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
Coastal Futures Update
May 23, 2005
In this issue:
- Mid Coast Forum scheduled for October 1 in Florence
- Design Action Teams support model development
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Mid Coast Forum scheduled for October 1 in Florence
The Mid Coast Forum of the Coastal Futures Project will take place at the Florence Events Center, in Florence, on Saturday, October 1, 2005. It will be a full-day event. Brochures for the conference will be available by early August.
Design Action Teams support model development
The Coastal Futures Project is offering Design Action Teams to support a model development project on each of the north, mid-, and south coasts. If you are involved in a project that could benefit from conceptual design services, we want to hear from you! Preliminary requests for services for north coast (Clatsop and Tillamook Counties) may be submitted through June 1st. Stay tuned for work on the mid- and south coasts beginning this fall. Learn more online or contact Dan Eisenbeis at design@coastalfutures.org or (503) 497-1000.
LUBA upholds Lincoln County’s denial of Gleneden Beach riprap permit
In April, the Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA) upheld the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners’ decision to deny a riprap permit to a house in the Fishing Rock subdivision in the Gleneden Beach area. The controversy concerned Statewide Land Use Goal 18, which prohibits riprap for properties not developed before 1977. Prior to the subdivision, which was built in 1992, there was a single house on an eleven-acre parcel. The County had held that this did not constitute “development” for purposes of allowing riprap in front of a house in the later subdivision. LUBA agreed. LUBA held that the only riprap allowed would be that necessary to protect the pre-existing house—and no more.
Searching for possible contaminants at South Slough
Local seafood processors, oyster growers, the Department of Environmental Quality, and researchers at South Slough Natural Estuarine Research Reserve are teaming up to find out where possible contaminants in South Slough might be coming from, and how to mitigate them. Contaminants move over recreational clamming areas and commercial oyster-growing areas. Some water samples have detected bacteria spikes in the bay’s water near outfall pipes, and others haven’t. DEQ is funding a project, coordinated with the seafood plants and South Slough, to determine the sources of the bacteria spikes, and develop potential solutions. For further information: www.southsloughestuary.org.
Curry County hearing June 1 on proposed ordinances
Curry County will hold a public hearing on June 1, 2005 in the Commissioners’ Hearing Room at the Courthouse Annex, on Moore Street in Gold Beach concerning new and revised ordinances addressing development on steep slopes, in natural hazard zones, flood plains, and geologic hazard areas. Other ordinances deal with water quality, erosion control and stormwater control. A draft of the proposed ordinances is available for review from the Curry County Planning Department in Gold Beach. For more information please contact Citizens for Orderly Development in Curry County at (541) 412-1200.
Brooking Borax project remanded to City of Brookings
LUBA remanded the Borax project, which is now inside the Brookings Urban Growth Boundary, back to the City of Brookings. The proposed project would develop more than 500 acres of forested hillside directly across Highway 101 from Boardman State Park. Local citizens’ groups appealed county approval for the project to LUBA. LUBA said that a hydrologic assessment is necessary to protect the federally endangered western lily, though it could wait to the stage of detailed development planning. LUBA also required Brookings to apply its regular development standards to the Borax proposal, rather than alternative development standards, unless the City can justify them.
Depoe Bay revitalization activities
Depoe Bay has been doing a lot of work to better the town and its surroundings. The city received a grant from the state Department of Land Conservation and Development to do an inventory of wetland riparian and wildlife habitat in its watershed. Setbacks of different sizes are being considered by the City Council. The city has also been working on its downtown area that borders Highway 101. Citizen’s groups studied downtown parking needs, and the city implemented some changes. Depoe Bay has also received a grant from ODOT to undertake a Downtown Refinement Plan. This project is working towards maintaining people-friendly slow traffic flow along Highway 101, and provide good parking, while achieving greater pedestrian and driver safety.
Number of LNG proposals increasing near mouth of Columbia River
The mouth of the Columbia River has suddenly become a hot spot for liquefied natural gas (LNG) proposals; there are four proposals in a 50-mile stretch of the river. The first is on the Skipanon River in Warrenton, the second at Tansy Point in Warrenton, the third at Port Westward, Washington, and the fourth at Bradwood, proposed by Northern Star Natural Gas. Only the Bradwood project at this time has filed papers with the Oregon Energy Facilities Siting Council for a permit. LNG terminals receive tanker shipments of the liquefied gas from countries such as Russia, Indonesia and Australia. It would be stored in terminals, converted back to vapor form, and then distributed through pipelines. There are several citizens’ groups concerned about the projects on grounds of security and safety. For further information: http://www.columbiarivervision.org/
Astoria-Warrenton regional refinement plan analysis starting
The Oregon Department of Transportation is beginning an analysis of transportation systems in the Astoria-Warrenton area. ODOT’s goal is to develop a regional refinement plan that will help develop solutions to the area’s traffic problems. The plan is being developed in cooperation with the cities of Astoria and Warrenton, and also the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development. Public workshops focusing on options under the plan will begin this fall. Options could include anything from a Highway 101 bypass around Astoria—an idea that first was studied in the 1960s—to new bridges, changes to existing highways, or rail service. The goal is political consensus for a solution that is backed up by verifiable data, which makes it easiest to obtain funding. For further information: http://egov.oregon.gov/ODOT/COMM/ACT_NWACT.shtml
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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.
For more information, please contact:
Coastal Advocate, 1000 Friends of Oregon
(503) 391-0210 | info@coastalfutures.org