Eugene weekly., March 15, 2012, Page 10, Image 10

NEWS BRIEFS
Lane County had fined Lost Creek Rock Products about
$8,000 for mining without a site review. LCRP, a business of
Greg Demers and Norman and Melvin McDougal argued it
was not needed because there is a 200-foot buffer of land
around the mine. Originally the hearings official ruled the
site review was not needed. Asked by the county to
reconsider, Hearings Official Gary Darnielle ruled that
gravel can’t be hauled off the butte and mining cannot
happen within the 200-foot buffer without site review and
reinstated $3,510 in fines.
“The decision from the hearings officer feels like he was
awarding half a decision in favor of mining the butte and half
to the residents of this area,” says neighbor Arlen Markus.
He asks, “If Demers can mine inside the 200-foot boundary
what is to stop them from taking the butte down and
stockpiling the rock until a appeal is made?”
The case is by no means closed. LCRP has 10 days to ask
Darnielle to reverse his decision yet again. And the county or
LCRP can appeal the decision to state Land Use Board of
Appeals and to Lane County Circuit Court and a decision
made by either or those bodies can be appealed, too. The
Parvin Butte neighbors have made it clear they plan to
continue the fight.
Lane County commissioners are expected to discuss
making a decision on whether to appeal this week in an
executive session, which is not open to the public. If either
the county or LCRP appeals, the neighbors, who have thus
far not been a party in this particular case, can “intervene,”
according to the neighbors’ attorney, Dan Stotter.
Stotter says the mine property owner has a pending site
review application filed with the Land Management Division
that is currently incomplete, and if completed, ruled on and
appealed, that too could set off a round of legal actions.
Markus says the ruling makes no mention of the
endangered salmon in the creek and says he hopes a site
review will “weed out all the unanswered questions.”
— Camilla Mortensen
biz beat
BIKEWAYS IN
THE COUNTRY
Portland and Eugene are nationally ranked as cycle-
friendly towns, but there is more to boast about than the many
urban bike lanes. Oregon is the only state in the nation with
designated scenic bikeways. The two most recent additions
start in Cottage Grove and Bend, bringing the state total to
eight.
“We’re only looking for the best of the best bike rides in
all of Oregon and these two made that cut,” says Alexandra
Phillips, Oregon Parks and Recreation Department bicycle
recreation coordinator.
The bikeways selections are decided upon after local
proponents submit the routes to an OPRD committee, which
chooses based on scenic beauty and road conditions.
Phillips has been part of developing the scenic bikeways
from the beginning and says the idea initially came from
Cycle Oregon. Members of the state’s annual summer ride
noticed long bike paths through the countryside in Europe
and suggested to the OPRD that Oregon follow suit.
Cottage Grove’s Covered Bridges Scenic Bikeway is an
off-road paved path for the first 17 miles and ends up back
through Main Street. It also directs cyclists through a
swinging bridge and covered railroad bridge. The Twin
Bridges Loop Scenic Bikeway, which begins in Bend, crosses
the Deschutes twice and presents views of the Cascades for
cyclists during most of the route.
The recent additions and the rest of Oregon’s scenic
bikeways could potentially contribute to an increase in
bicycle transportation in areas like Cottage Grove. The non-
profit organization, Rails to Trails, recently released a
research report that found that rural, less dense areas use
bicycles for transportation at similar rates as higher-populated
cities. The non-profit organization looked at data from the
U.S. Department of Transportation’s 2009 National
The Divine Cupcake, a Eugene local organic bakery
and café, is celebrating its second anniversary by
offering a free cupcake to all store visitors on Saturday,
March 17. The store will be open from 10 am to 10 pm and
is located at 1680 W. 11th Ave.
A free community workshop on residential solar
power is planned for 5:30 to 7 pm Monday, March 19, at
the Eugene Public Library Bascom-Tykeson Room.
Sponsored by Solarize Eugene and The Resource
Innovation Group. The idea is to use bulk purchasing to
lower the cost of solar hot water and electricity
generation products and installation. See solarizeeugene.
info for details.
Bike Friday in Eugene and Corvallis Cyclery in
Corvallis are now carrying an electric-powered bike
trailer called the Ridekick, manufactured in Colorado.
The 500-watt electric motor boosts the rider for 12 to 15
miles on a charge. “Our mission is to get people back on
their bikes for short trips and leave the car in the
garage,” says Chelsey Walker of Ridekick. See www.
ridekick.com or call Bike Friday at 687-0487 or Corvallis
Cyclery at 752-5952.
A new brewery, Falling Sky Brewing, had its first
“down pour” March 13 and plans to keep its tanks full
and taps flowing. Their brews include Bare Hands Bitter,
Persuasion Pale Ale, First Flight IPA and Pouring Porter.
The shop is at 30 E. 13th Ave. and the Brewing House is
at 1334 Oak Alley. See fallingskybrewing.com or call
505-7096.
Send suggestions for Biz Beat items to editor@eugeneweekly.com
with “Biz Beat” in the subject line.
LIGHTEN UP
Why is it that someone who blasts the top off of a bluff
to recover the rock — in the process sending noise and
dust onto his neighbor’s property — is called a developer
and is applauded, while someone who touches a planter
on another’s property with her foot is called a
trespasser and is arrested?
BY R A FA E L A L DAV E
Wall to Wall
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Community presentations and discus-
sions about the proposed Urban
Growth Boundary and strategies to
help Eugene grow smarter over the
next 20 years.
Pick a date & place that works for you:
From 6:00 to 8:00 pm:
M arch 20 — Petersen Barn
March 22 — North Eugene High School
April 3
— Churchill High School
A pril 5
— The Studio at the Hult Center
A pril 10
— Sheldon Community Center
April 12
— South Eugene High School
Three Days Only
Thursday March 15th
thru
Saturday March 17th
www.EnvisionEugene.org
City of Eugene Planning &
Development
541-682-6021
10 MARCH 15, 2012
EUGENE WEEKLY
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