JANUARY 19, 2018, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A3
GRASSROOTS
GOVERNMENT
The Keizer Planning Commission held its most recent meeting
Wednesday, Jan. 10. This is what was discussed.
• As the fi rst meeting
of 2018, members of the
board and city staff went
over the expected work-
load for the coming year.
While agendas are always
subject to change, and
emergent needs take pri-
ority, here are some of the
issues commissioners will
be giving input on:
– The Keizer sign code.
Commissioners began this
process in 2017, but they
still need to recommend
new language to the city
council. Among the pro-
posed changes are loos-
ened regulations on elec-
tronic reader boards.
– Development stan-
dards regarding new build-
ings. Everything from col-
ors permitted to glazing
requirements and orienta-
tion of frontage could be
up for grabs. It could also
include elements like a 1
percent fee that would be
dedicated to creating pub-
lic amenities in Keizer.
“We would like to
change it a bit because the
market changes and aes-
thetic changes. The things
that people like are chang-
ing from the 1990s when
we had the last big look,”
said Shane Witham, Keiz-
er’s senior planner.
Storm drainage expec-
tations for new develop-
ments.
– Redefi ning the city’s
urban transition zones in
north Keizer to refl ect the
desired uses of those prop-
erties and to refl ect the city
vision as a whole.
Affordable housing and
the timelines for approving
such projects when they
are brought to the city.
Realigning the approval
process for changes within
Extreme
pruning
WINTER
WARM UP
SALES EVENT
KEIZERTIMES/Eric A. Howald
TOP: Volunteer Jerry Nuttbrock hoists a tree out of the dirt.
ABOVE : A Bobcat was used to stack the trees in burn piles.
A crew of volunteer work-
ers led by Mark Caillier
knocked down nearly 2,000
decaying hazelnut trees in
Keizer Rapids Park over the
course of three days last week.
The almost 90-year-old or-
chard was no longer profi table
for the farmer who was har-
vesting it.
The plucked trees are now
stacked on the site and are ex-
pected to be burned sometime
in February.
the Keizer Station master
plan.
– Adjusting fl oodplain
overlay zones to coincide
with new data from the
Federal Emergency Man-
agement Agency (FEMA).
• The most interesting
exchange between com-
missioners and members of
the city staff occurred dur-
ing the discussion of the
urban transition zones and
how those spaces could
affect the urban growth
boundary (UGB) if it is
expanded.
Keizer shares its UGB
with Salem and Keizer
is rapidly running out of
space to grow, but Salem
reportedly has enough
room for expansion for
both cities for the next 20
years.
“If we have a defi cit in
residential
single-family
housing or residential mul-
tifamily housing yet we
share common UGB with
three other entities, how
do we end up with a defi -
cit when (Salem has) an
ample supply for the next
20 years?” asked Commis-
sioner Garry Whalen.
“The bottom line is we
carved out the concept that
we are our own jurisdic-
tion and own needs. Could
somebody challenge us
and say we don’t? It would
be possible,” replied Nate
Brown, Keizer community
development director.
“Our adopted docu-
ments in Keizer say we
have (these needs) but, in a
statewide analysis, it would
be possible for them to say
we don’t,” said Witham.
• The board also re-
ceived legal training from
City Attorney Shannon
Johnson.
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