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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 30, 2017)
SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2017 Scout from 1A According to Isaac’s father, Rob Griffes, Isaac decided to take on the project. “The park had a need for the sta- tion because their boat rental was frequently asked to lend life jackets to swimmers in the swim area. But since the boat rental life jackets were designated for the use of boaters, they could not loan out the jackets. The solution was to install a separate life jacket loaner sta- tion,” Rob said. Warren and Isaac identified three locations for a station, with a desire for two stations at two Woahink Lake and one at the swim area at Cleawox. To make the project manageable as an Eagle Project, Rob said they decided to focus efforts on a single station at Cleawox, which sees heavier use by park users than the other two sites. Isaac worked with Warren to create several design concepts before settling on the current sim- ple, yet effective design. He was involved in the work from concept to installation. Isaac also organized and led a group of Scouts through the three phases of the installation. The first phase was site prepara- tion as the troop mixed and poured concrete and installed brackets. The second phase involved installing the uprights, cross pieces and hooks. The final phase was installing two signs on the “Life Jacket Loaner Station,” one depicting proper use, and both featuring Housing English and Spanish. The work was completed on Sept. 24. Troop 777 Commissioner Frank Dietz said, “Isaac’s project is not only important for his Eagle Scout badge but also for the community. His project was designed specifi- cally for Honeyman in order to directly provide a service for the community.” Dietz has been involved with the BSA for more than two decades and feels the training received by Scouts is more important now than ever, particularly in the light of recent natural disasters across the country. “Scouting teaches young men to become productive citizens,” Dietz said. “It gives them values, shows them what is important and teaches them respect for their surround- ings. “Most importantly, it teaches youth to be prepared for almost anything. Scouts and scouting par- ents across the country have a dis- aster plan, and they are ready to implement it, in case of an emer- gency.” Dietz said Eagle Scout candi- dates must undergo years of work and dedication to achieve that rank. In the process, they make important contributions to their community. “Scouting provides the best set of values for today’s world. Having the designation of Eagle Scout on your resume is a benefit for your whole life, and Isaac is a good example of the dedication and determination needed to suc- ceed, not only in Scouting, but for the rest of his life,” Dietz said. from 1A buy and develop; plans for exist- ing vacant lots and empty hous- es; and options for more multi- family units. In addition, FarleyCampbell said there is a mismatch between households of certain incomes and rental housing for their price range. Housing should only cost 30 percent of a family’s income. A chart from Oregon Housing and Community Services showed that in 2015, there were not enough housing options for each income bracket. This caused the households with the highest incomes to rent or buy units easily within their means while lower household incomes struggled to find homes in their income bracket, often renting beyond their means. “Lane County is among the few areas in Oregon west of the Cascades that is in this situation. We have 31 to 38 percent of our renters that are paying more than 50 percent of their income for rent,” FarleyCampbell said. “There are a lot of outlying, rural areas where there are low paying jobs and high rent because of the lack of housing.” HEOP member and local real estate broker Stephen Earnshaw detailed the state of the real estate market since 2000. “Over the last few years, we’ve had an incredibly dynam- ic housing market,” he said. Median prices for housing stayed relatively steady at $100,000 from 2000 to 2003, but an August 2004 article by USA Today named Florence as the best place to retire in America, causing both home sales and the median price to rise. Economic trends such as the market crash in 2008 caused a decline in home sales, but the subsequent years of recovery show people began buying homes again. Using the National Association of Realtors’ Housing Affordability Index, Earnshaw said homes in Florence were affordable in 2012, and that median house- hold incomes of $35,700 could afford to buy at that rate. “Now, the median priced home has increased to $234,000, but the median income of $35,700 has not increased,” Earnshaw said. Families earning the same amount have seen their income’s value compress as housing rates continue to rise. “We have been in crisis for the last five to six years, since home prices have recovered with the crash,” Earnshaw said. “As we continue to recover, home ownership is well beyond younger families and first-time homeowners’ grasp.” FarleyCampbell said the pri- vate sector is working on ways to aid the rural housing crisis, but the public sector also has options. “The city does have goals and tasks to address these issues,” she said. The first step was forming T he HEOP and implementing its sur- vey. Studies, FarleyCampbell said, are one way agencies can effect policy change “to make housing affordable, safe and fit so people can move within their rent and ownership areas.” The second step is to provide resources for public financing at the local, state and federal level. FarleyCampbell said this is already happening in other areas as agencies create programs to help people buy and developers build homes. The third step is to analyze current development costs and the permitting process. The fourth step is to create density bonuses for developers creating multi-family apartment units, duplexes, triplexes and park communities. The fifth step is to implement code changes. FarleyCampbell said City of Florence’s commercial and development codes have been updated since 2010, but others need to be brought up to at least the state level. “We know we have some work we have to do on our code,” she said. “Our residential codes are from the 1980s, at the earliest. Housing has changed a lot since then.” Some of the code changes will encourage more than just the single-family, unattached buildings favored in the 1980s as need increases for multi-fam- ily dwelling. FarleyCampbell called this “diversification in the housing O N M A P L E Hoberg’s Fall is here! Complete Auto Repair Chick en Coop 7 A stock.” “Housing is expensive and land is expensive,” she said. “We need smaller units and smaller parcels. There are types of development that could fit with that.” The city may also decide to rezone certain areas of town and increase height allowances so more buildings can exceed the current 28-foot height limit, which currently keeps buildings at or under two stories tall. “The city (did this) study to hopefully effect some code changes and policy implementa- tion to make housing affordable to build, rent and develop,” FarleyCampbell said. “It’s going to help business owners bring and retain employees because they would have a place to rent that is safe, clean and healthy, and have more options to buy.” HEOP’s survey is the first survey on housing that Florence has undertaken since 2002. People who wish to hear the results of the survey or give additional feedback should attend the Oct. 10 workshop at the Florence Events Center. During the combination open house and discussion, consult- ants will present the preliminary results of the study before break- ing into small groups to evaluate the project’s next steps. “We hope that you’ll take an opportunity to join in the com- munity conversation on creating affordable housing in Florence for all,” FarleyCampbell said. For more information, visit ci.florence.or.us. Cel e 70 brati Yea ng rs! www.hobergsautorepair.com The Chicken Coop is ready for all your Fall decorating! W E HAVE P UMPKINS , G ARLANDS , O RNAMENTS , F ALL S IGNS AND MUCH MORE ! 1256 Bay Street P.O. Box 1487 Ph. 541.997.3423 129 Maple Street , Old Town Florence Fax. 541.997.8749 541-991-7739 myfl orencedds.com 345 Hwy. 101 • P.O. 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