sunriver property owners with performing ladder fuels reduction (LFR) work on their properties to reduce wildfire risks, SROA’s Public Works also offers roadside pickup of ladder fuels debris.
Ladder fuel is a firefighting term for live or dead vegetation that allows a fire to climb up from the landscape or forest floor into the tree canopy. Common examples include tall grasses, shrubs, and tree branches, both living and dead.
The 9.85-acre site for the new building — located in the Sunriver Community General District (SUCG) and the Airport Safety (AS) Combining Zone off Sun Eagle Lane and Abbott Drive — is currently developed with a number of buildings for the Sunriver Owners Association.
Uses and structures on the property include a fire station, administration building, equipment and cinder storage, and public works buildings.
One of several conditions for approval of the new structure includes a requirement that no glare-producing material be used on the exterior of structures located within an approach surface or on nearby lands where glare could impede a pilot’s vision.
Additionally, no use shall imitate airport lighting or impede the ability of pilots to distinguish between airport lighting and other lighting, and all exterior lighting shall be shielded so that direct light does not project off-site.
The new facility will provide additional sheltered bicycle parking and be utilized in conjunction with the neighboring, existing administration building.
During approval proceedings, SROA staff commented: “The building is replacing a repurposed wastewater treatment building and will be more aesthetically pleasing.
“The proposed structure will utilize masonry and non-reflective materials in muted, earth-tone colors to blend in and reduce contrast with surrounding vegetation and landscaping.
“The primary purpose of the proposed building is to provide interior storage of vehicles that are currently stored outside. This will reduce the visual impact of stored vehicles as well as reducing the noise from vehicle startups and idling.
“A landscape plan has been provided to show additional, new landscaping between the proposed structure and Sun Eagle Lane. This new landscaping, along with the landscaping (trees/vegetation) currently existing on the north and south sides of Sun Eagle Lane provides ample, natural screening to the proposed structure.”
“This is a greatly needed facility for the public works department,” said Wolf Construction and Development Principal Scott Wolf. “They have been working out of an old building that used to be an old sewage digester. I am impressed with the repurposing of the retired digester. However, due to its shape and size it has long since outgrown its temporary use.
“The new building consolidates operations and storage needs in a bigger more efficient space. Public Works is a busy and productive department, and this move is better for employees and the whole community; it is something all parties can feel good about.
“I worked with SROA previously on the north pool project — they are a very good client, and we have a great collaborative team all round.”
Wolf added that the structure will be a pre-engineered metal building and is to include a large mezzanine for additional storage and future expansion potential.
The construction timeline is expected to span a year.
