The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

DAYTON – The Columbia County Board of Commissioners is close to an agreement with Seneca Foods Corp. to purchase between 15 and 20 acres of land at the east end of Dayton from Seneca. The property includes the Seneca Activity Center and labor camp buildings, and lies adjacent to the property that includes the county engineer's office and shop.

Commissioner Dwight Robanske made a report to the Columbia County Economic Development Steering Committee Tuesday, in which he explained the basics of the proposed transaction.

He said that the County approached Seneca early this year about purchasing a small portion of the property in question to provide rock and gravel storage. The county is also interested in a nearby parcel currently owned by Seneca that could be used to expand the county's rock quarry.

"Seneca told us that if we established a price for the part we want, they would include the rest of the property in that price," Robanske said.

He said the commissioners determined that the transportation cost savings from having a rock quarry and rock and gravel storage adjacent to the county shop would make the acquisition of the entire property very worthwhile.

Robanske said the parties are still in negotiation, but are very close to a final agreement. He would not give an expected closing date. He also said he could not disclose price information at this time.

He said that the county had completed most of the needed inspections, including structural and environmental. All of the buildings are full of asbestos he said, and he expects that they all would be removed, including the activity center and labor camp buildings.

Robanske said that members of the Dayton Historic Depot Society, which holds archived records for many historic properties, has been contacted about photographing and recording details on the buildings prior to their removal. Despite their historic nature, he said, the condition of the buildings makes preserving them unfeasible.

Robanske also said that the commissioners have discussed a number of possible uses for the property where the buildings are now located, including building a new community center or subdividing the land for sale to small manufacturers or other businesses. The land is currently zoned light industrial.