LA GRANDE — An infrastructure project to support future housing in La Grande recently took a tentative step forward.

The city is partnering with Regional Rural Revitalization Strategies Consortium, also known as R3, to explore funding the Eastside Water and Sewer Infrastructure Project. This multimillion-dollar project would construct a trunk line — the primary distribution network required to bring water and sewer services to the border of future proposed housing developments.

“The good thing with R3 is they have momentum,” La Grande Director of Public Works Kyle Carpenter said.

During the next 20 years, La Grande will need around 800 new dwelling units to accommodate projected residential growth, according to the city’s 2019 Housing Needs Analysis.

In a letter to city staff and council, Managing Director Nicholas Green explained that R3 is an intergovernmental agency formed under the direction of the Oregon Legislature, which aims to facilitate housing development in rural communities with populations under 50,000.

Carpenter told the council during a work session on April 28 that R3 is interested in partnering with the city on the Eastside Water and Sewer Infrastructure Project.

“It would set La Grande up for our housing needs for the next 10 years,” he said.

The infrastructure project would support housing development between Highway 30 and Interstate 84 from H Avenue to McAlister Road. Developers have expressed interest in building subdivisions in the area in the past, but the lack of connection points into city water and sewer lines has limited growth and housing.

The trunk line also would need to connect into the city’s system in a meaningful way, Carpenter said, which would entail adding a lift station near Gekeler Lane.

R3 offered to do some initial work on the project at no cost to La Grande, according to City Manager Robert Strope. Carpenter said this includes making sure the property is available and affordable, helping to secure easement rights and doing some initial design work for a 148 house subdivision.

The subdivision would include a mix of housing types, Carpenter said, with at least 30% being workforce housing.

Following this, Strope said the next steps would depend on the upcoming legislative funding session. Carpenter explained there is a House bill that would allocate additional funding to R3 for infrastructure projects or R3 could seek separate funding for La Grande during the short session.

The agency, he said, is working on infrastructure projects in Lakeview, Baker and John Day.

Councilors were excited about this partnership with R3. Overall, the council was supportive of moving forward with initial steps, but councilors also wanted to ask questions and get clarifications on parts of the project.

“I think this sounds great,” Councilor David Glabe said.

He did, however, want to have further discussions with the agency regarding the five year timeline on the housing construction. Glabe explained he wants to make sure the council also understands possible unintended consequences of the project.