Lindsay McClure, Energy and Project Manager for MCEDD, addresses community members at the April 10th gathering at Mt. Hood Town Hall.
SOLAR Night at Mt. Hood Town Hall offers input on alternative energy project
A SOLAR Night meeting was held at the historic Mt. Hood Town Hall on Wednesday, April 10th to discuss plans to build resiliency in the Upper Valley by developing a solar-powered building to serve the community.
Mt Hood Town Hall Board member Bob Danko discusses possible solar array placements with (left to right) County Commission Chair Jennifer Euwer, County Administrator Allison Williams, Mt. Hood Town Hall Association Board President Jordan Kim, and Daron Ryan of the County Health Department.
The Mt. Hood Town Hall property is owned by Hood River County and leased to the Mt. Hood Town Hall Association, a small non-profit that has restored the building and grounds over the past 20 years. The association continues to maintain and manage the building, which serves as a community gathering place. It is also home to Mid-Columbia Children’s Council Head Start preschool, a recycling center, a weekly community meal, music and special events, and community fitness and education classes. The building is ADA-accessible with a commercial kitchen and showers and can be used as a relief center during emergencies.
Hood River County received $75,000 from the Oregon Department of Energy’s Community Renewable Energy Grant Program to plan and design a solar plus battery system to provide backup power to the Town Hall. The Hood River County Energy Council (Energy Council) is managing the project for the County and providing oversight and coordination throughout the design process.
Mayfield Renewables' Zach Snyder presents a rendering of one of the possible solar array structures on the NW corner of the Town Hall property.
Mayfield Renewables is the contractor for the project and is creating a detailed feasibility report and system design for the solar + battery system. At SOLAR Night, interested members of the community were able to learn about the project and share their thoughts.
Hood River County is susceptible to a variety of hazards such as fires, ice storms, earthquakes, high temperatures, and high winds with increasing frequency and severity. These events often result in power outages, which can cause disruptions to essential services and pose a threat to health and safety. Mt. Hood Town Hall was identified through a County and Energy Council process as a critical facility that could support the Upper Valley community during disasters. The process strategically identified critical facilities located throughout the County to ensure that each community and neighborhood has a nearby resource center.
The goal of this project is to design a resilient on-site solar plus electricity storage system to support facility operations during a power outage, reduce operating costs, improve sustainability, and support the MHTHA’s mission to “create and maintain a thriving community center while preserving the historic Mt. Hood Town Hall.”
Mayfield Renewables is expected to complete the Mt. Hood Town Hall solar plus battery planning and design report in early May.
Mt. Hood Town Hall
A short history of the Mt. Hood Town Hall building
The Mt. Hood Town Hall was originally built in 1914 as the Mt. Hood School by the local School District for grades K-8, replacing an original log school built in 1884. Additions were completed in 1927 and 1940 to accommodate the increasing enrollment. The building also served as a social and community center for the small settlement of Mt. Hood.
Gradually from 1947 to 1962, grades were moved to the neighboring Parkdale School. Then the school closed and the Mt. Hood Church of Christ purchased the building from the School District. The Church used the building until 1973 when Hood River County purchased the building for use by the community. The Mt. Hood Towne Hall Association incorporated in 1985 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and slowly began to restore the building and grounds. The Mt. Hood School was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.
The Association has completed major restorations and improvements. It was beautifully restored 10 years ago for its centennial celebration and the MHTHA received significant grants and local donations, and utilized numerous volunteers to make the improvements happen. The building and grounds continue to serve the Upper Valley community, playing a vital role by providing space where neighbors can gather, kids can play and everyone can learn, create, and stay connected.