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About Illinois Valley news. (Cave City, Oregon) 1937-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 26, 2005)
Page 9 Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, January 26, 2005 City again delays Pomeroy Park Developer stymied until all aspects of proposed subdivision met Cave Junction city councilmen used half of their two-hour meeting Monday night, Jan. 24 again addressing the planned Pomeroy Park subdivision; then again continued the matter. The vote in city hall to continue the item, rather than voting approval con- ditionally, was 4-1 with Councilman Margaret Miller voting against the motion by Councilman Rita Dyer. At issue is the pro- posed 39-acre Pomeroy Park subdivision off Daisy Hill Road, adjacent to Illi- nois River. Neighboring residents have filed letters detailing a number of con- cerns they have, including public access to Illinois Ri ve r ; a nd v a ri ou s “environmental” matters including “nighttime light pollution” from street lights, and perceived sew- age problems. There also is concern by the council and others about residents of the 59- lot having only Schumacher Street for in- gress and egress. Under Dyer’s motion, those planning the subdivi- sion will have to gain an OK from Illinois Valley Fire District to use a 25- foot-wide easement for emergency use only. In addition, copies of the development’s codes, covenants and restrictions (CC&Rs) for its residents will have to be provided. Also, Dick Converse, of Rogue Valley Council of Governments, will review conditional-use permit cri- teria in connection with Pomeroy Park’s Planned Unit Development status. Converse on Monday said that the development’s loop road “looks like” a cul-de-sac, which gives the council authority to view it critically. The development is planned by Mike Murphy and Elton Frank, both of Cave Junction. Frank ad- dressed the council Mon- day and fielded questions. However, the council was unsatisfied because of concerns, and Frank again left city hall without ap- proval. He told the council about various revisions that had been made to sat- isfy concerns expressed during the previous council meeting, but to no avail. Among those noting concerns Monday was Eugene resident David Atkins, a former Illinois Valley resident who said he owns property on Daisy Hill Road. Atkins urged the city “to take responsible ac- tion” and brought up issues including erosion, flood- ing, vandalism and density in conn ectio n wit h Pomeroy Park. He said that the city and developer could be liable for damages because of building in a flood plain, although such build- ing is allowed under Ore- gon law. He said that the devel- opment as planned repre- sents an “unmitigated dis- aster.” Atkins added that one property owner along the emergency access pro- posed by Frank has threat- ened litigation unless the road is gated, as they don’t want excessive traffic. Atkins added that the public should be allowed to review the CC&Rs. After his comments, Jim Frick took the council to task about “having some guts” to allow Frank to proceed. Frick, a longtime broker and real estate agent, said that, “It’s to- tally ludicrous the way the council is dealing with this.” Frick said that the con- tinued delay is affecting two other developments and “costing developers thousands of dollars,” while they are trying to improve the city tax base and invest in the commu- nity. He said that Frank has addressed the expressed concerns, and that he (Frick) wonders why Pomeroy Park is being handled differently than other similar develop- ments, which were ap- proved without significant hang-ups by the council. “Frank has worked with other developers to fund a $230,000 sewer pump station,” said Frick. He indicated that emotions seem to be fueling the de- lays, and urged the council to OK the development. His remarks were fol- lowed by applause from several in the audience. Fire plan grant information provided Details regarding appli- cations for the 2006 Na- tional Fire Plan Community Assistance grant program are in the works. The Josephine Jackson Local Coordination Group (JJLCG) will provide local review of grant applications submitted from the two counties, and forward rec- ommendations and com- ments to the regional inter- agency grant review team for consideration during their selection process. JJLCG applies local knowledge to the regional criteria addresses in the grant application process. It also assesses how the pro- ject meets those criteria they have deemed most critical to the success of meeting local needs and priorities. For the 2006 grant cycle these criteria will be the fo- cal point of JJLCG review and recommendations: Fuel Projects *How will the project implement a community risk assessment and mitiga- tion plan? *How has this treatment been coordinated with adja- cent land owners and local/ state/tribal/federal agencies? Risk Assessment and Planning *How will the com- pleted plan be implemented, and by whom? Or, how does this plan enhance or complete previous fire plan- ning by the community? How will the plan ad- dress land owner responsi- bility for implementation of this plan? Prevention, Education *A detailed plan ad- dressing all evaluation crite- ria showing how the target audience will be personally engaged in wildfire preven- tion and education. Utilization, Marketing *Emphasis placed on volume of material utilized, jobs created/retained, par- ticipation of private business enterprises and other part- ners, and sustainability of project beyond grant period. This group meets quar- terly to discuss National Fire Plan and other wildfire re- lated programs and issues, seeking opportunities to integrate projects and lever- age funding. For additional informa- tion about JJLCG, or Na- tional Fire Plan Community Assistance Grant application and review process, contact Rita Dyer, 592-4020. The Kerby Transfer Station is open to help you... Hours: Mondays - Saturdays 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. For more information phone (800) 922-1025 CHEERS TO IVHS - The Illinois Valley High School cheerleaders work during games to promote spirit and boost the morale of Cougar competitors. The girls devote much after-class time to practicing their routines such as this one during the half of the home basketball game Friday, Jan. 21. They and a large group of elemen- tary and middle school that they’ve been train- ing will perform at the half on Friday, Jan. 28 in Ken Mann Memorial Gym. (Photo by Dale Sandberg) Oregon says square is OK In 1977 the Oregon Legislature declared the Square Dance to be the offi- cial State Dance. The dance is a combina- tion of various steps and figures danced with four couples grouped in a square. The pioneer origin and the characteristic dress are deemed to reflect Oregon’s heritage; and the lively spirit of the dance exemplifies the friendly, free nature and enthusiasm that is part of the Oregon character. Subscribe to the ‘Noose.’
