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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 24, 2015)
3A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2015 Alliance urges ‘collaborative’ dune-grading approach Breakers Point homeowners to ‘regroup’ in new year By DANI PALMER EO Media Group Cannon Beach has decided not to address foredune grad- ing for the moment, but the battle over whether it should be permitted continues. In November, Frank and Janet Patrick, along with multiple other Breakers Point homeowners, ¿led an appli- cation to grade 75,000 cubic yards of sand from the north- western and southern land boundaries of the property. In their application, they stated landowners and their guests “cannot access the beach ad- jacent to the property due to impassable slopes created by drifting dunes arti¿cially created through the planting of invasive European dune grass.” City Planner Mark Barnes sent the homeowners a letter stating the application was incomplete due to a number of factors. These included the need to address foredune grading in the oceanfront management overlay zone standards, comprehensive plan polices and to receive permission from other home- owners if their request was the same as a previous Breakers Point Homeowners Associa- tion request. Cameron La Follette, ex- ecutive director of the Oregon Coast Alliance, said her orga- nization was disappointed by the latest application. “It’s important work. It should be collaborative,” she said. “The new application, that’s not working together.” She and others in opposi- tion have said the city should be allowed to complete more Dani Palmer/EO Media Group Viewed from the Fir Street bridge, sand is piling up next to Breakers Point, blocking the view for some homeowners. research and update its sand management plan before any further dune-grading projects are approved. Cannon Beach’s last plan was completed in 1997 and expired in 2008. La Follette said it should be updated more often. The city considered pro- hibiting foredune grading af- ter the Planning Commission approved a 13,700-cubic-yard Breakers Point Homeown- ers Association dune grading project in August. Councilors expressed concern over ef- fects to the littoral cell without a ¿nished sand management plan on hand, but ultimately decided to table the topic until further notice. Other developments La Follette said homeown- ers should be more thoughtful about the foredune grading’s impact on other properties. At Planning Commission meetings, Chapman Point homeowners stated the last dune-grading project com- pleted at Breakers Point in- creased the amount of sand coming their way. “It should give pause,” La Follette said. “It’s necessary to work collaboratively. What you do affects your neigh- bors.” She called foredunes the “¿rst line of defense in storm surges.” If the dunes are Àat- tened, the area could become a safety concern in case of a surge or tsunami, she added. When the Breakers Point Homeowners Association proposal to grade was ap- proved, Property Manager Bruce Francis said the tsuna- mi of 1964 showed the dunes provided little protection. La Follette said the dunes are based on ocean cycles. In the 1990s, residents wor- ried about dune erosion about H A C BIT’ S O MING B A CK W A NTED Alder and Maple Saw Logs & Standing Timber N orth w es t H a rdw oods • Lon gview , W A Contact: Steve Axtell • 360-430-0885 or John Anderson • 360-269-2500 GAME MEAT PROCESSING In December Oregon extends comment time on ¿ll land rules D ebbie D ’s w ill be at C ash & C arry in W arrenton at 10:00 a.m . each Satu rd ay to pick u p and d eliver m eat for processing. 20 lb. m in • E ach batch individu al Please call or leave m essage by Friday so w e k n ow to expect you ! DEBBIE D’S Jerk y & S a u s a ge Fa cto ry 2210 M ain A venu e N . • T illam ook, O R • 503-842-2622 VOLUN T E E R PICK OF THE WEE K The Daily Astorian SALEM — The Oregon Department of State Lands has extended the deadline for comments on rulemaking surrounding historically ¿lled lands. The deadline was Dec. 31 but has been extended to 5 p.m. Jan. 31. Senate Bill 912, passed by the Oregon Legislature this year, distinguishes historical- ly ¿lled lands and new lands for purposes of determining ownership and transfer of ownership of lands created upon submersible or sub- merged lands by arti¿cial ¿ll or deposit. Historically ¿lled lands are de¿ned by the state as land created by placement of arti¿cial ¿ll or deposit atop state-owned submerged or submersible land prior to May 28, 1963. The bill establishes a pro- cess for the State Land Board to identify and declare state’s interest in historically ¿lled lands and to provide notice of declaration. It directs the department of state land to provide a progress report to the Oregon Legislature on or before Sept. 15, 2017, and ap- propriates $328,228 from the state’s general fund to create two positions for the purposes of the measure. An advisory group repre- senting broad interests was convened by the Department of State Lands to recommend changes and streamline efforts for how the agency handles clar- ifying ownership of such lands. Chris Castelli, a policy an- alyst for the department, said attendees at hearings in Astoria and Coos Bay expressed the need for more time to consider the proposed addition of a new administrative rule division — OAR 141-068 — covering his- torically ¿lled lands. For more information on the legislation, visit http://ti- nyurl.com/jbwhu5j rather than an abundance of sand. With El Niño this year, there is a chance the sand will move on its own, she added. Littorial (or sediment) cells constantly move. Patrick and other home- owners say the European dune grass has accumulated over 2 million cubic yards of sand over the last 15 years and needs to be removed along with the European dune grass. La Follette countered that the Breakers Point Home- owners Association revege- tation plan approved by the Planning Commission raises its own concerns. “It’s generally a good thing to eliminate invasive species, but American dune grass doesn’t hold as well as Euro- pean grass. The dunes move much more without it,” she said. “The grass stabilizes it. European grass is in a catego- ry of its own.” Much of the area home- owners want to grade doesn’t even belong to them or the city, she added. La Follette said the land belongs to the state. The views homeowners are ¿ghting for are for every- one, she said, adding many like the dunes. They’re char- acteristic of Cannon Beach to some. But homeowners say changes in dune patterns have made beach access a nightmare in some locations, especially for those with dis- abilities. La Follette said she is not aware of any major public ac- cess issues, and added there is no guarantee to views or ac- cess for beachfront property owners. Frank Patrick said the Breakers Point homeown- ers will likely regroup at the beginning of the year to plan their next step. Alice 3 year old American Shorthair. A sweet study in whimsy, dispensing plenty of merriment and love. Merry Christmas from the W ee Hopes 2015 Sponsored by Clatsop Animal Assistance CLATSOP COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER 1315 SE 19th St., Warrenton • 861- PETS www.dogsncats.org Noon to 4pm, Tues-Sat Thank you! To our great families and special friends, we want to thank you all for the words of encouragement and acts of kindness during Jay’s recent illness. I couldn’t have gotten through the stress, driving and working, while waiting for his recovery. Jay is now doing well and we want to wish all of you a great Holiday Season. Hug your loved ones everyday. Love you all, Jay & Connie Westerholm Top: Ja m es L. Ho p e S r. (Asto ria city a tto rn ey fo r 36 yea rs) a n d g ra n d child ren : M erry, Ca ro l, S ha w n , Peg g y, M a rita , Pa t, Greg , M ike a n d S a lly. Bottom : M o lly, Jo d ie, S a lly, Hila ry, M erry a n d Peg g y. N EW Y EA R S E V E PA R T Y PR IM E R IB D IN N ER a la D a n R e ed & C r ew D ecem ber 31 • 5:00 - 7:00 pm 18 $ 7 PM - N orth C oast C ountry B and PREPAID TICKETS ON SALE @ CLATSOP POST 12 ASTORIA AMERICAN LEGION 1132 Exchange Street • 325-5771
