By Nate Jones

Staff Writer

The third time was the charm for Arthur Smith, Director of the Highland Memorial Cemetery Association, who convinced the city to unanimously approve a land swap on Monday. 

The swap will allow the city to obtain a strip of land approximately seven feet wide and nearly 350 feet long adjacent to current city property in trade for a 2,400-square foot-parcel abutting the cemetery property. The cemetery plans to build a new storage shed for the cemetery on the 46-foot by 52-foot parcel of land.

“They certainly could have built a garage on ‘the back 40,’” City Councilor Jim Soule said. “But the intent is to have a garage close enough in proximity to Highland Avenue where there will be a little bit more of a neighborhood watch type of scenario.”

It is the third time the Highland Memorial Cemetery Association has requested the land. In September 2008, Smith reminded the council that the association once granted the city up to 14 acres of land to help accommodate the Portland Pipeline Corp. development and routinely waived its right to collect municipal funding for veterans at the cemetery “because [the association] had such great cooperation with the city.” 

Despite the reminder, a majority of the council was not receptive to granting the association a long-term easement, and favored a land swap, as was approved on Monday. 

The new city-owned, 7-foot-wide strip is comparable to the overall size of the property to house the new garage, which is 40 feet from Highland Avenue.

Staff writer Nate Jones may be reached at 282-4337 ext. 233