Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 24, 2019)
REGION Saturday, August 24, 2019 East Oregonian A3 Planning commission modifies pot grow proposal By ANTONIO SIERRA East Oregonian PENDLETON — The Pendleton Planning Commis- sion revised a draft amendment to the city’s zoning code at a meeting Thursday, potentially allowing residents to continue growing their own marijuana as long as they don’t go beyond four plants. The commission made the changes after hearing from Brandon Krenzler, the co-owner of the Kind Leaf Pendleton marijuana dispen- sary, who testified against a proposal that requires all mari- juana grows are located indoors in a solid walled structure. In a previous interview, City Planner George Cress said the new proposal was added because the city has received complaints from residents that neighboring marijuana grows were producing an objection- EO file photo A revised proposal from the city would require all marijuana grows larger than four plants be moved indoors. able smell. Krenzler said forcing mar- ijuana growers indoors could lead to safety hazards when amateur growers try to hook up their own lighting and filtration systems without the requisite electrical experience. But he also said four mar- ijuana plants, the maximum allowed for personal use under recreational laws, shouldn’t produce a smell beyond a backyard. “Four plants, you might smell on the edge of a prop- erty line,” he said. “Maybe on a really windy day, you’ll catch a whiff of it. But four plants does not produce that large of Council to vote on resolution supporting school bond By JADE MCDOWELL East Oregonian HERMISTON — Hermiston School Dis- trict’s bond campaign may be getting an endorsement from the city council. The council will con- sider a resolution during their Monday meeting in support of the $82.7 mil- lion bond, which would pay to replace Rocky Heights Elementary School with a larger building, add a new elementary school on The- ater Lane, add classrooms to Hermiston High School and address traffic conges- tion at other schools. Also on Monday’s agenda is an executive session for City Manager Byron Smith’s annual per- formance review, followed by possible changes to his contract. Smith was hired in 2014. The council will also vote on a proposal to increase hangar rental rates at the Hermiston Municipal Airport to help raise funds for adding another city- owned hangar to the air- port. T-hangar #2 would be raised from $130 a month to $180 over the course of two years (in two $25 increments) and T-hangar #3 would be raised from $180 to $200. The addi- tional funds would be used IF YO GO The city council meets Monday at 7 p.m. at the Hermiston City Hall, 180 N.E. Second St. The full agenda packet can be found at hermiston. or.us/meetings. to start saving for a down- payment to finance a future hangar. Also on Monday’s agenda are a recogni- tion from the Government Finance Officers Associ- ation, staff reports, coun- cil reports and a review of progress on the council’s 2019 goals. Tri-Cities Cancer Center opens new Hermiston satellite office By JADE MCDOWELL East Oregonian HERMISTON — Can- cer patients won’t have to travel as far for all of their appointments after the Tri-Cities Cancer Center opened a satellite office in Hermiston. The new office is located in the Good Shepherd Medical Center plaza, 600 N.W. 11th St., Suite E-23. While radiation treatment will not take place there, patients will be able to visit for other types of appoint- ments, such as consulta- tions, follow-ups and sup- port services. “We want to ensure that our patients are served well across the region,” Chuck DeGooyer, CEO of the Tri-Cities Cancer Center, said in a statement. “With many of our patients com- ing from Hermiston and the surrounding commu- nities, we want to make it easier for them to receive their cancer care and sup- port close to their home.” They will partner with Good Shepherd and Kadlec Medical Center of Richland, allowing Good Shepherd doctors to refer patients just down the hall for consultations. The center will initially be open every Monday, and will be staffed by radiation oncologist Dr. Guy Jones. Ken Gamboa, director of marketing for TRCC, said the center plans to offer some public educa- tion and screening events at the Hermiston center as well. The Tri-Cities Can- cer Center was started by Kadlec, Lourdes Health and Trios Health hospitals in 1994 as a free-standing nonprofit cancer treatment center. It offers a range of services including treat- ment, support groups, a survivorship clinic, a natu- ropath clinic, chaplain and fitness programs. To schedule an appoint- ment, call (509) 783-9894. Umatilla County Historical Society’s Annual Heritage Luncheon “A Right Yorkshire Lass: Fannie Kay Bishop and the Founding of Pend- leton Woolen Mill” Guest Speaker John Bishop Saturday October 5, 2019 12pm-2pm Pendleton Convention Center Heritage Luncheon 2019 tickets UCHS Members/ $50 General admission/ $55 Purchase tickets in advance at Heritage Station Museum or call 541-276-0012. Ticket price includes a catered lunch from CG Catering. Sponsored by: an odor that a neighborhood or a city should be concerned about.” Krenzler said he’s a vegetar- ian and doesn’t find the smell of cooked meat enjoyable, but he doesn’t complain to authorities when a neighbor fires up the barbecue. Krenzler did warn against large-scale medical growers, who can grow dozens of plants if they’re growing on behalf of registered patients. Pendleton resident Alan Feves also spoke out against the proposal. “I think voters wanted regu- lations for marijuana,” he said. “They wanted the ability to grow it themselves. I think this gets in the way of that. It pretty much shuts it down.” After the public hearing closed, various members of the commission said they couldn’t remember including the indoor grow requirement in the meet- ings where they workshopped the draft. The proposed amendment does a number of other things, including formally banning marijuana businesses in resi- dential zones and consolidating all cannabis-related language into one section. Commission President Ryan DeGrofft suggested new language that states that any cultivation of more than four plants must be grown indoors, and the rest of the commission agreed. Grows of four plants or less still must confine their odors to the owners’ property and be obscured from public view. Even though Krenzler seemed pleased with the new language, there were still some lingering concerns about the potential for marijuana smell. The board chairman for Cason’s Place Peer to Peer Grief Counseling, Matt Terjeson, told the commission he recently found out that a marijuana busi- ness was opening nearby and expressed concern on how it would affect a nonprofit that’s frequented by children. Terjeson was referring to Thur’s Smoke Shop on 1616 S.E. Court Ave., which obtained a conditional use permit in 2017 but is not operational, although Lora Elliott, a permit tech for the planning department, said the city recently issued a cer- tificate of occupancy to Thur’s owner. Rather than approve the revisions on Friday, the com- mission unanimously voted to continue the public hearing to their next meeting in Sep- tember to approve an officially revised draft. The commission will then forward its recommendation to the Pendleton City Council, who could potentially make their own changes to the draft. BRIEFLY Citation issued in Hermiston crash HERMISTON — Follow- ing an investigation, police have issued one citation fol- lowing a two-vehicle crash that happened on Highway 395 near Walmart on Mon- day morning. Higinio Hernandez-San- chez, 54, of Plymouth, Wash- ington, was cited for careless driving this week. Hernandez-Sanchez was turning from East Cornell Place onto Highway 395 in a red 2005 Dodge Neon outside Walmart when he hit Steven Brockett, 60, of Hermiston. Brockett was riding a 2007 Honda motorcycle, and was transported to Good Shep- herd Medical Center. Hermiston Police chief Jason Edmiston said that the report has been sent to the District Attorney’s Office to review potential charges against Brockett, who has a felony suspended license. ton Police Department. When police arrived at the scene, they found a mid- dle-aged man with a loaded handgun threatening suicide and challenging officers to shoot him in the bedroom of a residence. Officers contained the sit- uation and talked with the man while waiting for mutual aid, including a crisis negotia- tor from the Hermiston Police Department. Eventually, patrol officers convinced the man to put the gun down. His firearm was confiscated and he agreed to a mental health evaluation. Umatilla County Fire Dis- trict 1 and Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office both provided assistance. A press release issued by the Hermiston Police Depart- ment stated that officers would have been legally justified in using deadly force multiple times during the situation, but that use of de-escalation and crisis intervention techniques helped ease the conflict. Hermiston police de-escalate standoff Nixyaawii delays HERMISTON — What start of school began as a tense standoff between a suicidal man and the Hermiston police ended peacefully after officers were called to the 500 block of West Standard Avenue on Friday morning, according to a press release issued by the Hermis- MISSION — Accord- ing to Principal Ryan Hein- rich, Nixyaawii Community School is pushing back its opening day to Sept. 3. Initially posted on Face- book Friday afternoon, the delay is due to lingering con- struction at Nixyaawii’s new site. The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reser- vation is in the midst of com- pleting a new school facility west of the Nixyaawii Gover- nance Center and Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center. Nixyaawii, a charter school located on the Umatilla Indian Reservation, originally tar- geted an Aug. 26 start date. Heinrich said staff recently started moving things from the old school into the new build- ing at 73300 July Grounds Lane but had to hold when they were advised it was an active construction zone. He said construction crews are still installing new tech- nology into the facility and staff still don’t have the key cards they need to access the building, so he and staff made a decision to move the first day of school back a week. Nixyaawii usually oper- ates Monday-Thursday, but staff selected four Fridays as make-up days: Oct. 11 and 18, Nov. 22, and Dec. 20. Even with the new sched- ule, Heinrich said Nixyaawii is still on track to meet the minimum number of instruc- tional hours mandated by the state. Before school starts, Nixy- aawii will host an open house on Aug. 29 from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. —East Oregonian staff 3234 S.W. Nye Pendleton, OR Join us at 5 August 29th for our Annual ROUND-UP BBQ! • Round-Up Queen & Court • Happy Canyon Princesses • Main Street Cowboys • Side Saddlers • Good Food • Great Entertainment With VENUES INSIDE AND OUT.
