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About Keizertimes. (Salem, Or.) 1979-current | View Entire Issue (June 24, 2016)
SINCE 1979 • VOLUME 38, NO. 28 SECTION A JUNE 24, 2016 $1.00 ‘Historic’ snag in cow pasture redux File After learning that the home and associated buildings on the Her- ber property - known as the cow pasture - have potential historical value, a decision on rezoning has been delayed until September. By ERIC A. HOWALD Of the Keizertimes Public hearings on a proposed rezoning of the area commonly known as “cow pasture” hit a wall in Keizer City Council chambers Monday, June 20. Between the release of the council's agenda last week and the start of the meeting, city staff discovered that the home and associated buildings on the site are listed in a state database of potential historic sites. Heirs to the Herber family, the current owners, are seeking to rezone the land for apartments. “The city has the obligation to examine the issue and go through the process to determine its historic value,” said Nate Brown, Keizer community development director. The home on the property, located between Chemawa Road Northeast and Dearborn Avenue Northeast along Verda Lane Northeast, is the oldest structure in the city and suspected to have been built around 1890. It is designated as the Pugh-Hall- Savage Farmhouse in state registry documents. While the site has not offi cially been deemed to have historic value, the documents suggest is merits “elevated signifi cance” given that there are no other sites of national historic signifi cance in Keizer and it meets at least two of the criteria for inclusion on the national registry. Wallace Lien, attorney for the property owners, asked the city council to continue the public hearing on the matter to give his clients time to investigate the historic signifi cance and possibly work with staff to come up with more specifi c guidelines as to what would be built on the property. The council was required to grant the request and, as a result, the applicants will have Rezone opposition had many voices PAGE A2 Please see SNAG, Page A2 Parks fund can unlock SDCs By ERIC A. HOWALD Of the Keizertimes Imagine having a $793,000 pot of money to spend on improving parks in the city of Keizer, but the only way to use it was to come up with another $6.1 million from other sources. In the simplest terms, that's the dilemma the city is facing when it comes to using existing system development charges (SDCs) to improve Keizer parks. The topic was the center of discussions at the Keizer Parks and Recreation Advisory Board meeting Tuesday, June 14, as board members wrestled with the possibility of creating a dedicated parks fund by establishing a parks district within the city. If the idea gains traction, Keizer residents would likely see the additional cost in the form of a surcharge added to utility bills. Bill Lawyer, Keizer Public Works director, was on hand to answer questions about budgeting for parks as members of the board prepare to survey residents regarding needs and wants when it comes to recreation in the city. Here is the lowdown on the parks budget as it currently exists: • Parks comprise a minimum of 2.5 percent of the city's total general fund. That money, which comes from the same fund that pays for police offi cers, is primarily used for maintenance of existing facilities and amenities. CASE STUDY: $ 100,000 Parks Project * A maximum of 13.6% of any new parks project can be funded using new SDC money. $ 13,600 * Which leaves 86.4% of any new parks project that must be funded from other sources (donation, grants, sponsorship, or dedicated parks fund). 86,400 $ * *Dollar fi gures are based on hypothetical project. • Parks also benefi t from rental fees paid for the orchard and residence at Keizer Rapids Park and for a cell tower at Bair Park. It amounts to about $50,000 per annum, but only $10,000 per year is earmarked for improvements. • The lion's share of money available to improve parks comes from system eclipse watch 08.21. 2017 total solar eclipse Eclipse planning gets parks board blessing By ERIC A. HOWALD Park the weekend before the Of the Keizertimes eclipse and the money raised Keizer will be one of the from camping fees would be better viewing spots for a total used for the parks,” Ford told solar eclipse in August 2017, the board. and members of the Keizer The moon will cross in front Parks Foundation are looking of the sun between 11 a.m. and for ways to cap- noon Monday, italize on the Aug. 21, 2017. “ We’re also opportunity. The last time Rich Ford, an eclipse thinking of a member of was visible the foundation, across United providing spoke at a – from dinner the night States Keizer Parks Washington to and Recreation Florida – was before and Advisory 1918. The 2017 lunch the day Board meeting eclipse will Tuesday, June of the viewing.” follow a similar 14, to ask for path and Keizer the board's — Rich Ford, is well within Keizer Parks Foundation blessing to the range of proceed with the optimum fundraising viewing. plans that might include The foundation board hopes turning Keizer Rapids Park to work with local astronomy into a campground for visitors. groups to provide instruction “Our plan right now would and information to campers for be to ask the city to avoid taking the best viewing. reservations for Keizer Rapids Please see ECLIPSE, Page A9 development charges paid to the city when new homes and apartments are built. The city has two different SDCs accounts, one for fees collected before April 2009 and one of charges collected since that time. In both cases, the SDCs come with strings attached regarding where the funds can be used and in what amounts they can be used. KEIZERTIMES/Andrew Jackson The regulations on fees collected before 2009 are somewhat more lax. Depending on when and where the money was collected, anywhere between 30 and 80 percent of fund can be used to improve parks of any size. The city still has almost $170,000 remaining in old SDC funds. Please see UNLOCK, Page A7 Business move revived south River Road offi ces By ERIC A. HOWALD Of the Keizertimes When Valerie and Geoff White signed a lease to move their prop- erty management and construction businesses to Keiz- er in July 2014, it was something of a watershed mo- ment. “There hadn't A. Howald been an offi ce lease After leasing an offi ce at 132 Glynbrook Street, KEIZERTIMES/Eric off River Road, two years signed in Keizer in ago, Geoff and Valerie White now own both buildings on the site. the previous nine months,” said Valerie. felt forced.” EMC in 2011, but both Their businesses, En- Since leasing a space on the were working for The Rush- compass Management & property, which had been va- ing Group at the time. Geoff Consulting (EMC) and cant for almost six years after worked in the construction Central Valley Construc- a local attorney moved to a side while Valerie had worked tion Group, were truly only new location, the number of her way up to assistant vice about a year old at the time. other tenants has also grown president of the whole corpo- But, since setting down to include an in-home care ration. stakes at 132 Glynbrook administration offi ce, a hear- When Pam Rushing ap- Street N., EMC has grown ing device offi ce, a fl ooring proached Valerie with the from nine employees to 32 company, a training center for proposition of selling the and helped revitalize two a knife company, a bookkeep- property management side of suites of offi ce space on ing fi rm and an excavation the business, Valerie asked if the site. It led to the Whites company. she and Geoff could make an purchasing both buildings “We still have space avail- offer. two months ago. able and I would love to add Thirty days later, the Whites “We were terrifi ed be- some retail business. We could were setting up their own of- cause the businesses were so easily accommodate some- fi ce in south Salem across the young,” Geoff said. “But it thing like a nail salon,” said parking lot from The Rushing was the right time for each Valerie. Group. Please see EMC, Page A9 step we took and nothing Geoff and Valerie set up Repairs to skate park fall through PAGE A3 Top citizen at McNary PAGE A8 Panthers head to nationals PAGE A12