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About Columbia Gorge news. (The Dalles, OR) 2020-current | View Entire Issue (June 23, 2021)
6 Wednesday, June 23, 2021 Columbia Gorge News www.columbiagorgenews.com Wasco County to seek support from Gorge Commission Mark Gibson ■ By Columbia Gorge News THE DALLES — Wasco County Commissioners will seek to “turn the page and go forward” in their relationship with the Columbia River Gorge Commission even as they seek to address systemic problems and lack of support for the county’s role in land use planning, enforcement and management, the board agreed during a work session June 16. The Gorge’s National Scenic Area (NSA) has been in federal protection since 1986. New proposed revi- sions to the NSA plan include added protection for streams and wetlands and new guidelines for farm stands, wineries, short-term rentals, recreation developments and dwellings, among others. The revisions will go into effect as soon as each county adopts the regulations into their respective ordinances. In May of this year, officials in Wasco and Hood River counties expressed frustra- tion with the significant costs associated with managing NSA rules, as compared to the reimbursement counties receive from the state. At a May 5 public hearing, the Gorge Commission, Friends of the Columbia River Gorge and others associated with the NSA offered to work with the county in integrating the new NSA guidelines into county planning documents, and advocate for additional state funding. As of June 16, the county has 270 days to complete the process, under state law, and planning staff at Wasco County expressed frustration at the lack of follow through on those promises of support. A draft letter detailing county concerns and frustra- tions intended for the Gorge Commission was reviewed during a work session held in-person at the Wasco County Fairgrounds. Commissioner Kathy Schwartz, while acknowledg- ing the problems and frustra- tions of the situation, said she found the letter overly divi- sive. “I’ve only had two and a half years [working with the Gorge Commission], but I’ve observed problems and both sides,” said Schwartz, the newest member of the Wasco County board of commis- sioners. “I think we will be more successful if we turn the page a bit and just move forward. I think the tone needs to be more relation- ship building. This letter is exactly the opposite.” She agreed, however, that the Gorge Commission need- ed to follow through with the support offered the county when the commission agreed to undertake correlating county and NSA land use regulations and guidelines. County administrative officer Tyler Stone noted that planning staff has request- ed support of the Gorge Commission to address conflicts between county, state and federal guidelines, but their requests had met a stone wall of silence. “We have actively tried” to get Gorge Commission support, he said, even offering to pay for facilitated mediation, but those efforts have failed. “We have put in thousands of hours into this,” he said of the planning update process. “We have tried [to get their support], it’s just not there.” Commission Chair Scott Hege said, “We need to say [in the letter] that we are moving forward on the commitment we made, but its a two way street — they also need to move forward on this. They [the Gorge Commission] need to sit down with the planners and work through the problems.” Gorge commission staff is not the problem, they are working will with county planners, noted Commissioner Kramer. “It’s not the staff, it’s the board,” Kramer said. Having negotiated with the Gorge Commission for many years, A sign for the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area greets northbound drivers heading into The Dalles on Highway 197. Large portions of Wasco County are bound by county, state and federal land use laws and guidelines, all of which are managed by local county planners. Mark B. Gibson photo Kramer said he was not confident a request from the county would be effective, regardless of the tone of the letter. “They’re going to throw it out the window without reading it,” he said. “It goes on and on for years and we are still not going forward. It’s crazy.” Hege agreed the Gorge Commission board had “not been supportive of some of the things we need to do.” TD council approves housing code amendments Alana Lackner ■ By Columbia Gorge News residential areas. Before the bill, these types of housing were previously outlawed in many neighborhoods. THE DALLES — The In order to comply with Dalles City Council voted and build upon HB 2001, the Monday to pass an ordi- ordinance updated many of nance amending many sections of the city’s land use the city’s policies regarding middle housing: code to increase housing • Duplexes will be exempt supply in The Dalles. from all maximum density The ordinance, General requirements in The Dalles. Ordinance No. 21-1384, • Detached duplexes will updated the city hous- be allowed, as will duplexes ing code to fit with state with side entries. standards, including House • Minimum off-street Bill 2001. According to the parking will be reduced for official website of the state all middle housing including of Oregon, HB 2001 is a townhomes. statewide bill that intends • Developers will be to increase housing in Oregon by permitting middle encouraged to convert sin- housing — a term used to gle-family housing to duplex- describe a range of attached es, and requirements and or clustered homes such as standards for this transition duplexes and triplexes — in will be created. • The temporary family hardship provision — which permits an RV or manu- factured home to stay on a lot when a nearby family member is needed due to a physical or mental disability or impairment — will be allowed for duplexes. • The minimum lot size for duplexes can no longer be any larger than the minimum lot size for single-family homes. • Duplexes will no longer have subjective design re- quirements like “traditional” or “appearance of a single house.” Part of the push for more affordable housing in The Dalles comes from limita- tions on the city’s expansion due to the urban growth boundary that prevents the SOLAR Bickleton Grange Hall, and another is planned for the near future. Avangrid Renewables Communications Manager Morgan Pitts said the compa- ny appreciated the opportu- nity to provide information to the community. “We have a long history in Klickitat County, beginning with our Big Horn Wind Farm in 2006 and continu- ing through to the Lund Hill Solar project, currently under construction,” Pitts said. “Bluebird is an excellent site with a good solar resource and proximity to existing necessary infrastructure. We appreciate the strong part- nerships we have built with members of the community through the years and look forward to making this proj- ect a success.” approval of Lund Hill Solar Project, planning officials could request public com- 100-megawatt ment on the project. Lund project proposed Hill Solar Project received comment from federal, Continued from page 1 state and county agencies, homeowners, and the authority to apply conditions Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation of approval of the project, such as implementing envi- before its approval was an- ronmental mitigating tasks nounced in September 2019. for the developers to follow. Based on the comments The proposed project, received, Lund Hill Solar should it be granted approval Project received 63 separate through the county planning conditions of approval, such department, would be the as requiring the company second solar facility sited in to prepare and implement Klickitat County. The first, a process for protection and Lund Hill Solar Project, is for unanticipated discovery also owned by Aurora Solar of cultural resources, as well and sited nearby. Lund Hill as traffic and environmental Solar Project, once construc- mitigating directives. A community meeting on tion is completed, is slated to generate up to 150-mega- the proposed project was held earlier this month at watts of electricity — at the time of approval, it was the largest solar energy installa- tion in the state by a magni- tude of more than five. Although the EOZ code does not spell it out, based on work done before Historic GRANADA T H E A T R E Dinner, Trivia, Entertainment at the Historic Granada Theatre. Upcoming events include: Heat wave this week will force us to cancel movies this coming weekend. The Thing! To be rescheduled! July 2 National Act Concert! Love & Theft w/band! Only $60 tix! Also a dinner option! July 3 John Wayne, North To Alaska!!! And just announced: Legends in The Dalles Music Festival featuring Marshall Tucker Band July 17th, outdoors at Lewis & Clark Festival Park The Dalles. And for all info crosscheck @ GranadaTheatrethedalles.com. city from growing outwards. Several community mem- bers attending the meeting spoke out in support of the ordinance. No com- munity members spoke in opposition. The city council approved the ordinance unanimously. ••• In other business, the city council voted 4-1 to opt into the servicing group created by State Accident Insurance Fund (SAIF) and Citycounty Insurance Services (CIS). The Dalles already has work- ers compensation through SAIF, but joining the servic- ing group will allow them to receive a 9% discount. Alana Lackner ■ By Columbia Gorge News NEWS IN BRIEF Subdivision lots platted THE DALLES — Four riverfront lots are among 16 lots approved by the Wasco County Board of Commission Wednesday for a new phase of the Lone Pine Village subdi- vision east of The Dalles just west of The Dalles Bridge over the Columbia River. The new lots are the second phase of a three-phase devel- opment of the subdivision. Development of the property has been underway for more than 10 years. Also approved was the second and final phase of Park Place, located west of Sorosis Park off scenic drive in the area of 20th Street and Radio Way. The second phase in- cludes 20 additional residents lots. The first phase of 13 lots have mostly been built. USFS contracts with Wasco County for law enforcement The United States Forest Service entered a patrol agree- ment with the Wasco County Sherrif’s office that allows them to patrol Mount Hood National Forest roads and lands within Wasco County. The annual intergovernmental agree- ment saw a $10,000 increase in payment to the county, for a total of approximately $28,000. “That’s a good thing,” Sheriff Lane Magill said. “We are expecting a very busy year (in the forest) this summer.” Otherwise, it is the same agreement entered into in prior years, he said. between Liberty Street and Garrison. The reconstruction THE DALLES will include the — The Dalles City implementation of Council approved a a new base for the contract for the re- construction of West street, repaving and 15th Street by Granite the construction of Construction at their new ADA compliant meeting on Monday. ramps on certain sec- The contract is for tions of sidewalk. $629,629 and encom- The project will cost $40,227 more passes three blocks - Resident at The Springs Living Independent Living | Assisted Living | Memory Care 1201 west 10th st | The Dalles TheSpringsLiving.com ends to meet on this pro- gram. It is a state and federal program and we are having to subsidize it.” In the end all three com- missioners agreed to have Schwartz revise the letter in hopes of inspiring improved relations and better results going forward. The revised letter will then be brought be- fore the board for approval. TD city approves reconstruction of W. 15th St. “I have appreciated everything. They take fantastic care of my mom. The people there are friendly, and I brag about them all the time." 5 4 1 - 2 9 6 - 1 3 0 3 They needed to respond to county land use planners when changes or clarifica- tions were brought to them, and they were not doing so. He said those who support the Gorge Commission should also be advocating for funding to cover the significant investment Gorge counties are making in implementing NSA rules. “It’s reasonable to be paid for the work we are doing. I want the than was originally budgeted. This is because there was determined to be a section of curb and gutter that needed to be rebuilt to improve drainage throughout the area. The needed $40,000 will come out of the fund for the scenic drive stabilization project next year, which cur- rently has $400,000. Next fiscal year’s budget has $140,000 unallocated, which they will use to pay the amount back into the fund. A start date for the construction was not given. 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