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OCEANSIDE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION
(www.oceansidefriends.org )
October 7, 2006
Minutes
President Judson Randall called the Oceanside Neighborhood Association meeting to order at 10:05 a.m. Saturday, October 7, 2006 , at the Netarts Fire Hall. There were 50 persons in attendance at 10:30 a.m. A quorum is 37 persons.
Jud described a new timing device that will be operated by the secretary. When there is a time limit for speaking, the timer is set and started. A green light is displayed until one minute before the allotted time is up, when the green light starts blinking. When there is 30 seconds remaining, a yellow light comes on. When the time expires, a red light comes on and there is a loud beep. Times to be allotted appear on the agenda.
The minutes of the August 6 meeting were approved with no corrections. Treasurer Chuck Wall reported that there is $1,684.11 in the treasury. The increase of $10 reflects a donation.
Lisa Phipps, coastal planner and liaison with the Department of Community Development (DCD), reported that four geo hazard approvals have been granted at The Capes and one in the Avalon addition. A building permit for a B&B has been withdrawn to make adjustments to meet parking requirements.
Lisa described the advisory committee for the Highway 131 study grant of $85,000. There will be representatives from DCD, Oregon Department of Transportation, ONA (Lenora Lawrence and Joanne Jene), two from the Netarts Citizens Planning Advisory Committee (CPAC), and six “at large” members: Pete Marvin with Parks and Recreation, Tim Carpenter with the Netarts-Oceanside Fire District, and representatives from the Netarts and Oceanside Water Districts and the Netarts-Oceanside Sanitary District (NOSD).
One anticipated recommendation is designation of a special transportation area along Highway 131 that will provide the basis for waiving certain provisions of the transportation rules and set the stage for future funding for such aspects as pedestrian linkages, bikeways and parking.
Lisa said that calls to the county from individuals about the Trillium development were investigated by Public Works on October 6. DCD will be checking to make sure that drainage is installed properly and that fill materials are disposed of as required. No non-compliance with normal construction practices has been noted at the site by Public Works or the Department of Environmental Quality. Lisa left contact information for the earthworks excavator with Jud and advised contacting them and DCD with concerns.
On September 25 an ordinance amendment was presented to the Board of County Commissioners to require 9,000 square foot lot minimums and 25-foot height limits on all un-platted properties within the Oceanside community growth boundary. The board passed a motion to have DCD staff initiate the amendment process following additional discussion at an October 30 board meeting. All petitioners (over 50) will be invited for this discussion. If the Board decides to proceed, a notice will be sent to the Department of Land Conservation and Development (45 day notice period). All told, it is a three- to four-month process. There will be public notice in the newspaper, letters to property owners, and hearings at both the Planning Commission and Board of Commissioners to give everyone a chance to be heard. Lisa said the BOCC may question whether the ONA planning process may not be a better avenue.
Terry Wall asked if a contractor comes in before the process is completed, will they get what they want? Lisa explained that they will get what the current ordinance allows. Contractors could submit an application that would be under the current ordinances and get it approved. Making a new ordinance is a different process that requires more time. It requires more public involvement with supporting findings. Staff has been asked by the BOCC not to move forward on the petition until after the October 30 meeting.
Mary Auvil asked Lisa if there will be further public comment allowed at the Planning Commission hearing on October 12, when the non-conforming minor review of the Anchor Tavern residence will be before the Planning Commission. Lisa explained that technically the PC shut down public comment as of August 17, but because of state law and what happened on August 24, the applicant will have the opportunity to respond to the final set of comments raised on August 24 either in writing or verbally—the applicant has the final comment on this. Lisa said there probably will be written testimony provided, hopefully by Monday. County staff really doesn’t expect the Planning Commission to open it up to comment, but the possibility does exist. Three planning commissioners won’t be present: Chairman Kurt Heckeroth, Bruce Lovelin, and Gail Ousele. The remaining members, Val Folkema, Merianne Hoffan, Terry Jones, and Kurt Mizee constitute a quorum. These members have said they have no problem with making a decision. Lisa said there may be a request for a continuance as well.
TJ Defeyter asked if developers have an obligation to pay for road approaches and other expenses near developments. Lisa explained that developers can be asked to pay for roads immediately adjacent to their developments. TJ said she thought it was feasible to have companies spend money to augment the $85,000 grant. She asked for the name of the person she should call—Lisa suggested Bill Campbell.
Lisa reported about the logging across from Happy Camp road. The landowner has a Forest Practices Act permit from the Department of Forestry to commercially log that site. Logging is being done in accordance with DOF standards. The county does not intercede unless there is a proposal for development at the site, which has not happened. The area is zoned for residential use in the Netarts community.
Kris Woolpert reported on the Zone and Plan Review Committee. Kris outlined the process, as listed in a handout, for reviewing ordinances and the comprehensive plan for Oceanside. She pointed out that the survey will be crucial in getting opinions from the community. She encouraged more people to become involved in the process. The process and committee membership is posted on the ONA website: www.oceansidefriends.org or at judsonrandall.mystarband.net. More volunteers are needed; also contributions to pay postage and printing expenses for the survey will be welcome. Submit contributions to treasurer Chuck Wall.
Tom Koenninger asked if the Maxwell Mountain property is part of the park zone. Kris explained that it is private property.
Deb Macartney, chair of the survey subcommittee, described how the survey is an important piece for gathering input from the community. They want to make sure that the survey reflects what our concerns are today, but also continues with the questions that were asked in 1995 and 2000 to see how the community has changed. Roughly half of the audience had participated in those surveys. The survey subcommittee will be working with other ZAPR subcommittees to find out what each subcommittee is concerned about and to work those issues into the survey questions. The survey will be publicized in the Fencepost column, the paper, etc. to make everyone aware that it’s being done and to encourage responses. Deb suggested that help with the cost of postage would be welcomed by the committee, who will assume other costs.
Lisa questioned if it would be beneficial to ask the county to mail the survey to property owners. Other means would be necessary to mail to renters. Deb replied that it would be great for the county to do that. They would cross reference to other databases to contact renters. Deb said that other info is available from the county databases. Lisa assured us the county would not want to control the survey content.
Jud reported that Steve Macartney has resigned from chair of the ONA committee to study incorporation of Oceanside. Ed Gorzynski, a member of the committee, stated that he had an e-mail from Wes Price, another member who couldn’t be here today, suggesting that Richard Powers be made chairman of the committee. Richard was not present either, but Jud said he would contact him with this proposition.
Lucas Posada, an undergraduate architecture student at the University of Oregon, has offered to do a “smart planning” project for Oceanside. Recently he e-mailed Jud suggesting that the cost of the project if involving University faculty and students might be $5,000 to $10,000 or, if done on a smaller individual student scale, $2,000 to $3,000. An individual who wants to remain anonymous has offered to put up $2,000 for the project. Tom Koeninger suggested asking Lucas if $2,000 will be sufficient and bringing his answer back to the group.
Jud reported that DeCal Homes is going to propose a subdivision of 75-77 homes east of Highland. Richard Powers and Jud met with the DeCal manager, real estate agent, and planner on September 9 and talked to them about concerns they had heard from the community. The homes along Highland at the time they were developed were limited by a CC&R to 15 feet above grade. The standing height limitation in Oceanside away from the oceanfront is 35 feet. There was concern about the first row of houses DeCal would be building adjacent to the existing homes. Would DeCal consider lowering the height of those houses? Jud and Richard also talked to them about leaving a buffer of trees. DeCal has not made an application. They told Jud they were looking at the concerns that Jud and Richard brought up, but need to make it a “viable” project.
Jud asked Lisa how the height of houses is measured when the house is built on fill. The measurement is taken from the pre-existing grade, before the fill. Lisa said the county is requiring surveys before there is any grading and surveys that show the cut and fill ratios on lots. She was fairly certain that such information was available for the area being graded now on Hillsdale and for the Centex development in Netarts.
Steve Macartney asked what caused Jud and Richard to raise these issues with DeCal. Jud explained that he and Richard had heard these concerns from the ONA group and from residents along Highland. He asked whether anyone didn’t want him to take this kind of initiative. Tom Koenninger said, “More power to you—you are a good one to ask these questions.”
Under New Business, Jud described a recent meeting of the ONA officers and the Oceanside Community Club Board, where both groups shared their common interests. The Community Club Board agreed that ONA would be assured of a meeting place at the Community Center at no charge except during the summer months, when the hall is in demand as a rental. Jud has booked the Community Center through December of 2007 for ONA meetings. He paid for two of these days, the meetings in June and August. It was moved and seconded that he should be reimbursed $110 for the rental fee.
Jud brought up the $15 million general obligation bond measure on the November ballot for the Netarts/Oceanside Sanitary District (NOSD). There will be a meeting at the Netarts Fire Hall on Saturday, October 14, at 12:30 p.m. to discuss the measure, which would require a property tax increase of $3.04 per $1,000 of assessed property value, or $304 per $100,000 of assessed value. Lisa said the Netarts CPAC will meet at the Fire Hall from 10 to 12 on the same morning, and will include a 15-minute presentation on the bond measure. (In conversations after the meeting, Dave Kratovil, the sanitary district treasurer, said that a recent flyer from the district misstated the projected user fee increase if the bond measure fails. He said the correct user fee increase would be $676 per year if the district receives a federal loan.)
Elki Powers proposed that the ONA meet monthly rather than every other month. Lisa said she would do her best to come to as many meetings as possible. Elki’s motion was seconded by Sue Butler and passed with two abstentions.
Jud called for public comment from the floor. Tom Koenninger suggested that we ask the county to put a stop sign at the end of Cedar Street, where it intersects with Chinook. It was the general consensus of the group that this was a good idea; and Jud will write a letter to Public Works asking that they install the stop sign.
Steve Macartney asked the status of the playground on Chinook that belongs to Kathie Norris. On a question of whether the ONA could take over insurance for the property, Jud was not certain, but would talk with Kathie about it. Lisa said that if ONA took on such a project, it would be outside the county’s purview, and could not pass liability on to the county. Ed Gorzynski suggested that the community be prepared to create a park at the wastewater treatment plant when it is abandoned. Don Doorlag said he thought the area where the sewer plant is located is zoned as a park and would revert to a park when the plant is moved.
Jud will find a contact for the proposed county park district to encompass School District 9 that is an measure on the November ballot.
The next meeting will be at 10:00 a. m. on November 4 at the Oceanside Community Center.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 11:29 a.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Mary Auvil
Secretary