SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2017
Partnership from 1A
However, engineering costs
for the project will total
$540,000, and the county’s
cash contribution had previous-
ly been set at only $200,000.
“The county was working
with the city to find solutions
on how to pay for this project,”
Reynolds said. “They proposed
a creative solution to pay both
in cash and with an ‘in lieu of
payment’ transfer of the
Oceanwoods Parcel to the City
of Florence.”
Oceanwoods Parcel, a 40-
acre undeveloped county park
within the City of Florence’s
urban growth boundary, has a
property value of between
$200,000 and $240,000.
Florence Public Works
Director Mike Miller said,
“They would provide the prop-
erty to the city, and the city
would pay that $240,000
towards the project.”
Additional funds for the
project would come from sys-
tem development charges.
The council report contained
some
history
on
the
Oceanwoods property, includ-
ing being passed from state to
county lands and the removal
of a deed restriction that kept
the land designated as a park.
Fundraiser
from 1A
to send off grant applications.
One of the artists that has
been participating in the
Empty Bowls event for the
last decade or so is Vicki
Sieber-Benson. She estimates
that she has thrown and
donated thousands of pots to
the fundraiser.
“I think the Empty Bowl
event is the perfect metaphor
for helping to stop hunger,”
Sieber-Benson said. “We have
many people in our communi-
ty who have jobs and are still
unable to make through the
month with food. If I can do
my part as a potter, I am
“It was at this time that the
county marketed the parcel for
development with an asking
price of $1 million,” the report
read
Lane County Public Works
Director Tim Elsea said it
appraised so high in 2004 since
it was “mistakenly” zoned as
residential.
“The surrounding neighbor-
hoods were very outspoken
against the sale of the property
for development purposes,” the
report continued. “Upon hear-
ing those concerns, the county
has had public meetings dis-
cussing this property with their
Park Committee and has made
a policy decision to respect the
wishes of the residents and pur-
sue an option that keeps the
property as a park and no
longer intends to sell the prop-
erty to a developer.”
Elsea said the county regards
its past interactions with the
residents as a broken trust, and
has since held multiple public
meetings to find out what,
exactly, residents want for the
Oceanwoods property. As such,
the IGA contains wording to
keep the deed restriction in
place.
“The preferred language that
staff is recommending is, ‘con-
veyance of the parcel from
county to city will contain a
happy to help.”
Barton also wants the com-
munity to know that while the
agency has recently received
an infusion of donations, the
need is still there.
“The current state of our
finances is that we have ongo-
ing financial needs,” Barton
said. “The need never stops.
We do not get government or
city funding or any tax related
funding, so we always have a
large need to keep our doors
open. This never ends.”
One of Florence Food
Share’s
most
popular
fundraisers is the annual
MacDuffee Crab Crack. The
event features an all-you-can
eat crab, coleslaw, pasta,
restriction limiting the parcel’s
uses to parks, open space,
wildlife habitat, structures,
roadways and facilities related
to those uses, and any combina-
tion of these uses in perpetu-
ity,’” the staff report stated.
“The county believes the
deed restrictions are fully con-
sistent with the conversations
we’ve had with the residents —
and without a sunset clause.
What this means is that it will
allow for future public uses,
and does not obligate the city to
do anything out there now,”
Elsea said.
Each of the five city coun-
cilors got the chance to ask
Elsea and Lane County
Commissioner Jay Bozievich
questions.
Both councilors Ron Preisler
and Susy Lacer voiced support
for the annexation and system
development at Harbor Vista,
but held reservations about
Oceanwoods.
Preisler said he felt the city
should retain the right to sell
the land or develop it for other
purposes in the future. He also
said that City of Florence resi-
dents would pay for land that
wouldn’t immediately benefit
them.
“I respect that they have their
needs and they want that, but
they are asking our citizens to
pay for that,” he said.
Since Oceanwoods and the
surrounding neighborhoods are
in the city’s urban growth
boundary, the land could even-
tually be developed as a city
park.
Councilor George Lyddon
gave an analogy: “This would
be like planting a fruit tree and
not expecting any fruit for 10-
15 years.”
Staff said some properties
could choose to annex in the
next five years, as they would
gain access to city water and
sewer service, as well as police
services.
Lacer said she also hesitated
to approve the project because
of the Oceanwoods property.
“It comes with not just the
deed restriction,” she said. “It
comes with strings. … There is
a lot of passion from the com-
munity up there. That property,
quite frankly, is coming to the
city with a bit of baggage.”
She said there will be a lot of
work to develop it in any sort of
way, even as an open-use park.
Bozievich advised thinking
of the parcel as an “investment
in the future.”
“You’re purchasing your
future there. You’ve already
made your stake on the area by
putting your urban growth
boundary there,” he said. “Yes,
there’s baggage with the site.
We made a horrible miss-start
when we put forth that draft
version of the Parks Master
Plan saying we were going to
sell it off, without any neigh-
borhood consultation or any-
thing. … This is an opportunity
for the City of Florence to step
in as the white knight, pick up
this property and deal with it
going forward as the new folks.
The county’s baggage will stay
with the county.”
Florence City Council voted
to approve the IGA, with
Preisler as the only opposed
vote.
Bozievich said, “This is
building on a partnership that
has been building between the
city and the county in recent
years. We can add this partner-
ship on to our ReVision
Florence partnership, and our
partnerships with the chamber.
In all this collaboration and
partnership, things are just
moving ahead. This is one little
piece that gets us further down
the road.”
At the end of the evening,
Lyddon spoke about some of
the partnerships he has experi-
enced as a city councilor.
“I have never had so much
fun working with the staff. I
liken them to racehorses: you
turn them loose, let them run
11 A
COURTESY PHOTO
Florence City Councilor
Gorge Lyddon
and off they go. Look at what
we’ve accomplished,” he said.
At that point, he announced
his intent to resign after the
Dec. 18 city council meeting.
Lyddon said he and his wife
have sold their home in
Greentrees Village and plan to
move close to family in Texas.
“We’ve seen what we can
accomplish,” he said. “We’ve
awakened the city, it’s in
motion, and I’m going to miss
the best ride of my life.”
Mayor Joe Henry said, “We
are going to miss you. You’ve
been a great member of the
team. We’ve worked together
to make a lot of things happen.”
Handmade bowls, pottery
and silent auction items
were part of last weekend’s
event.
MARK BRENNAN/SIUSLAW NEWS
dessert and garlic bread.
Unfortunately, the date of
this year’s event is in question
due to a current ban on crab-
bing along the Oregon coast.
This is due to unsafe levels of
domoic acid, a neurotoxin
which is produced by unusu-
ally high algae levels.
“We cannot sell crab crack
tickets until the commercial
crabbing season opens in
Oregon,” Barton said.
She said she is hopeful food
share will be able to offer the
event once state officials have
tested the areas crab and pro-
nounced them fit to eat.
Let Your
Holiday
Shine
Bright!
The Crab Commission will
be testing crab Dec. 7.
“If it passes inspection, we
will begin selling the tickets
on Dec. 8,” Barton said.
Other dates for testing are
also lined up, including Jan.1,
2 and 15.
Florence Food Share also
has an increased need for vol-
unteers this holiday season as
some longtime contributors
have moved or are unable to
help this holiday season.
Barton hopes that interested
community members will
give Ivy Meadow, Volunteer
Coordinator, a call to find out
about the various opportuni-
ties.
Florence Food Share is at
2190 Spruce St. It can be
reached at 541-997-9110.
Join us this season to
brighten our holiday
tree and menorah
with inscribed stars
in memory or honor
of someone special.
e
Nutcracker
A holiday adition for the entire family!
Tuesday, Dec 19 | 7:00 pm
Florence Events Center
eventcenter.org | 541-997-1994
Events Center Box Offi ce
Light Up a Life
Saturday, December 9
2 – 3:30 p.m.
Florence Events Center
Free admission. Refreshments served.
Bring friends and family.
For more information, call
Peace Harbor Hospice at 541-997-3418.
peacehealth.org
PERFORMANCE SPONSORS
