The Madras City Council is poised to approve a $59,000 housing infrastructure grant this week to design a new 12-inch waterline in the heart of the city — a project that could open the door to high-density housing development near downtown Madras.
The proposed waterline would run between 7th and B Streets, extending toward the area in front of St. Charles Madras hospital. City leaders say the infrastructure improvement is a prerequisite for attracting the kind of residential development Madras needs to address its ongoing housing crunch.
Why This Matters for Housing
Like many small Oregon cities, Madras has struggled with a shortage of affordable housing for working families. High-density housing — apartment complexes, townhomes, and multi-family units — requires robust water infrastructure that much of Madras’s aging downtown grid cannot currently support.
By designing a new, larger-capacity waterline in this corridor, the city is laying the groundwork for developers to build more units per acre than the existing system allows. The $59,000 grant covers the engineering design phase; construction funding would need to be secured separately.
Part of a Larger Strategy
The waterline project is one of several housing-related initiatives moving through Madras city government this summer. City leaders have been working on a broader community vision for land use and growth, including a joint planning effort with Jefferson County to create a shared vision for the future.
The project also aligns with state-level pressure on Oregon cities to increase housing density near existing infrastructure — including health care facilities like St. Charles — to reduce sprawl and make the most of public investments.
Budget Deadline Looming
Tonight’s council meeting is also notable because the city is working against a June 30 budget deadline. Interim City Administrator David Clyne, who has led the city since April, identified finalizing the budget as a top priority before incoming City Administrator Brenda Fahey takes over in July.
The $59,000 grant vote, if approved alongside the Fahey employment agreement, would mark a productive start to what could be a pivotal few months for Madras city government.