This story was updated at 9 p.m. Feb. 17, 2025 with information on a new Battle of the Books competition schedule (pushed back because of the snow days).
Plans for the construction of multiplex housing on the corner of South 19th Street and Chapel Drive appear to be moving forward with a site design review now in the hands of the city.
For those who may not recall, plans for this housing development came up a few years ago during public hearings on a rezoning application. In February 2023, the City Council approved the request for four parcels to be rezoned from medium- to high-density residential.
In the site design review paperwork, applicant Jason Leonard stated that he plans to build “four new fiveplexes to be placed on each of the four parcels.” The fiveplexes will be two stories high with three- and four-bedroom units, according details that had been included in the earlier rezoning paperwork.
The rezoning hearings and council meetings had several comments directed toward concerns over traffic, especially with a school zone just up the road. Findings of fact estimated the site’s impacts on daily trips would be well below capacity. In the end, the council felt there was no valid reason to deny the rezoning.
The project could be welcomed news to those who hope to live in Philomath with housing opportunities limited in the city.
The site design review application is active and anyone who wants to comment on the proposal must do so in writing by a Feb. 24 deadline.
2. New food options in the works
A couple of new food options appear to be on their way to Philomath.
First, a pizza joint on North 13th Street is in the works for the space formerly occupied by Sunrise Sourdough Bakery. A site design review application with the city lists the business owners as Jesse Durocher, Jeremiah Mulder and Scott Willcockson and they plan to establish a takeout pizza shop they’re calling Happy Slice. The property is owned by Corvallis resident Janet Pyle.
The business will employ two to four people with initial plans calling for operating hours of 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. The site design plans show no interior or exterior changes to the building other than a new sign out front.
The other new food option will be situated in the parking lot of the Out West Farm and Ranch Feed Store along Main Street on the east end of Philomath. Owners Sterling Grant and Shane Grant are planning to bring in a food truck operation.
The location of the food court would be near the main building situated on the other side of a gated driveway that connects South 26th Street to the parking lot. Signage would be set up on an old wagon bed.
3. Battle of the Books heating up
Philomath Elementary’s Battle of the Books event will reach the quarterfinals stage Feb. 21 as the remaining eight teams test each other’s skills on this year’s book selections (an earlier schedule had those battles scheduled for Feb. 14 but they were pushed back because of the snow days). The semifinals will follow on Feb. 24. The finals will be staged at 6 p.m. Feb. 25 in the Philomath Elementary School library.
In Oregon Battle of the Books, students read selected titles from a list and answer questions about them. This year’s list has 16 books. Winners from the school-level competitions move on to a regional tournament and then state.
Just this month, a Siletz Tribal Charitable Contribution Fund Grant in the amount of $960 went to the PES program, coordinator Molly Bell said.
“This will allow us to buy multiple copies of the books to use with next year’s OBOB teams,” she said. “It will also allow us to purchase some audio books to support any third-, fourth- or fifth-grade student who wants to participate, regardless of reading level.”
The school was also awarded $2,838 this past August with a Dollar General Literacy Foundation 2024 Youth Literacy Grant. Phonics for Reading intervention materials were purchased with the money.
“We were able to do a pilot program with these materials last year with support from the author, Anita Archer,” Bell said. “So we were excited to get this grant to purchase additional teacher guides and student workbooks to support our phonics intervention instruction.”
(Brad Fuqua is publisher/editor of the Philomath News. He can be reached at News@PhilomathNews.com).
