Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 4, 2017)
3A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, AUGUST 4, 2017 Gearhart delves into the noxious weeds practices of various property owners who owned property in or abutting the dunes.” “The issue of whether large trees can be topped or removed entirely is the main contentious issue, and it remains for coun- cil to decide,” Van Hoomissen said. Committee member John Green said he would like to see a moratorium on cutting on public property until the issue is resolved. “I think before we do anything, we have to have a parks master plan,” Green said. Tree-topping at core of beach dune controversy By R.J. MARX The Daily Astorian GEARHART — City coun- cilors agreed to consider rec- ommendations from the Dunes Vegetation Committee after finding that city rules on tree trimming, removal of nox- ious weeds and invasive spe- cies failed to provide clear guidance. “In my opinion there is nobody in this debate who is right or who’s wrong there are just differences of opin- ion,” committee member George Van Hoomissen said at Wednesday’s City Council meeting. Mayor Matt Brown acknowledged the ordinance, which allows for “thinning or pruning of 50 percent of the plant’s present growth,” was unclear and offered little guid- ance to officials. “That’s what got this pro- cess going,” Brown said. The ordinance, written in 1994, was a leading discus- sion item among committee members. City Attorney Peter Watts said the ordinance “creates problems for both sides,” in its ambiguity. “One of the things we’ve talked about is getting clarity to the process. Do nox- ious weeds apply to native plants? Trees are an issue. Grass is an issue. How do you R.J. Marx/The Daily Astorian Residents seek guidance as to how much dune vegetation may be removed or trimmed. measure 50 percent of grass?” cil regarding potential changes to the ordinance. Search for consensus In January, residents filled the Gearhart Fire Station for an education forum and town hall meeting on an amendment per- mitting the removal of noxious weeds. The panel of city officials, state parks representatives and other experts was organized by Margaret Marino, a resi- dent who had expressed con- cerns about the vegetation at city meetings and reached out to state departments and ecolo- gists for assistance. The workshop led to the for- mation of the Dune Vegetation Committee, comprised of both permanent and part-time Gear- hart residents. The city sug- gested the committee study the issues concerning vegetation and vehicle access within the Beach and Active Dunes Over- lay District. Members of the committee would then make suggestions to the City Coun- Recommendations The committee formed in April and presented its findings to the City Council at its July meeting. In the committee’s recom- mendations, all but emergency vehicles are to be limited within the zone — known as the Beach and Active Dunes Over- lay District — not only cars, but trucks, motorized mowers, bush hogs and other equipment. The committee recom- mended installation of locked gates at all areas where motor- ized vehicles are able to enter the overlay district. A recommendation con- cerning tree pruning or vegeta- tion removal offers guidelines for homeowners to remove noxious weeds or trees. The committee’s fourth rec- ommendation would allow the city administrator to issue a permit for removal of trees which are larger than 12 inches diameter. Van Hoomissen said that while early meetings were con- tentious, later meetings found some consensus. “Over time, I feel the committee’s work became much more collabo- rative,” he said. “The commit- tee talked about views, elk, dif- ferent trees, different noxious weeds, grass, historical evo- lution of the dunes, historical Code change sought Gearhart’s Jack Delaney, a member of the committee who disputed aspects of the findings, said the committee was “ille- gitimate” because it was com- prised of nonresidents. Their findings “totally ignored the expertise of all the experts in the area,” he said, naming a number of county, state and city agencies. “Not once did we have any discus- sion or information from them.” Committee member Bill Corti called the composition of the committee “unbalanced,” and sought guidance for prun- ing or trimming trees on city- owned property. “I think adjacent property owners should be able to thin or remove the trees,” commit- tee member Jim Furnish said after the meeting. “I think the city will be battling about it for years.” Clarification of city rules will likely require a change to city code, City Administrator Chad Sweet said. To that end, the city plans to hold a work session to discuss recommen- dations in September. Potential changes would go through a public process at Planning Commission and City Council meetings with the goal of crafting a revised ordinance. “In the end, what we found is the contentiousness over a small part of the large issues often masks the fact that there is widespread agreement on much of the issue,” Van Hoom- issen said. “We should not take the view that everything is con- tentious. Because everything is not.” TIMBERLANDS CLOSED DUE TO HIGH FIRE DANGER Lewis & Clark Timberlands are CLOSED as of August 1, 2017 to all public entry and will remain in effect until further notice. For up-to-date information please call our RECREATIONAL HOTLINE 503-738-6351 Ext. 2 TIMBERLANDS CLOSED Kaelia Neal/The Daily Astorian Kaelia Neal/The Daily Astorian Claire Tetlow, an Astoria High School student, stands with her miniature Hereford, Marci, at the Clatsop County Fair Thursday. Astoria High School soph- omore Baylee McSwain and her goats at the Clat- sop County Fair Thursday. 4-Hers strut their critters at fair By KAELIA NEAL The Daily Astorian She also took on leadership roles for the program during the fair. “4-H is about helping peo- ple out. I love that we can help out each other and work together,” Tetlow said. W A NTED Alder and Maple Saw Logs & Standing Timber N orth w es t H a rdw oods • Lon gview , W A Contact: John Anderson • 360-269-2500 Volunteer Pick of the Week Duke 7-Year Old Pug/Heeler Blend Will teach the art of friendship, devotion, mischief and untroubled sleep. (More on http://Petfi nder.com/ ) C LATSOP C OUNTY A NIMAL S HELTER Sponsored By 1315 SE 19 th Street, Warrenton • 861 - PETS www.dogsncats.org Noon to 4pm, Tues-Sat Astoria Band Boosters CAN & BOTTLE DRIVE Coming Soon... The CMH-OHSU Knight Cancer Collaborative is bringing advanced cancer care to the coast. People throughout the Columbia-Pacific region will soon have access to the latest technologies and treatments for cancer. Patients can expect to receive personalized, advanced care from OHSU specialists in a warm, comforting, hassle-free environment. columbiamemorial.org/cancer-care/ 1 P.M.- 3 P.M. • SUNDAY, AUGUST 6 TH AT ASTORIA HIGH SCHOOL Ch ec k th e L a b e l ! When her uncle gave her a rabbit as a young girl, an opportunity opened up for Baylee McSwain that has impacted her life for the last six years. McSwain is competing in 4-H at the Clatsop County Fair, which ends Saturday. 4-H is a longstanding part of the fair and allows youth to show their farm animals. “I feel like a lot more peo- ple are supporting it and real- izing that it teaches kids about agriculture,” McSwain said Thursday. So far, the Astoria High School sophomore said she has won reserve grand cham- pion for swine showmanship and reserve grand champion for rabbit showmanship. McSwain has shown pigs, rabbits, chickens and goats during 4-H since the fourth grade. “My favorite to show is goats,” McSwain said. “At first I thought they were cute, but then I learned a lot about them and wanted to keep showing.” Because of her involve- ment, she wants to continue 4-H for the next three years before pursuing her career goal of becoming a veterinarian. “She’s learned a lot of responsibility through this pro- gram,” said Melissa McSwain, Baylee’s mother. “Just watch- ing all the kids try their best and watching all of them suc- ceed is my favorite part.” Claire Tetlow, who attends Astoria High School, is in her seventh year of 4-H. “I’m really loving it,” said Tetlow, who has won many awards in this year’s 4-H. She said she is the grand champion for dairy showmanship in the senior division and earned a spot to compete for the over- all grand champion title on Saturday. This 4-H has been differ- ent for Tetlow, as all of her animals are new to the show. P LEASE , NO EARLY DROP - OFFS Items must have the 5 cent, OR redemption label in order to benefit the band programs The Band Boosters are the primary source of funds to keep Astoria’s school band programs functioning. Please help by dropping off your empties or making a donation. Call (503) 791-8134 or email i_want_to_help@astoriabands.org to arrange pickup of large amounts. 2111 Exchange St., Astoria, Oregon • 503-325-4321 www.columbiamemorial.org • A Planetree-Designated Hospital