FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2015
THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 9
Local
Crossroads final expansion
outreach meeting held
• FINANCIAL
ISSUES ADDRESSED
Huntington:
medical marijuana
dispensary
allowed in City
BY EILEEN DRIVER
Eileen@TheBakerCountyPress.com
BY GINA K. SWARTZ
Gina@TheBakerCountyPress.com
Thursday evening a
small crowd gathered for
the final outreach meet-
ing being conducted by
architect Larry Abell in a
feasibility study that would
expand Crossroad Arts
Center.
The Welch building
directly across the street
from the current Cross-
roads building is being
examined for the expan-
sion however as Abell
said, “It is just what we are
assessing currently, if there
is space someplace else
that would work better for
the needs these meetings
identify we’ll look at those
spaces also.”
Abell, along with Cross-
roads Executive Director,
Ginger Savage have hosted
two prior meetings regard-
ing the study.
These two meetings
spawned lot of great ideas.
The first group came up
with ideas like creating a
media center where things
like recording voice-overs,
producing commercials
or creating a radio station
could be done.
A media center might
encompass some online art
school opportunities also.
That group discussed
expanding culinary arts
programs and perhaps
including a Bistro with the
addition of a rooftop gar-
den being utilized for that.
They spoke about the
possibility of space that
could support an artist in
residence program al-
lowing for on-site living
quarters as an exciting
opportunity.
They also brought up ex-
panding outdoor activities
and expanding performing
arts space.
The relocation of the
dance studio was brought
up as way to expand
exhibit and sales space and
the need for storage was
discussed.
The second group also
had ideas about the use of
outdoor space by creating a
“plaza” that could be used
for extra parking when
needed but could also be
optimized for things like a
hosing a rotating sculpture
showcase and other art
festivals, outdoor classes
and demonstrations like
blacksmithing, Raku firing
for pottery or plein paint-
ing.
This group also men-
tioned using the outdoor
space to bring the farmers
market back to the “core”
of the City and possibly
even hosting events such
as the highland games.
The rooftop garden was
brought up by this group
as well however their idea
included having plants and
Gina K. Swartz / The Baker County Press
Ginger Savage and Larry Abell hold a discussion at the third and final outreach
meeting regarding Crossroads’ potential expansion.
flowers that could be used
to create natural dyes for
Fiber Arts.
The idea of moving the
dance classes was sug-
gested by this group as
well noting that in doing
so it would expand exhibit
space and sales space.
The second group also
identified the need for
private, quiet meeting and
office space. A place for
some of the messier arts
was mentioned with Sav-
age saying, “A sloped floor
with a drain you could
just spray down would be
lovely.”
The floor in the current
location is historic hand
scrapped wood flooring.
The issue of storage was
brought up again noting
the current location has
very little to no storage and
adequate storage space is
needed.
The second group also
suggested space for music
classes, having a space for
rehearsals and performanc-
es. Acoustics and special-
ized lighting were identi-
fied as needs for creating
space to accommodate this.
Having better ADA
accessibility was another
topic discussed by this
group noting in the current
location only one ADA
bathroom is available and
it is located upstairs.
If an after-hours event
is happening in an area
downstairs the persons
requiring access to the
ADA bathroom must ride
the elevator upstairs into
the “closed” portion of the
building thus bringing up
security questions regard-
ing valuable items in the
gallery, not that there have
been any issues but it is a
cause for concern.
Before the third group
began identifying new
ideas, they addressed some
questions that no other
group had—for example
how would additional
space be staffed?
Having additional space
would require additional
staff, which in turn would
require additional funding.
Had that been considered?
Funding is already tight.
Another question raised
was about the current space
possibly being under-uti-
lized. How could the space
they currently have be used
in a way that would not
require additional space?
Again, the storage issue
was addressed as a very
large issue for the Center
currently.
Savage spoke to the
group that was focused
more on the financial
aspect of expanding rather
than nurturing ideas of
what could be in the future
with an expansion.
She said, “If for ex-
ample, we moved dance
classes to a larger space we
could have bigger classes
and more classes. Those
bring in money. I get asked
for more classes all the
time, I could have dance
classes every night of the
week. Same with some
other classes, I would say
twenty-percent of revenue
comes from classes.”
It stands to reason that
increasing classes offered
and class sizes would
increase revenue.
Savage also told those
present, “This is an old
building, the glass in the
windows is the original
glass, over 100 years old.
It is irreplaceable. I would
love to have space that lent
itself to kids being kids
without me constantly hav-
ing to remind children to
be careful.”
Once the group began to
understand the challenges
with the current location
and the reasons Savage,
with the help of Abell, is
looking at expansion they
became a bit more forth-
coming with ideas.
This group asked Abell
what some of the ideas
from the other groups had
been. He said, “I don’t
want to share. I want each
group to focus on their
own ideas and then if I
hear things that keep com-
ing up in each group I will
know that is what I need to
focus on.”
The group came up with
ideas that included host-
ing writing workshops,
creating an indoor space
to paint murals and large
open space to possibly host
convention type events and
even having New Hope for
Eastern Oregon Animals
fundraisers in the space.
The group, as with pre-
vious groups felt with the
moving of the dance studio
that would open up exhibit
and sales space in the cur-
rent location, more sales
of course would increase
revenue.
The idea of possibly
being able to host more
custom large piece exhibits
was mentioned.
With the additional
outdoor space parking was
addressed as was using the
space for dual purposes
and perhaps creating an
outdoor theater.
The current space the
pottery studio was located
in was mentioned for the
first time.
It was suggested that
more space would be
a wonderful attribute
however questioning the
space for the pottery studio
raised the question as to
whether moving it to a dif-
ferent location was the best
option or not.
Abell indicated his find-
ings for the study would
be completed by the end of
December and presented
to the Crossroads Board of
Directors.
He does plan on mak-
ing his study information
available to those that are
interested as well in an-
other open house before he
presents to the board.
Emergency Preparedness takes to social media
The Oregon Office of
Emergency Management
will be using #TalkTurkey
on social media this week
to focus on family emer-
gency preparedness. Use
#TalkTurkey on twitter @
OregonOEM and Face-
book at facebook.com/
OMDOEM.
Geologic Hazard Coor-
dinator Althea Rizzo says
it is a good idea to have an
out of town contact with an
easy access contact label
like "1EQtext" pre-prepro-
grammed in your mobile
phone.
"I would like folks to
ask after an earthquake,
if they can only text one
person, who would it be
and what would they say,"
she added?
Furthermore, OEM is
supporting a social media
campaign to encourage
holiday travelers to stay
safe though the new year.
The campaign has tips
for families, pet owners,
smartphone users, and
people traveling domesti-
cally by car and plane, and
internationally.
Here are three tips from
the campaign:
• Pack a small emer-
gency kit for your suitcase.
Batteries, a flashlight, a
portable radio and USB
power bank are good items
to start with.
• Download FEMA's
app, which lets you receive
weather alerts for up to five
locations—set one for your
holiday destination to stay
informed.
• Use STEP, the Depart-
ment of State's the Smart
Traveler Enrollment
Program if you're traveling
abroad. This will help the
U.S. Embassy contact you
in an emergency.
A special meeting was held on Tuesday, November 24
at 6:00 p.m. for the City of Huntington City Council to
finally once and for all make a decision on the Marijuana
issue.
A packed crowd gathered in the City Hall Council
Chambers to once again voice their opinions and hope-
fully sway the Council to their side.
At the end of the meeting the Council was split 3-3 on
the decision not to ban marijuana business, with Mayor
Travis Young making the tie-breaking decision based on
the need to bring in much-needed economic development
and City revenues by allowing marijuana businesses in
the City limits of Huntington.
The Council will now start to work on a Time, Place
and Manner Ordinance to regulate such businesses as
wish to open here, as well as work on getting the sales tax
on the ballot for the next election.
The Council has wrestled with this issue for over five
months in both regular Council meetings and special
meetings with no clear resolution in site. In September of
this year the Council voted 4-2 to ban marijuana dispen-
saries and retail stores but with no decision on any other
related businesses. This was not a well received decision
by the majority of the Huntington residents and immedi-
ately afterward, petitions started circulating asking for the
Council to change their minds.
Threats of recall for those that voted for the ban were
talked about as well.
Citizens from all ages and walks of life, both smok-
ers and nonsmokers, stopped council members on the
street and came into City Hall saying, “We need the tax
money—no ban.”
The Council held firm to its decision until the Council
meeting held on November 17th when Councillor Rhonda
Bronson presented the Council with the fact that a Medi-
cal Dispensary license had already been approved by the
state for a company planning to open in Huntington and
would be grandfathered in and not affected by the ban
under State law. That the Ordinance necessary to ban,
which was to be voted on that night, would not take effect
in time to stop it.
At that time after much more discussion, the council
voted again and all present were stunned when the Coun-
cil voted 4-2 not to go through with the ban but to work
on Time place and manner and tax ordinances instead.
Immediately after that vote, Councilor Chuck Guerri
commented, “I feel like we have been stalled through
this whole process just to make this happen.” But when
asked by the Mayor who he felt was stalling the process,
he could not give an answer and most present went home
saying, “What just happened here?”
To end the discussions, confusion and bad feelings all
the way around, and to settle the matter once and for all,
Mayor Young set a Special Meeting for November 24 at
which the Council would be able to talk to City Attorney
Larry Sullivan, get all the legal facts and make up their
minds.
At the start of the meeting Mayor Young told the Coun-
cil, “ I am tired of the discussions and the back and forth
on this issue. A final decision has to be made.”
After over an hour of questions and answers back and
forth to the Attorney by the Mayor, Council and specta-
tors, covering just about all aspects of state law versus
federal law versus city law it was learned that yes the
medical marijuana dispensary that has been approved by
the state to open in Huntington would be grandfathered
in, but that all other businesses could be banned as well
as any other dispensaries. Trying to stop the already ap-
proved dispensary from opening would mean long litiga-
tion such as Ontario and several other cities are involved
in and that if the City bans and the people of Huntington
had that decision overturned thru a vote of the people that
all revenue from taxes would be lost.
When no one could think of another question to ask, the
Council was asked again to state their opinions on
whether or not marijuana businesses should be allowed in
the City of Huntington.
The opinions were as follows:
Councilor Jack Gerould said they should be allowed;
Councillor Cindy Deck said they should not be allowed;
Councillor Carol Allender said they should be allowed;
Councilor Eileen Driver said they should be allowed;
Councillor Chuck Guerri said they should not be allowed;
and Councillor Rhonda Bronson said they should not be
allowed. This split left Mayor Young in the position of
tie- breaker with the final decision.
The crowd waited with anticipation to hear his opinion.
Mayor Young, who had not voiced an opinion on this
subject through all five months of debate and indecision,
calmly stated, “It’s here. It’s been here for years and it’s
not going away no matter the vote. We need the economic
boost and revenue these businesses will generate. We
need the money. They should be allowed.”
The ban on the ban was upheld. Final answer.
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