Washington County commissioners vote Tuesday, Oct. 6, on $2.85 million in additional funding for the Sunrise Hope Center transitional housing project on Cornell Road.
The same week, the county's new community engagement program holds its first District 2 meeting, giving Bethany, Cedar Mill and Oak Hills residents their first look at the system replacing the old Citizen Participation Organizations. Both items carry real stakes for the area, Cedar Mill News reported.
SPARC replaces CPOs with first District 2 meeting
Strengthening Participation and Reaching Communities (SPARC) holds its first District 2 meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8, at Cedar Hills Recreation Center, Room 3, 11640 SW Park Way. The meeting runs until 8:30 p.m. and is also available on Zoom (meeting ID 86599871838).
SPARC replaces the CPO system, which had more than a dozen separate community groups. The new structure consolidates participation into four groups aligned with commissioner districts. District 2, represented by Commissioner Pam Treece, covers Bethany, Cedar Mill and Oak Hills.
Thursday's agenda includes an introduction from Treece, a presentation on county structure by Office of Access and Opportunity staff, and service provider updates. The agenda does not list a public comment period, according to Cedar Mill News.
Virginia Bruce, then chair of CPO 1 covering Cedar Mill and Oak Hills, wrote in a January 2026 op-ed that the shift concerned her. "It doesn't feel like community members have much of a say in Washington County these days," Bruce wrote.
The next District 2 SPARC meeting is Feb. 11, 2027. The county's SPARC page says meetings will rotate among locations within the district.
Board votes Tuesday on $2.85M Sunrise Hope Center cost increase
The Washington County Board of Commissioners has a consent agenda item Tuesday, Oct. 6, for $2.851 million in additional capital funding for the Sunrise Hope Center at 15402 NW Cornell Rd. Molly Rogers, director of the Department of Housing Services, presented the staff report.
If approved, the project's total budget rises from $30.76 million to $33.61 million. Hard construction costs alone jumped from $9.84 million to $12.54 million.
The staff report attributed the cost increase to security upgrades, HVAC work, pool and plumbing repairs, and building infrastructure problems discovered after the former hotel's walls were opened during renovation.
To offset some costs, the county depleted a $1.2 million owner's contingency, used $70,000 from the contractor's contingency, engineered out $162,666 by changing materials and cutting scope, and shifted $200,000 in furniture costs to the operations budget.
The additional $2.851 million comes from one-time Supportive Housing Services funds allocated by Metro. The staff report states the money is already budgeted for the current fiscal year, meaning no new county budget impact.
The facility, a former hotel, was renamed Sunrise Hope Center through a community vote following an Aug. 18 Good Neighbor Agreement meeting. It will house 75 to 85 participants working toward sobriety and long-term housing stability. Helping Hands Reentry Outreach Centers (HOPE) is the on-site manager. Programming is expected to begin in early to mid-2027.
The Good Neighbor Agreement is still being drafted and will be published on the county's website when complete.
Commissioner Jerry Willey of District 4 is presiding over board meetings following former Commissioner Kathryn Harrington's resignation. Harrington's last day was Friday, Oct. 2. The SPARC District 2 meeting follows Thursday, Oct. 8, at Cedar Hills Recreation Center.
