✷✡ ➋☛☞ ❖✌✄ ✆❱ ✆ ❻❼❽❾ ❽❻❿❿➀➁ ➩➫➭➯➲ ➳➵➸➺➻ ➼➽➾➚➸➪➚➽➸➺➻➶ ➹➘➴➼➷ ➬➮➶ ➱✃➚ ➬➮➮➱✃ ➸➺➻ ➵❐ ❒➮➬❮❰ ➳✃➚➴➚ ➺➴➚ ❒ÏÐ ➸➺➻➽ ➷➚❐➱ ➼➪ ➱✃➚ ➻➚➺➴❰ ➩➫➭➯➲ÑÒ ÓÔÕÓÖÔÕÓ➩ ×➪ ➹➘➴➼➷ ➬➮➶ ➬ØÏÐ➶ Ù➵➪❐➚➸➚➴Ú ➺➱➚ Û➚➪❰ Ü➵Ý➚➴➱ Þ❰ ß➚➚➶ ➺ ➸➺➻ ➺❐➱➚➴ ➽à➴➴➚➪➸➚➴➼➪á ➱✃➚ ➹➴â➻ ➵❐ ã➵➴➱✃➚➴➪ä➼➴á➼➪➼➺ ➺➱ ➹➘➘➵â➺➱Ú ➱➵å Ù➵à➴➱ æ➵à➽➚➶ ➽➺➼➸ ❐➺➴➚ç➚➷➷ ➱➵ ✃➼➽ â➚➪➶ ➘➴➺➼➽➼➪á ➱✃➚â ❐➵➴ ➱✃➚➼➴ èà➪➽à➴➘➺➽➽➚➸ é➵à➴➺á➚ ➺➪➸ ❐➵➴➱➼➱à➸➚❰ê ➫ë ➩ÓÔÒ ➭➯➩ì í➪ ➬ØÏÏ➶ ➱✃➚ ➹â➚➴➼é➺➪ î➵é➼Ú ➚➱➻ ❐➵➴ ➱✃➚ ï➴➚ð➚➪➱➼➵➪ ➵❐ Ù➴à➚➷➱➻ ➱➵ ➹➪➼â➺➷➽ ç➺➽ ➼➪é➵➴➘➵➴➺➱➚➸❰ í➪ ➬❮➬❒➶ ➱✃➚ ñ➴➼➱➼➽✃ ➷➼➪➚➴ Üòî➳➼➱➺➪➼é ➽➚➱ ➽➺➼➷ ❐➴➵â î➵à➱✃➺â➘➱➵➪➶ Þ➪á➷➺➪➸➶ ➵➪ ➼➱➽ ➼➷➷Ú❐➺➱➚➸ â➺➼➸➚➪ ð➵➻➺á➚❰ í➪ ➬❮➬Ï➶ ➱✃➚ ï➴➵❐➚➽➽➼➵➪➺➷ Û➵➷❐➚➴➽ó ➹➽➽➵é➼➺➱➼➵➪ ➵❐ ➹â➚➴➼Ú é➺ ç➺➽ ❐➵à➪➸➚➸ ➼➪ ã➚çô➵➴õ❰ í➪ ➬❮❒Ð➶ ➱✃➚ ö❰ îé➵➱➱ ö➼➱÷á➚➴Ú ➺➷➸ ➪➵ð➚➷ è➳✃➚ Û➴➚➺➱ Û➺➱➽Ý➻ê ç➺➽ ø➴➽➱ ➘àÝ➷➼➽✃➚➸ Ý➻ îé➴➼ÝÚ ➪➚➴ó➽ ➵❐ ã➚çô➵➴õ❰ í➪ ➬❮ù❒➶ Û➚➴â➺➪ ï➴➚➽➼➸➚➪➱ ï➺à➷ä➵➪ æ➼➪➸➚➪Ýà➴á ç➺➽ ➴➚Ú ➚➷➚é➱➚➸ ➼➪ ➺ ➴à➪➵❐❐➶ ç➼➱✃ ➹➸➵➷❐ æ➼➱➷➚➴ é➵â➼➪á ➼➪ ➽➚é➵➪➸❰ í➪ ➬❮úû➶ ñ➴➵➵õ➷➻➪ ü➵➸á➚➴➽ ï➴➚➽➼➸➚➪➱ ñ➴➺➪é✃ Ü➼éõ➚➻ ➘à➴Ú é✃➺➽➚➸ ➱✃➚ é➵➪➱➴➺é➱ ➵❐ ý➺éõ➼➚ Ü➵Ý➼➪➽➵➪ ❐➴➵â ➱✃➚ ò➵➪➱➴➚➺➷ Ü➵➻➺➷➽❰ í➪ ➬❮Ï❒➶ î➱à➺➴➱ îà➱é➷➼❐❐➚➶ ➱✃➚ ñ➚➺➱➷➚➽ó ➵➴➼á➼➪➺➷ Ý➺➽➽ ➘➷➺➻➚➴➶ ➸➼➚➸ ➼➪ æ➺âÝà➴á➶➾➚➽➱ Û➚➴Ú â➺➪➻➶ ➺➱ ➺á➚ ❒➬❰ í➪ ➬❮ÏØ➶ èí➪ ➱✃➚ æ➚➺➱ ➵❐ ➱✃➚ ã➼á✃➱ê ç➵➪ Ý➚➽➱ ➘➼é➱à➴➚ ➵❐ ➬❮Ïû ➺➱ ➱✃➚ ú➮➱✃ ➹é➺➸➚â➻ ➹ç➺➴➸➽þ ➵➪➚ ➵❐ ➼➱➽ ➽➱➺➴➽➶ Ü➵➸ î➱➚➼á➚➴➶ ç➺➽ ➪➺â➚➸ Ý➚➽➱ ➺éÚ ➱➵➴ ç✃➼➷➚ ÿ➺➱✃➺➴➼➪➚ æ➚➘Ýà➴➪ ç➺➽ ✃➵➪➵➴➚➸ ➺➽ Ý➚➽➱ ➺é➱➴➚➽➽ ❐➵➴ èÛà➚➽➽➾✃➵ó➽ Ù➵â➼➪á ➱➵ ü➼➪➪➚➴❰ê Ö➫➩➩ì ❚ ➲ ▼ ✁✂✄☎✆❦✝✞ ✩✟ ✠✡☛☛✡☞✌ ➬ùÚ❒úÚ❒❮Úù➮ÚùûÚúû ▼ ✁✂ ▼✍✎✎✍✏✑✝✞ ✩✟✹✒ ✠✡☛☛✡☞✌ ➬➬Ú❒❒ÚùúÚúúÚÐØÚ❮Úå❒ P✏✇ ❡✄✂✎✎✞ ✩✓✹ ✠✡☛☛✡☞✌ ➬ÐÚùùÚúùÚÐ❮ÚÏ➮Úïñ ØÚåù ❲✍✑ ✔✏❡ ♦✍✔ ✞ ❆✕✖✡☛ ✓ ➬➬Ú➬❮ÚÐ➮ÚÐ❒ P✍✆❦ ✗✞ ❆✕✖✡☛ ✘ ✙ ✚ ✛✜✢✜✣ ✚✤✥✤✦✤✧ ✙ ✧ ✛✜✢✜✣ ★✤✪✤✧✤✥ ✙ ✫ ✛✜✢✜✣ ✬✤✪✤✧✤✫ ✙ ✚✭ ✛✜✢✜✣ ✫✤✪✤✫✤✭ P✍✆❦ ✗✞ ❆✕✖✡☛ ✓ ✙ ✚ ✛✜✢✜✣ ✪✤★✤✚✤✫ ✙ ✧ ✛✜✢✜✣ ✮✤✪✤✫✤✫ ✙ ✫ ✛✜✢✜✣ ✪✤✭✤✮✤✧ ✙ ✚✭ ✛✜✢✜✣ ✮✤★✤✬✤✥ ❚ ➫➯➭ ❚ ì ✯ ➫ ❚ ➩ ✰✱✢✲✳✴✵ ✶✷ ✸✺✻✻✣ ✙ ✼✽✵✾✿✳ ❀✴✳❁✷✽✣ ✮✭✭✤★✫✫✤✪✬✪✮✜ ✙ ❀✱✶✵✾✿✳ ❀✴✳❁✷✽✣ ✥✭✬✤✥✮✮✤✦★✧✚✜ ëì ◆ Ò ✯ ➯ ✯ ì ❚ Ö➯➩ì ❂ ❊❃❄✖❅ ❄❇❇☞✖t ✡❈ ✠❉❋❄ t☞ ❋❄☛✡❃❄✖ ❅☞②✖ ●❍❈❄✖❃❄✖ ✡✌ ❉ t✡✠❄☛❅ ✠❉✌■ ✌❄✖❏ ●❑❑❉❈✡☞✌❉☛☛❅ ❑☞✌❋✡t✡☞✌❈ ❄▲✡❈t t❖❉t ✠❉◗❄ ❋❄☛✡❃❄✖❅ ✠☞✖❄ ❋✡❇✈❑②☛t❏ ❘✔ ❙✏☎ ✂❡ ✑✏❯ ✏✑ ✂ ❱✏❯✏❡ ❡✏☎❯ ❳ ❋❄☛✡❃❄✖❅ ❈❖☞②☛❋ ❍❄ ❍❄❇☞✖❄ ✥✣✬✭ ✛✜✢✜ ✼❨ ❩✷✱ ✿✷ ✽✷✶ ✴✳✸✳✾❬✳ ❅☞②✖ ✕❉✕❄✖ ✕☛❄❉❈❄ ❑❉☛☛ ❭✹✟■✘❪❫■ ❫✟❪✟❏ ❴❵ ➫➩ì ➫ ❛ ➩Óì ➭➯➲ è➾➵➴õ ➼➽ ➽➵â➚➱✃➼➪á ➻➵à é➺➪ é➵à➪➱ ➵➪➶ ➺ ➱➴à➽➱➚➸➶ ➷➼❐➚➷➵➪á ❐➴➼➚➪➸ ç✃➵ ➪➚ð➚➴ ➸➚➽➚➴➱➽ ➻➵à❰ê ➋ ❜❝❞❢❝❞❣❤ ✐❥❧❞♠❣♥♣qr❤❣s ✉①❣❞r③❝④ ⑤q❥❤❥⑥❥❧❞④❝⑦r⑧❤ ⑨⑩❶❷❸♥⑩❶❹⑩❺ ❲ ✁✂ ✄✁❆❨✱ ❆☎✆✝✞ ✟✵✱ ✠✵✟✾ LOCAL ÕÖ×ØÙÚ Straight said the train horns annoyed him when he Continued from Page 1A ➣➅↔➆ ↕➄➙➂➔ ➆➄ ➛➈ ➓➅➈➎➔➂ ➌➎ pastor of La Grande’s Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church, with launching the 1990, but he has long since become accustomed to them. “I don’t hear them any- more,” he said. Rich Pogue, manager of the Travelodge, also on Ad- ams Avenue, also said cus- tomers complain about the train horn blasts. “Some tell us that it seemed like trains were run- ning all night long,” Pogue said. Like Straight, he said he is used to the sound of the trains. Pogue said it makes him feel nostalgic when he hears train horns in the distance, noting that the railroad played a big role in La Grande’s development. Karin Tsiatsos, owner of The Landing Hotel on Ad- ams Avenue, was encour- aged to learn that downtown La Grande may become a ➂➃➄➅➆ ➆➄ ➇➅➂➈➆➂ ➈ ➉➊➌➂➆ ➍➄➎➂ about 20 years ago. Albrecht, who left La Grande almost 15 years ago and is now the chaplain of a hospital in Honolulu, Hawaii, said he is delight- ed to learn that the City of La Grande’s application was approved. “It is a great feeling. I’m so happy that people kept on working on it after I left. It would not have hap- pened without them,” said Albrecht, who frequently makes return visits to La Grande and dislikes the sound of train horn blasts. Business owners who are ➏➅➈➆➂➐➊➑ ➈ ➉➊➌➂➆ ➍➄➎➂ ➈➒ - pears to be in La Grande’s future include Ed Straight and his wife, Debbie, who own the Orchard Motel on Adams Avenue. Ed Straight said travelers stopping in La ➓➅➈➎➔➂ ➐➄➅ ➆→➂ ➣➅↔➆ ➆➌↕➂ ➈➅➂ bothered most by the train horns. “Some customers tell us, ‘I can’t hear myself think’ (be- cause of the horn blasts),” Ed Straight said. He said once someone was signing in as a guest but then heard the sound of a pass- ing train’s horn and decided to continue on to Baker City rather than spend the night in La Grande. ➉➊➌➂➆ ➍➄➎➂➜ “We have been dying to hear this news,” she said. According to Tsiatsos, 15 to 20 percent of her guests complain about the train horns. This has inspired her to place ear plugs in the rooms of her guests. Justin Rock, a member of the La Grande City Council, is among those opposed to ➆→➂ ➇➅➂➈➆➌➄➎ ➄➐ ➈ ➉➊➌➂➆ ➍➄➎➂➜ Rock said he objects to it be- cause the City of La Grande will have to spend at least $200,000 to take steps like installing safety devices. æçèè Continued from Page 1A it comes from and how cities and counties in Oregon must follow the state’s comprehensive plan when building their own. “A comprehensive plan tells the story and the vision of a communi- ty,” Stenbeck said. “It’s a document on what you want to do in the city, and (it) is important to the develop- ment of a community.” Overall, a comprehensive plan outlines how the available land and space in a community may be used ➂➝➇➌➂➎➆➑➞ ➈➎➔ ➂➃➂➇➆➌➙➂➑➞ ➆➄ ↕➂➂➆ ➆→➂ ➎➂➂➔↔ ➄➐ ➌➆↔ ➇➌➆➌Û➂➎↔➜ ➍➄➎➌➎➏ ➅➊➑➂↔ and standards then serve as the guidelines to follow for implement- ing the vision of the comprehensive plan, according to La Grande City Planner Mike Boquist. Boquist said while La Grande’s comprehensive plan was created in the 1990s, some of its goals — such ➈↔ ➆→➂ ➅➂➇➄↕↕➂➎➔➈➆➌➄➎↔ ➐➄➅ Ü➄➄➔ - plains and hazardous areas — have no need for revisions because they cover subjects that rarely change. Ý➄➡➂➙➂➅Þ ➡➌➆→ ↕➄➅➂ Ü➊➌➔ ➏➄➈➑↔Þ ➆→➂ city planner said it’s important for the council to update the plan to match their vision. “As things change, we need to focus on those goals,” Boquist said. “Economic development, parks and housing have changed, so we need to update (them).” To understand the housing needs in La Grande, the city is currently commissioning a housing study, according to Boquist. The city plan- ner said the most recent housing ➦➧➨➩➫➭➩➫ ➯➲➩ ➳➵➸➺➸ ➻➼ ➽➾➼➚➪➶ ➹➼➘ ➴➶➶➚ ➼➷➷➾➬➮➶➪ ➱➬ ➶➘➱➼➴✃❐➘➹ ➼ ❒❮❐➶➱ ❰➬➚➶ ❐➚ ➱➬Ï➚ÐÑ➹➶ ❒❮❐➶➱ ❰➬➚➶ Ò➬❮✃➪ ➴➶ ❐➚ ➷✃➼Ò➶ ❐➚ ➼➘ ✃❐➱➱✃➶ ➼➘ ➘❐Ó Ô➬➚➱➹➘Ð “I can think of a lot of oth- er things I’d rather have the money spent on,” Rock said, adding that he feels street maintenance would be a bet- ter use of the money. The railroad cross- ing devices the City of La Grande will have to install before it can become a ➉➊➌➂➆ ➍➄➎➂ ➌➎➇➑➊➔➂ ➎➈➅ - row concrete medians placed down the middle of the street near the railroad crossing gates. The medi- ans will prevent drivers from attempting to beat an approaching train by cross- ing over into the oncoming ➑➈➎➂ ➄➐ ➆➅➈➝➇ ➈➎➔ ➔➅➌➙➌➎➏ around the crossing gate, according to a news release from the City of La Grande. Currently the locomotive engineer of each train pass- ing through La Grande is analysis was performed in 2000. He mentioned that even though it’s good practice to hold a study every decade or so, La Grande’s slow growth means it isn’t necessary to have them so often. “From a housing standpoint, La Grande has been consistent over the past 20 years,” he said. “There’s ac- tually a surplus in residential vacant territory in La Grande, but our latest driver has been a challenge with af- fordable housing.” Boquist, while referencing a map of the city on his computer screen, pointed to “a couple hundred” acres of vacant houses and farmland with- in the city limits that are zoned for multi-family housing (apartments, duplexes). These areas, however, are far from city services and commer- cial centers — it’s even a long walk to the transit system from these empty farmlands. Boquist said this poses a problem when considering where to build multi-family homes, so the city may explore some zoning changes. “We’re doing well with available land. It just matters if it’s zoned properly,” he said. “Most of our cur- rent housing is single-family, and we have almost none for multi-family. We might need to consider rezoning to allow for apartments and triplexes (to be built closer to services).” While La Grande’s housing study ➌↔ ➌➎ ➌➆↔ ➣➎➈➑ ➔➅➈➐➆ ➒→➈↔➂Þ ß➄à➊➌↔➆ ↔➈➌➔ he had the chance to review it Tues- day morning. á➠→➂ ↔➆➊➔➞ ➌↔ ➣➎➔➌➎➏ ➂➙➂➅➞ ➇➈➆ - egory of housing has a need, but it’s greater with rentals and multi-fami- ly homes,” he said. “There’s a sort of ➈ ➆➅➌➇â➑➂ã➔➄➡➎ ➂➃➂➇➆➜ ß➂➇➈➊↔➂ ➄➐ ➆→➂ required to blast its horn a total of 15 times, three before ➂➈➇→ ➄➐ ➆→➂ ➇➌➆➞➟↔ ➣➙➂ ↕➈➌➎ crossings at Fir, Greenwood, Cherry and Willow streets, and H Avenue. ➠→➂ ➇➅➂➈➆➌➄➎ ➄➐ ➈ ➉➊➌➂➆ ➍➄➎➂ ➔➄➂↔ ➎➄➆ ↕➂➈➎ ➆→➂ sound of train horns will never be heard again in La Grande. Clements explained that train operators would still be allowed to sound their horns if they see a ve- hicle or a person obstructing railroad tracks within the city limits. Clements said Lia Spiegel and Michael Jennings of La Grande deserve a lion’s share of the credit for their work toward acquiring approval ➐➄➅ ➆→➂ ➉➊➌➂➆ ➍➄➎➂➜ ➠→➂ ➆➡➄ led a group of citizens who approached the La Grande City Council in January of shortage of (higher-end) housing, we have people settling for less because ➆→➂➞ ➇➈➎➟➆ ➣➎➔ ➡→➈➆ ➆→➂➞ ➡➈➎➆➜ä Boquist further explained this theory: Because a person or family ➡→➄ ➇➈➎ ➈➃➄➅➔ ➈ →➌➏→➂➅ ➒➅➌➇➂➔ →➄↕➂ ➇➈➎➟➆ ➣➎➔ ➑➊å➊➅➞ →➄↕➂↔ ➄➅ ➑➈➎➔ to build on, they settle for a lower priced house. This pushes people of ➆→➂ ➌➎➇➄↕➂ ➢➅➈➇â➂➆ ➡→➄ ➇➄➊➑➔ ➈➃➄➅➔ that house out of the market and so ➄➎Þ ➊➎➆➌➑ ➆→➂➅➂ ➌↔ →➈➅➔➑➞ ➈➎➞ ➈➃➄➅➔ - able housing left. “There are people living in RVs ➈➎➔ ➇➈↕➒➂➅↔ ➄➅ ➇➄➊➇→ã↔➊➅➣➎➏Þ ➈➎➔ they’re technically considered home- ➑➂↔↔ ➢➂➇➈➊↔➂ ➆→➂➞ ➈➅➂ ➎➄➆ ➈➢➑➂ ➆➄ ➣➎➔ ➈➃➄➅➔➈➢➑➂ →➄➊↔➌➎➏Þä →➂ ↔➈➌➔➜ Once the housing analysis is ➣➎➈➑➌Û➂➔Þ ➆→➂ ➇➌➆➞ ➇➄➊➎➇➌➑ ➡➌➑➑ ➊↔➂ ➌➆ to inform its revisions for the hous- ing goals of its comprehensive plan, according to Boquist. In addition to housing, the city council is looking into updating its visions for economic development and parks master planning. Economic development under a comprehensive plan mainly focuses on “how much land you have and how much land is needed” for busi- nesses to move in and grow, accord- ing to Stenbeck. Boquist said at the city council’s yearly resolution retreat at the be- ginning of this year, some council members noted they would like to update the city’s economic vision, as La Grande’s current economic development plan was created 10 years ago. Some of those goals in- clude nurturing entrepreneurial growth within the city and encour- aging outside businesses to move in. 2015 with a proposal for es- ➆➈➢➑➌↔→➌➎➏ ➈ ➉➊➌➂➆ ➍➄➎➂➜ ➤➌➆➞ Manager Robert Strope then ↔➂➆ ➊➒ ➈ ➉➊➌➂➆ ➍➄➎➂ ➤➄↕↕➌➆ - ➆➂➂➜ ➥➆➅➄➒➂ ➑➈➊➔➂➔ ➆→➂ ➂➃➄➅➆↔ of the committee in the city’s news release. “Without the tireless ef- forts of the committee, par- ticularly Lia Spiegel and Michael Jennings, we never would have received the approval from the Federal Railroad Administration to move forward,” he said in the news release. Strope also noted retired City of La Grande Public Works Director Norm Paul- lus did important work on technical issues during the approval process. Clements said it may be ➒➄↔↔➌➢➑➂ ➆➄ →➈➙➂ ➈ ➉➊➌➂➆ ➍➄➎➂ ➌➎ ➒➑➈➇➂ ➌➎ ➈↔ ↔➄➄➎ ➈↔ six months. But because La Grande has seen relatively little growth during the past 20 years Boquist has lived in the area, he said the city will always have ➆➄ ↕➈â➂ ➈ ➇➄➎↔➇➌➄➊↔ ➂➃➄➅➆ ➌➐ ➌➆ ➡➈➎➆↔ to expand. “We have to make growth hap- pen if we want it to happen,” he said. “We’re always exploring new ways to grow.” As for the parks master plan goal, La Grande Parks & Recreation Di- rector Stu Spence said he hopes the city can take this opportunity during their comprehensive plan revisions to include a more detailed master plan than what is currently in place. “We don’t have a full version of a master plan,” he said. “A real master plan is getting community input and then giving them what they need.” The current parks master plan, which was created in 2012, is more like an “inventory” of the parks in La Grande and what equipment resides in them, according to Boquist. Spen- ce said while this version is helpful, his master plan would include “pri- orities, timelines and benchmarks ➐➄➅ ↔➆➈➃ ➆➄ ➌↕➒➑➂↕➂➎➆ ➆→➂ ➒➑➈➎ ➢➈↔➂➔ on community input.” Spence said he would like the city to hire a consultant to perform a parks analysis and community out- reach, but he noted the cost to do so would either have to come from grant money or the city’s general fund. Boquist said the city will most like- ly send its revised comprehensive plan to the state in August this year, and he expects the approval process to be complete as early as January of 2020. ■✍✎✏✑✒✓ ✔✕✓ ✖✑✗✗✓✘✓✒✙✓ ✚♦✛ ✜✎✒ ✢✎✣✓ ✶✲✤✥✥✲✦✧✧✲★✶✩✧ ❋❉❊❊ ●❍❏❑▲▼ ●◆P ◗❊◗❘❙●❑❯❳❊ ❩❬❭❪ ❫❴❬❵❬❜❝ ❞❭❡❜❢❜❬❣❣ ❤✐❥ ❦ ❧♠♥♠♣q rst✐✐q♠q✉ ❦qq✈✇①①③ ✪✫✬✪✭✮✯✰✪ ✳✴✸✸ ✹ ✺✻② ✼✻❛✻✰✽✮✿✼✮✯❛❀❁❂❚✮ ❃❄❁❂ ❅❇ ✺❁✫✰✽✿✻✰✽✮✿✫❈❈❈ ❹❺❻❼ ❽ ❾❿➀➁❻➂ ❾❾➃➄➅ ➆➇➈➉➈➊➇➉➌ ➍➎➏➇➐➑➒ ➓➔➓→ ➍➎➉➣➐ ➍➏↔ ↕ ➙ ➛➑➜ ➝➝→ ➞➉ ➟➒➉➈➎↔➠ ➙➡ ➔➢➝➤→ ➤➥➓➦➔➧➨➦→➤➓➔ ④⑤⑥⑦⑧⑨⑩❶❷⑦❸