(Photo by Grant Floyd)
Operations Teams Had Been Working Out of Converted Old Sewer Digester
A modern 13,500-square-foot Public Works Facility for employees that had been operating in cramped conditions out of a converted 80-year-old one-time cylindrical sewer digester, known as the “Round House”, has been unveiled in Sunriver.
The customized building, with distinct segments for different functions, will provide a new base for the Sunriver Owners’ Association (SROA) Operations Team — the people that keep the roads, pathway, parks, and many other areas in Sunriver safe and cared for.
Central Oregon’s Wolf Construction & Development was General Contractor for the project, with structural/civil engineering and design provided by Bend’s LB Engineering.
Public Works crews work to maintain Sunriver as a top-tier community year-round, with responsibilities including maintenance and snowplowing of some 66 miles of roads and 34 miles of pathways.
The Round House once served as a sewer treatment digester and many years ago was converted into an operations building to house equipment, tools, and personnel.
One of the old structures was demolished to make way for the new custom-built facility, which includes enclosed bays to keep vehicles and heavy equipment out of the elements — saving staff time digging them out every time it snows.
SROA Director of Public Works Mark Smith said, “This new, more efficient building for crews and equipment is going to boost our effectiveness tremendously.
“We can take better care of equipment, and not have to store outside, with the added benefit of residents not having to view daily.
“The number one benefit is the efficiencies we will derive. We oversee maintenance and other needs for some 4200 homes and the resort and so forth, and the crews are excited to move in.
“Wolf Construction owner Scott Wolf did a great job, going above and beyond to deliver a successful project within the budget.”
The former one-bathroom shop with a single window in the round house was used primarily to store equipment and house the crews tasked with maintaining a range of infrastructure and service needs.
But Public Works had long outgrown the aging facility, which also presented 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 and the Camp Abbot military training center.
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 has become reality thanks to the $1.6 million project sanctioned by the SROA Board and funded from association reserves.
One of the old buildings was demolished to make way for the tailor-made 13,500-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.
The building is a pre-engineered metal structure including a sizeable reinforced 3,600 square foot mezzanine for additional storage and future expansion potential.
The design adhered to SROA’s aesthetic guidelines, with the exterior focusing on natural materials and a more welcoming façade.
Wolf Construction and Development Principal Scott Wolf said, “This is a greatly needed facility for the public works department.
“They have been working out of an old building that used to be a former sewage digester. I was impressed with the repurposing of the retired digester, however, due to its shape and size it had 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 an exceptionally good client, and we had a great collaborative team all round.
“We provided a lot of upgrades within a tight budget, and I believe delivered unbeatable value through a lot of hard work, time, and effort, including intensive value engineering.
“There was a lot of input on the design front from multiple stakeholders to help deliver a successful project which turned out even better than planned.
“Challenges on the projects included dealing with the weather in Sunriver and the labor shortage in the construction industry, which has been compounded by the lack of high school graduates going into the traditional construction-related trades.”
He added that the shop space in the new facility included 14ft overhead doors giving the ability to drive through the building, with allowance made for expansion and addition of employees. The old space had a cramped meeting room area, and the round house did not have a lot of separation.
Smith said 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 year-round responsibilities include: Maintenance and snowplowing of roads and 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 pick up; “Ladder fuels” reduction, and 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 and will work around the clock in 12-hour shifts to keep roads clear.
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.
The new facility also provides additional sheltered bicycle parking to 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.”
The resort community of Sunriver has a full-time population of about 1,700, but during peak tourist times can swell to 20,000 or more. These ebbs and flows in population can place a unique strain on the local district.
Following almost two-years work, SROA’s Infrastructure & Amenities Master Plan (IAMP) Task Force previously presented its final report to the Sunriver Owners Association Board of Directors at an annual meeting, identifying replacement of the Public Works “round house” facility as one of its top priorities in the 2023-2024 cycle.
A task force report said, “The SROA Public Works campus is the road/pathway maintenance and overall infrastructure backbone of Sunriver.
“Many of its current buildings and equipment storage bays are close to the end of their useful lives and/or inefficient. Even a building still used a lot today, is from the Camp Abbot days.
“This is a cause for concern from a functionality and community safety standpoint. New improvements and additions to Public Works facilities would increase safety and efficiency for staff operations, snow removal services, and daily functions such as maintaining SROA’s common areas.”
The move to build a new Public Works facility was also in conformance with the Sunriver Owners Association Mission Statement, which prioritizes: “Maintaining Sunriver as a premier residential and resort community, protecting and enhancing its quality of life, natural environment and property values.”
