Estuary Trail
The City of Florence is putting the finishing touches on the new estuary trail, unfortunately the weather, while sunny, has not been warm enough to complete the parking area adjacent to highway 126. City Manager Erin Reynolds is hopeful that the can be completed soon, all that is needed is a small window of warmer air.
“We’re hopeful sometime this winter and if not it will come when it comes.”
The estimate cost to the city is approximately $125,000. The lot will be located on 126 off of the Spruce Street extension. The trail will run from Redwood Street to Quince street and exit just south of the Florence Events Center.
Quince Street Development
Matt Braun with Braun Hospitality recently gave an update on the plan to build a Wyndham Microtel hotel on Quince Street across from the FEC. Braun gave the city a positive look at the timeline for the initial ground breaking. City Manager Erin Reynolds.
“(he’s) Putting together his financial package and pulling building permits this spring and looking to start moving ground along that timeframe according to the contract.”
The project will go through land use in february. The city has been trying to find a developer to develop the property for many years now, but has had several setbacks. Braun Hospitality has been attached to the project since COVID. Matt Braun will be a guest on the February edition of Our Town.
Taxes
As the IRS and Oregon Department of Revenue began accepting 2024 tax returns yesterday, taxpayers are encouraged to file electronically and request direct deposit for faster refunds. E-filed returns are processed in the order received, but refunds won’t be issued until after February 15 as part of fraud prevention efforts. Taxpayers should gather all necessary records, like W-2s and 1099s, before filing to avoid errors or delays. Revenue Online, Oregon’s tax portal, helps taxpayers check their details and respond quickly to any department requests. Free filing options, including IRS Direct File and Direct File Oregon, are available for eligible taxpayers. More information is at Oregon.gov/DOR.