Plans for new recreation area near Mitchell take shape

Almost six years ago, Senator Jeff Merkley introduced a wilderness bill that would have transferred 2,000 acres of federal land to the City of Mitchell for economic development purposes. But at the time, the city balked, and the bill collapsed.

Now, a new city council and mayor are seeing an opportunity for the tiny town, which has become a thoroughfare for tourists and outdoor recreationalists.

Originally known as the Sutton Mountain Recreation Project, it is now being called the Golden Triangle Recreation Area. Spanning 2,300 acres (3.6 square miles) and just half a mile from Mitchell, the project aims to take federal land overseen by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and develop campgrounds, trails, and other amenities that will be managed by the city.

While there is still a long way to go, the City of Mitchell was excited by the presentation from the Catalyst Public Policy Advisors last Tuesday.

Catalyst began working on the project in early 2024 and first pitched it to the Mitchell City Council last May.

The company is made up of innovators – including Nick Green, the former City Manager for John Day, who recently helped Gilliam County map out its countywide fiber grant portfolio.

Green specializes in financial modeling and land planning.

Tory Stinnett is also on the team. Stinnett is the Deputy Director of the Greater Eastern Oregon Development Corporation (GEODC) and covers grant management.

Other team members include Aaron Lieuallen of AEWW Innovations, Doug Green of Geobility, and Peter Johnson of O-D-L Consulting.

Prior to the Mitchell City Council's regular monthly meeting on January 21, Nick Green, Aaron Lieuallen, and Peter Johnson gave an overview of their vision for the property, and where the city could take it.

The team has a significant amount of experience in its R3 Strategies projects. R3 stands for Regional Rural Revitalization. This project began as a partnership between the cities of Lakeview, Burns, John Day, and Baker City. The team helped to find common projects and goals of each municipality, and then found ways to fund them and cut through red tape.

The group has developed everything from the mixed-use redevelopment of the South Lakeview annexation to master plans for developments in Burns and Baker City.

One of the ongoing issues in Wheeler County is a concern of poorly managed land by BLM. When a council member asked if someone could come into the property and cause problems, the R3 team said that is more likely to happen now, where there are no buildings and just wide open spaces.

While there was some excitement, a comprehensive plan will need to be developed and there is a possibility that legislation will be required to navigate the development.

Catalyst is also eager to hear from residents in the area and plans to send out a survey to better understand the community's positions.

There is hope that the project could offer some employment opportunities, and potentially some passive income for the city if they choose to contract-out services and management of facilities.

The project, expected to take between 12 and 18 months, is still in its infancy but plans are underway to secure funding and to get support from state and federal partners.

"The team aims to create a sustainable, self-sustaining project that complements downtown businesses and generates revenue, with a focus on camping, trails, and events spaces," Nick Green said.

Solving issues like camping space, bike routes, and parking in the city will be up for the council to decide, but could also be worked out through this project.

Ultimately, the project aims to connect the hordes of tourists that visit each year with businesses in Mitchell.

For his part, Mayor Jacob Crawford gave a full endorsement of the proposal.

"I remember when Robert Cannon came in on Christmas Eve, around 2017 or 2018, and we actually got a community forum for this," he said. "I think it helps to change the name of it."