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About Keizertimes. (Salem, Or.) 1979-current | View Entire Issue (April 19, 2019)
APRIL 19, 2019, KEIZERTIMEH, PAGE A3 KPD drug takeback planned April 27 The Keizer Police De- partment will be hosting an event for the Drug Enforce- ment Agency’s Nation- al Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event will take place at Schoolhouse Square, 5013 River Road N. Citizens are encour- aged to bring unwanted or expired medications to designated collection sites. This can include unknown tablets and capsules, un- needed prescriptions, over- the-counter medication, and veterinary medication. Needles, vitamins, or med- ical waste of any sort will not be accepted. Neither will medication from as- sisted living facilities and clinics. The purpose of the event is to educate the public on the adverse effects improper disposal of medications have on the environment and the community. The Environ- mental Protection Agency warns that even medications that are fl ushed can fi nd their way into the soil, sur- face water and groundwater, risking contamination of drinking water. Studies have also shown that drugs found in waterways also have a serious impact on fi sh and other aquatic life. If you are unable to make it to the take back this week- end, a permanent receptacle for unwanted prescription drugs is available inside the KPD lobby during regular business hours. Calling all Grill-Seekers! COME IN TODAY to See the Big Green Egg 1695 Market St NE, Salem CCB#48630 • 503.364.6339 homefi restove.com salemgrill.com SALES & INSTALLATION Grills, Outdoor Fireplaces & Kitchens, Fire-Pits, Pizza Ovens, Pergolas UT zone hearing continued again By ERIC A. HOWALD Of the Keizertimes The possibility of unin- tended outcomes kept the Keizer Planning Commission from issuing a recommenda- tion on the future of Keizer’s Urban Transition (UT) zones. Commissioners are weigh- ing the options for future de- velopment with UT zones with an eye toward easing the number of permits own- ers need to apply for while maintaining some control over how the properties get developed. The Commission held over a public hearing on the matter to May while request- ing clearer lists of pros and cons for each option from city staff. “Properties within the UGB are not multiplying and there is going to be more market pressure to develop properties within the bound- ary at an urban density,” said Nate Brown, Keizer commu- nity development director. Currently, owners of UT- zoned properties – roughly 110 in the city – must apply for a conditional-use permit to make changes or addi- tions to the property. The city would like to nix those ad- ditional fees for owners, but ensure that any changes don’t preclude future development. The question before the commission is whether to rewrite sections of the devel- opment code to promote the type of development the city wants to see, or go with a leg- islative change that might not be as fi nely-tuned. “The property owner would be the one to decide what changes they make and this is a question of how in- trusive our regulation should be,” Brown said. A handful of residents turned out at the meeting to offer testimony, the bulk of which centered around the more rural uses of some of WE TAKE PRIDE in being staff ed better than any other senior living community Come See the Finest in Senior Living CALL (503) 390 -1300 1165 McGee Ct NE • Keizer, OR • VillageAtKeizerRidge.com KEIZERTIMEH/Eric A. Howald The city’s urban transition zone allows for a diversity of uses that make possible scenes like the one above, a horse corral across the street from a subdivision in north Keizer. the parcels. “I have a little hobby farm and I have a suspicious mind, I don’t want to lose any ex- isting rights to converting the UT zones to residential,” said Robert Orn. Resident Barbara Mc- Cullough-Jones voiced simi- lar concerns. City Attorney Shannon Johnson said that such ac- tivity would become “le- gal non-conforming uses,” which means owners would not be forced to retire such activity in the immediate future, but if such uses lapse for a year or more then they would be in violation of the development code. McCollough-Jones also inquired about how such changes fi t into the broader discussion of how Keizer will grow. “When do we say that we want to leave larger plots and green spaces. I don’t think we’ve had that conversa- tion. When did we come to the point of making so six houses on an acre where you can reach out and fl ush your neighbor’s toilet?” she said. Commissioner Garry Whalen said those questions are in the process of being answered and encouraged her to come to meetings of the committee looking at those issues. While some commission- ers leaned toward certain options, almost all expressed some reservation about clos- ing a public hearing on the matter and, instead, contin- ued it until the May 8 meet- ing. Commissioners asked for city staff to prepare a list of the four options with poten- tial outcomes for each.
