city news
At the July 16, 2012 City Council
Meeting:
Council Holds Hearing, Discusses
Parking Changes—Council held a
Public Hearing to consider recommended
changes from the Planning Commission
to amend existing parking standards
in the City of Vernonia and to create
a funding mechanism for downtown
parking lots.
Council chose to make no
decision on the recommendations from
the Planning Commission until they
have additional information and Mayor
Josette Mitchell recessed the Hearing so
it could be continued at a later date. (See
full story on page 5)
Vernonia City News...
Daughtry Makes Presentation to
City—Vernonia citizen Shirlee Daughtry
presented the City with a gift of a framed
pen and ink sketch of Bridge Street by
artist Mason Parker. The art was framed
locally by Grey Dawn Gallery. Parker’s
art work was featured in the January 10,
2012 issue of Vernonia’s Voice.
will be conducting an Unconventional
Warfare Exercise out of Camp Rilea
from August 10-16. As part of the
exercise the Military Free Fall team will
jump onto the Vernonia Airport grounds
between the hours of 10:00 PM and
midnight on August 10 at the beginning
of the exercise. The City will receive no
compensation for the use of the airfield.
Council Authorizes Use of Airport for
Military Exercise—Council authorized
the City Administrator to sign an
agreement with the 4 th Battalion 10 th
Special Forces Group (Airborne) for
use of the Vernonia Municipal Airport
Facility. The Special Forces Group
is based at Ft. Carson, Colorado and
Council Approves Application for
Street
Funds—Council
approved
Resolution 28-12 allowing the Public
Works Department to make an
application to the Oregon Department
of Transportation for $50,000 from the
2013 Special City Allotment Fund. The
fund is available for cities with under
City Council Considers Changes to Parking Standards
The Vernonia City Council held a Public
Hearing during their regular meeting on July 16, 2912
to consider recommended changes from the Planning
Commission to amend existing parking standards
in the City. The changes included the creation of a
funding mechanism for downtown parking lots. City
Planner Carole Connell was on hand at the hearing to
answer questions from the audience and Council.
After deliberations Council chose to make no
decision on the recommendations from the Planning
Commission until they have additional information
and Mayor Josette Mitchell recessed the Hearing so it
could be continued at a later date.
The Planning Commission had previously
conducted a Public Hearing on the issue on June 7.
2012.
According to the report presented by Connell
to the Council at the July 16 hearing, the Planning
Commission has had a goal of amending the off-
street parking regulations for several years. The
Commission has identified the need for improved
parking conditions and consistent
regulatory
procedures, especially in the Downtown Zone.
Through their most recent review of the
issue, the Planning Commission determined that the
City and the business community have had difficulty
complying with current parking requirements which
require that a business provide a certain number of
off--street parking spaces anytime a new building is
constructed or a property changes uses. If a business
is unable to comply they must apply for and receive a
Variance from the Planning Commission before they
can begin occupancy. The number of spaces each
business is required to provide varies based on the size
of the establishment and type of business. Residential
units are also required to provide off—street parking.
The City has recently become the owner
of several sites in the downtown area through the
FEMA buyout process of flood damaged properties.
One site is the paved parking lot at the corner of
Maple and Adams Streets, across from the old West
Oregon Electric Cooperative headquarters. The
other site is the actual lot where the old
WOEC headquarters is currently being
demolished. The city has identified
both these lots as an opportunity to
provide off-street public parking.
The city would need to improve and
maintain these lots. Improvements that
are needed could include fencing, curbs
or bumper rails, stripping and lighting.
The Planning Commission has
proposed several amendments to the
current parking requirements. One
amendment would allow applicants to
request a waiver from the requirements
and agree to pay an annual fee of $10
per space required. The fees will
be used to construct, operate and
maintain public off-street parking for
the downtown district. The Planning
Commission recommended three
methods for establishing the fee: 1) only
new businesses be required to pay the
fee; 2) every new and existing business be required to
pay the fee, requiring a one--time calculation of how
many parking spaces each business is lacking; 3) set
aside a portion of current business license fees paid
by every businesses to be earmarked for a parking
fund.
The Planning Commission also recommended
reducing the number of spaces required for retail uses
and medical and dental clinics. It also increases the
number of spaces required for restaurants and bars
During the Public Hearing and deliberations
by Council questions were raised about what FEMA
will allow as improvements to parking lots as well
as what the estimated costs would be to establish
and maintain a gravel
parking area.
There
was also a question of
whether the mechanism
established to collect
fees could also be used to
collect fees to maintain
other “green spaces “
the city has acquired
through the FEMA buyout
process.
There were
also questions about how
the City would actually
determine the number
of spaces each property
requires.
Council was
unable to reach consensus
about which method they
should use to establish
the fee. Citizens in the
audience raised concerns
about how the public was
notified about this hearing
and also whether it would
be possible to include
downtown
business
owners in the process of
devising a solution.
july24
2012
5
5,000 in population to be spent on streets
that are not part of the state highway
system. Vernonia intends to use the
funds to install an overlay over Maple
Street from Weed Avenue to Jefferson
Street and to install sidewalks from
Madison Avenue to Weed Avenue along
Maple.
Council Meets in Executive Session for
Review—Council moved to Executive
Session under ORS 196.660(2) to review
and evaluate the performance of an
officer, employee or staff member. After
returning to regular session, the Council
took no further actions.
Upcoming Vernonia City Hall
Closures and City Council Meetings
City Hall will be closed:
Monday, Sept. 3, 2012
Upcoming City Council Meetings
are scheduled for:
Monday, August 6, 2012
Monday, August 20, 2012
Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012
Dates and Times subject to change due to
conflicts of schedules
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