S ERVING THE S ILVERTON A REA S INCE 1880
50 C ENTS
●
A U NIQUE E DITION OF THE S TATESMAN J OURNAL
V OL . 135, N O . 40
W EDNESDAY , S EPTEMBER 21, 2016
SILVERTONAPPEAL.COM
Debate over annexation engulfs city
CHRISTENA BROOKS
SPECIAL TO THE STATESMAN JOURNAL
SILVERTON - Three proper-
ty owners capitalized on a five-
month window of opportunity to
come into the city limits before
the window essentially closed
again at this month’s city coun-
cil meeting on Sept. 12.
Two properties — 4.87 and
9.5 acres — have been annexed
by the city council in the past
three months, and a third 24-
acre parcel is partway through
the application process. All
three have used a streamlined
mechanism resulting from a
new state law requiring that a
city’s council, rather than its
voting public, decide annex-
ations.
In Silverton, where voters
have denied all annexation re-
quests during the past decade
by a 2-to-1 margin, outlying
property owners had a poor
chance of coming into the city if
they wished to.
That was until March, when
the Oregon State Legislature
passed Senate Bill 1573. Locally,
putting the annexation question
back into the city council’s lap
resulted in a flurry of action.
“Voters aren’t required to
“I think the market does a better job of deciding
these kinds of things than a governmental
agency.”
GENE OSTER
DEVELOPER
have criteria or policies to de-
termine whether they will ap-
prove an annexation,” City
Manager Bob Willoughby said.
“Since an annexation decision
by councilors is a land use deci-
sion, they are required to have
criteria upon which they must
make their decision.”
So, Silverton’s councilors an-
nexed two properties in July
and September, respectively,
when their landowners satis-
fied 12 criteria, including being
inside the urban growth bound-
ary, having access to utilities,
and fitting into the city’s com-
prehensive plan.
In discussion at the Septem-
ber meeting, Councilors Laurie
Carter and Kyle Palmer chafing
at the limitations imposed upon
them by existing development
code.
Regarding the 9.5-acre prop-
erty belonging to developer
Gene Oster, there was a lengthy
debate over the poor condition
of the surrounding streets as
the pair floated the idea of deny-
ing his application based on
transportation concerns. The
See DEBATE, Page 2A
Body found of
Sublimity teen
ZACH URNESS AND
WHITNEY M
WOODWORTH
STATESMAN JOURNAL
A Marion County teen
who had been missing
since Sept. 11 was found
dead Thursday evening
in the Three Sisters Wil-
derness, according to the
Lane County Sheriff’s Of-
fice.
Trevor Mitchell, 18, of
Sublimity was discov-
ered by hikers near Sep-
aration Lake, in the wil-
derness
backcountry
south of McKenzie Pass.
The death will be in-
vestigated by the Lane
County Medical Examin-
er’s Office, but the initial
investigation indicates
apparent suicide, the
Sheriff’s Office said.
Mitchell was last seen
at noon Sunday, Sept. 11,
in Stayton. He was re-
ported missing later that
evening. His black, four-
door Toyota Corolla was
found Sept. 13 at the Sep-
aration
Lake Trail-
head east
of Eugene.
Lane
County
Sheriff’s
Trevor
Office
Mitchell
Search and
Rescue personnel began
searching the surround-
ing wilderness and trails
on foot and horseback
starting Tuesday, said Ja-
son Bowman, assistant
search and rescue coor-
dinator. A K-9 team
joined the search Sept.
14, and crews continued
their efforts Thursday.
Family members said
his sudden disappear-
ance was “extremely un-
characteristic” of Mitch-
ell, an international bac-
calaureate honors stu-
dent at South Salem High
School.
Email wmwoodwort@
statesmanjournal.com,
call 503-399-6884 or fol-
low on Twitter @wmwood
worth.
John Gooley gets
SEDCOR award
PHOTOS BY DANIELLE PETERSON/STATESMAN JOURNAL
Festivalgoers brave the rain during the 51st Mount Angel Oktoberfest on Saturday. The annual four-day festival
celebrates the harvest with live music, Bavarian-style food and beer.
OKTOBERFEST
DRAWS CROWDS
LAUREN E HERNANDEZ
STATESMAN JOURNAL
Heavy rain showers didn’t
stop hundreds of visitors from
flocking Saturday to Mount An-
gel’s 51st annual Oktoberfest.
Men and women dressed in
dirndls and lederhosen to ring in
the harvest season in traditional
Bavarian style.
Portland resident Petra Bar-
don, who came dressed in a dirndl
straight from her visit to Salz-
burg, Austria, said she’s attended
Oktoberfest events in Portland,
but the Mount Angel celebration
is more authentic.
“It’s much more authentic and
nicer because it’s less crowded,”
Bardon said.
More than 52 organizations of-
See OKTOBERFEST, Page 3A
John Gooley of Mt. An-
gel, the vice president of
sales at Sil-
verton’s
Withers
Lumber,
was hon-
ored
as
Strategic
Economic
John Gooley
Develop-
ment
Corporation’s
(SEDCOR)
“Construc-
tion Alliance Member,”
the economic develop-
ment group announced
recently.
SEDCOR’s award win-
ners were announced
during its “Annual Hon-
ors Luncheon,” held at
Salem Convention Cen-
ter with more than 300
SEDCOR members, civic
and government officials
were in attendance.
Other awardees in-
cluded: Key Bank, Com-
munity Service; Sher-
man, Sherman, Johnnie &
Hoyt, Business Partner
of the Year; Make it in the
Willamette Valley pro-
ject, Outstanding Public/
Private
Partnership;
Boshart Trucking, Agri-
Business of the Year
Award; CabDoor of Sa-
lem, Manufacturer of the
Year.
“These awards honor
local businesses and or-
ganizations who create
new jobs or economic op-
portunities,” said SED-
COR President Chad
Freeman. “The event
gives us an opportunity
to step back and recog-
nize the importance of vi-
sion, creativity and stra-
tegic partnerships in
growing healthy busi-
nesses and communi-
ties.”
Freeman also ac-
knowledged SEDCOR’s
board of directors, staff,
and members for their
collective role in stimu-
lating $60 million of new
investment this past year
that added or retain near-
ly 400 new jobs in the re-
gion, Oregon’s Mid-Wil-
lamette Valley.
— Justin Much
Market Stats Comparison
Silverton, OR
Through August 31st, 2015-2016
Men and women dressed in dirndls and lederhosen to ring in the harvest
season in traditional Bavarian style at Oktoberfest, which continues Sunday.
Online at SilvertonAppeal.com
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INSIDE
Births, Marriages.................3B
Calendar ...............................2A
Classifieds..............................3B
Life..........................................4A
Obituaries .............................3B
Sports......................................1B
©2016
Residential
2015
2016
% Change
All Listings
381
296
▼22%
Residential
Sold
297
231
▼22%
Average Sold
Price
$280,361
$280,814
▲.009%
Average Days
on Market
131
104
▼20.62%
Average List
Price to Sold
Price Ratio
97.71%
98.60%
▲.89%
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