Support the Project

Design Action Team

Get Involved

Questionnaire

Current News
(June 8, 2006)

News Archives

Events

Resources Links

Search This Site

The Oregon Coastal Futures Project is a project of
1000 Friends of Oregon, Oregon Downtown Development Association,
and
Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition

1000 Friends of Oregon is grateful for the following foundations' support of the Coastal Futures Project:

• Meyer Memorial Trust

• Collins Foundation

• Rose E. Tucker Charitable Trust

• Goodman Foundation

• Over the River and Through the Woods Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation

March 30, 2005

Return to the Coastal Futures Update archives.

COASTAL FUTURES PROJECT

Seaside Forum News

On Feb. 12, 2005, more than 80 people gathered in Seaside for the conference Working with Treasure: The Future of Oregon’s Coast, sponsored by 1000 Friends of Oregon and Project partners. The forum hosted Jack McGowan, the Director of SOLV, as keynote speaker. The purpose of the day was to look at successful existing and new tools for creating and maintaining desirable coastal communities. There were sessions on transportation, rural place-making and downtown development. Shawn Reiersgaard of the Tillamook County Creamery Association and 1000 Friends Executive Director Bob Stacey spoke about Measure 37 and its impact to farming and land use policies. Read more.

Rural breakout session design information

Rajiv Batra, an architect planner, gave a presentation to a crowd of participants at Working with Treasure on rural place-making. He shared examples of design features people could use to ensure that rural development blends in better with the surrounding landscape. Several participants have asked us for information based on Mr. Batra’s presentation. 1000 Friends is pleased to announce that the PowerPoint presentation will be featured on the Coastal Futures website in mid-April. In the next few months it will be expanded as well, to include a broader range of information. Please see check back to the website in mid-April for the presentation. Note: This information will be added to the website soon.

Mid-Coast Outreach Underway, Forum in Fall

Coastal Futures Project outreach will now focus more on the mid coast (Lincoln, coastal Lane and Douglas counties), in preparation for the mid-coast Forum, which will be held in September 2005. 1000 Friends staff will be giving presentations and hosting public meetings in mid-coast towns this spring and early fall to hear what land use issues and concerns are important to mid-coast residents. To add to our discussion, and for more information, please fill out our questionnaire or contact us.

Design Action Team nominations

Part of the Coastal Futures Project is the offer of design expertise for a good project on the north, mid and south coasts. This part of the project is now getting underway. Read more. Nomination forms and other preliminary information for the Design Action Team work on the north and mid-coast will be available on our website by mid-April, 2005. If you have a possible project, and would like further information, please contact us at design@coastalfutures.org. The project proposal application may be downloaded from the website in mid-April.

Back to top

COASTAL NEWS

EPA accepting nominations for Smart Growth projects

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is accepting applications for the fourth annual National Award for Smart Growth Achievement. This competition is open to local or state governments and other public sector entities that have used the principles of smart growth to create better places. Last year, the Mill Pond project in Astoria was nominated for an Achievement award.

This year, applications will be accepted in five categories:
· Built Projects
· Policies and Regulations
· Small Communities
· Military Base Redevelopment
· Overall Excellence in Smart Growth

Interested parties are encouraged to submit applications for smart growth activities that have shown significant activity between May 19, 2000, and May 18, 2005. According to the EPA, successful applicants will have incorporated the principles of smart growth to create places that respect community culture and the environment, foster economic development, and enhance the quality of life and public health.

Applications are due on May 18, 2005. Up to five winners will be recognized at a ceremony in Washington, DC, in November 2005.

Read more details about the National Award for Smart Growth Achievement, including an application packet.

Florence City Council priorities

The Florence City Council has recently been working hard to adopt priorities for the next five years. Many of the goals and priorities concern development projects: moving ahead with some, and clearing up issues with others. Florence would like to proceed with a road maintenance program to upgrade failing city streets, but the city-passed gas tax will now be subject to a local vote, so its future is uncertain.

Florence is also considering creation of a downtown urban renewal district to encourage improvements in that area and address parking problems. The City Council also made construction of a new visitor’s center a high priority. In addition, the Council hopes to explore possible annexations along Rhododendron Drive and Munsel Road, which would cause Florence to grow to the north and east.

The city is also going to work on an economic development strategy that would help make Florence more attractive to family-wage job employers, and take a close look at how much land is actually available in Florence for development. This latter issue is linked to city review of the proposed urban growth boundary expansion.

Brookings Annexation procedures

The City of Brookings has revised the language of its annexation procedures in the City Code. One of the main changes was to eliminate a zoning classification chart that equated city and county zones. The new annexation code also says that Brookings will not assume responsibility for maintenance of roads annexed into the city until they are improved to city standards. This issue was raised in the Harbor Hills area south of Brookings that was included in an expanded Urban Growth Boundary, but not annexed into the city. Brookings is concerned about the fiscal impact of maintaining substandard roads in new annexations.

Cannon Beach vote on short-term rentals

For several years, the residents of Cannon Beach have been discussing short-term rentals of houses. The discussion finally culminated in a local ballot measure. In early March the voters of Cannon Beach voted to retain short-term rentals. With seventy percent turnout, 52.8% of voters approved of continuing them, but anyone who wishes to pursue a short-term rental in Cannon Beach must have a license and pay a room tax. The City Council originally voted to end short-term rentals in 1997, but then voted to extend them. The referendum was filed by the Cannon Beach Neighborhood Association, which opposes short-term rentals in residential neighborhoods. For many, the question involved was what makes for the best quality of life in a small beach town, and allows people also to make money from renting their homes when they are not there.

South Slough expansion legislation proposed

Sen. Joanne Verger (Coos Bay) has introduced legislation, SB857, to expand the South Slough boundaries. This would allow the Slough to purchase the controversial Indian Point property. SB 857 is partially in response to the proposal by Hank Westbrook, owner of the 184-acre forested property on Indian Point, which juts into Joe Ney Slough and South Slough, to develop his land for a large recreational planned unit development. The property is just outside the current boundaries of South Slough, which means the Slough could not purchase it at this time. A similar bill to expand South Slough for this purpose failed in the Legislature two years ago, partially because the bill did not garner much interest or notice. But there is great interest locally in the bill now from supporters of protecting Indian Point. Search for and download the bill.

Depoe Bay Scenic Lands Project

The City of Depoe Bay has been working hard for many years on its Scenic Lands Project. With the help of a grant in 1996 from the Department of land Conservation and Development (DLCD), the citizens of the town identified important natural features of the community. Priorities included maintaining views of the ocean and harbor. The ten-year plan to achieve these goals is now in its ninth year. Most of the goals have been accomplished. The last ten undeveloped lots along Highway 101 in the downtown have been acquired for open space. Currently in the works is a project to acquire to harbor overview lots, and fashion a height restriction that will prevent blocking ocean view on another parcel. The work has been funded by many sources, including local fundraising, the Department of Transportation and the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.

Return to the Coastal Futures Update archives.

Credits/Subscription Info

Subscribe to the Coastal Futures Update email list at www.coastalfutures.org/update. You can unsubscribe at www.coastalfutures.org/update/unsubscribe.

Coastal Futures Update is edited by Cameron La Follette and Kate Kimball and brought to you by 1000 Friends of Oregon, a statewide organization dedicated to protecting Oregon's quality of life. To help support this work, including the distribution of Coastal Update, please consider making a tax-deductible donation.

Back to top