I was almost born there, and certainly have been active there most of my life, until about 1998...I've seen a lot of projects materialize, and the owned acreage expand over the years. I am not aware of any property of any kind that OERM leases, and there are only a small number of historic vehicles that are not owned outright by the group. I've watched talented individuals come together with conflicting personalities to overcome many obstacles and create an in-ground fire main system, high-voltage distribution network, many large and recurring public events, and active membership longevity.

While it is a volunteer organization for the most part, with a paid staff counted on one hand, I can assure you the organization DOES own the land, and has been planning this for years. Yes, the days of strong-back volunteer contruction of carbarns on weekends are pretty much gone, but look at the success of many other infrastructure projects around the property in recent years; most notably the Ron Ruffulo Carhouse, which put under cover just about every other piece of wood rolling stock that had its running gear. Some were towed in on other wheels! That building was dedicated just last year, if I am not mistaken.

Rest assured, like that project and the recent Public Parking lot upgrade, this project will be properly planned, engineered, permitted and approved. The city of Perris ensures there are no shortcuts or handshake deals made, and you can also bet this will be fully ADA compliant. Offhand, I cannot see any reason why the general public would be wholly excluded, but I am not a policy maker. I would bet it won't be a free-for-all for the general membership, either. No doubt tight controls will be in place that allows both the use and enjoyment of the archives today, tomorrow and well into the future.