NEWS
Wallowa.com
Wednesday, February 20, 2019
A11
Tragedy strikes
Enterprise pedestrians
By Steve Tool
Wallowa County Chieftain
A blistery winter eve-
ning turned tragic during
the snowy evening of Fri-
day, Feb. 15, when a car
struck two pedestrians, kill-
ing one and injuring the
other in Enterprise. The pair
were hit as they crossed the
intersection at Hwy. 82 and
Holmes St., near Safeway.
Enterprise
Police
Department chief, Joel
Fish, said the incident was
reported at about 5:30 p.m.
The pedestrians, Molly
Wells of Lostine, 40, and
Kathleen Kim of Enter-
prise, 80, were taken to
Wallowa Memorial Hospi-
tal by ambulance. Kim suc-
cumbed to her injuries.
Law enforcement offi-
cials
from
Enterprise
Police Department, Wal-
lowa County Sheriff’s
Office and Oregon State
Police responded as did
emergency services person-
nel including two ambu-
lances and Enterprise Fire
Department.
According to Chief Fish,
eye-witness accounts at the
scene relayed to respond-
ing law enforcement that
the women were attempt-
ing to cross southbound
over West North Street,
i.e., Hwy. 82, through the
Holmes Street intersection
when they were struck by
an westbound car. An east-
bound car had stopped to
let the women cross.
Addressing the weather
conditions and visibility at
the time of the accident,
Chief Fish explained that it
was snowing heavily at the
time of the incident and he
noted that it was one of the
worst times of day to drive.
“You can’t really see any-
thing,” he said.
Flora’s Charles Can-
non, 54, was behind the
wheel. Chief Fish said that
law enforcement officials
noted that the driver did not
appear impaired at the time.
It is unknown if a citation
will be issued.
The Wallowa County
Chieftain will update this
report as new information
comes in.
WE’VE GOT JUST YOUR SIZE
GET
THE JOB
DONE!
With the
BRANSON 4225 CH
Jaime Valdez/Portland Tribune
The Oregon Legislative Assembly at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem.
Housing bills sponsored by
Portland legislators draw
complaints from east side
in an effort to tackle Ore-
gon’s housing shortage.
Sen. Bill Hansell (R-Ath-
ena) recently spoke out on
As Oregon communities
struggle to fix housing prob-
the Senate floor about Senate
lems, solutions sponsored by
Bill 608. The bill caps rent
legislators on the west side
increases at one per year, at
of the state are drawing com-
no more than 7 percent per
plaints from Eastern Oregon.
year plus the consumer price
The city of Hermiston is
index. It also bans no-cause
voicing opposition to a bill
evictions for tenants on
banning single-family res-
month-to-month leases after
idential zoning in commu-
the first 12 months.
nities of more than 10,000
“One size does not fit all,”
people.
Hansell told his colleagues.
House Bill 2001, spon-
“If Portland has a problem
sored by House Speaker
— and I believe they do —
Tina Kotek (D-Portland),
don’t impose the fix on the
would require cities to
rest of the state.”
allow “middle
He
said
housing” —
housing
devel-
‘IT WOULD BE CHANGING
opers
and
duplexes, tri-
plexes, quad-
THE CHARACTER OF EXISTING landlords in his
plexes
and
district have
NEIGHBORHOODS WITHOUT
cottages clus-
written him to
tered around
say that the bill
THE
NEIGHBORHOOD
a
courtyard
would unfairly
HAVING ANY SAY IN IT.’
— in all of
tilt Oregon’s
its residential
housing laws
Clint Spencer, Hermiston city planner
zones. Propo-
in favor of ten-
ants. A tenant
nents of the
would be able
bill say it will
help reduce the state’s hous- ments for setbacks and lot to give 30 days notice with-
out cause to exit the lease,
ing shortage and create more coverage.
diverse neighborhoods.
If HB 2001 passes, Ore- for example, but a landlord
Hermiston city planner gon would be the first state could not.
Clint Spencer said the city to ban single-family zoning.
Hansell said the bill, while
has “pretty strong feelings” But cities such as Minneapo- meant to protect tenants,
against the bill. He submit- lis, Minnesota have started to would actually hurt them
ted written testimony to embrace the tactic as a way as landlords became much
the House Committee On to diversify neighborhoods more strict in their screening
Human Services and Hous- by removing a designation process and housing devel-
ing for a public hearing held that has historically kept opers pulled out of Oregon
last Monday.
low-income families and altogether. He said landlords
Spencer called the bill people of color out of certain needed to be able to raise
a “top-down” solution that neighborhoods.
rents fast enough to keep up
takes control away from
Proponents also hope that with increases in property
cities. He said it also con- the bill will encourage new taxes and other costs.
flicts with Statewide Plan- housing to open up faster as
“You’re eliminating a free
ning Goal 1, which seeks to developers add multi-fam- market and turning it into a
include citizen input on all ily dwellings instead of tra- state-run business,” he said.
ditional houses to lots. The
stages of land use planning.
Sen. Laurie Monnes
“It would be changing Oregon Housing Alliance Anderson (D-Gresham), one
the character of existing submitted testimony to the of the bill’s sponsors, told
neighborhoods without the House Committee on Human the Senate that when she was
neighborhood having any Services and Housing stating knocking doors to campaign,
say in it,” he told the East there is a “mismatch between the top worry she heard was
Oregonian.
the types of homes available, housing insecurity.
The bill as currently writ- the people who need a place
She said she heard from
ten would retroactively to live, and the incomes that people who had lost their
include existing zones within people earn.”
long-time homes due to evic-
cities. Spencer said for many
“Increasing the num- tions for no apparent reason,
neighborhoods in Hermiston, ber of homes which can be and met seniors, families and
the water and sewer pipes, built per lot, subject to rea- children who were displaced
street width, on-street park- sonable restrictions allowed from their neighborhoods
ing and other elements were under HB 2001, may over or even left homeless due to
planned with single homes in time either help to decrease “extreme rent spikes.”
mind. If someone was able to the cost per home or offer
“I heard from parents
start building fourplexes on options which are better afraid to request repairs or
empty lots there instead, it aligned with current needs complain about mold for fear
would in some cases require based on household size,” of receiving a no-cause evic-
tion,” she said.
new infrastructure to accom- wrote the coalition.
The bill passed the Senate
modate the strain.
House Bill 2001 is one
“Who pays for that?” he of several bills introduced on Tuesday by a vote of 17 to
asked.
during the legislative session 11 and was sent to the House.
By JADE MCDOWELL
East Oregonian
NORTON’S WELDING
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Allowing
multi-fam-
ily dwellings in all residen-
tial zones would also impact
long-term planning that cit-
ies already poured time and
money into creating, as it
essentially “quadruples our
buildable land.”
Spencer said he agrees
that communities need to
find solutions to their hous-
ing shortages, but there are
better ways to do so. Herm-
iston, for example, saw an
increase in housing permits
issued last year after mak-
ing several changes, includ-
ing the creation of an infill
program and easing require-
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