SIUSLAW NEWS | SATURDAY, AUGUST 29, 2020 | 9A
PLANNING from page 1A
The most extensive of
the projects under consid-
eration was presented as
Resolution PC 20 07 PUD
01 – Preliminary Planned
Unit Development (PUD)
and Resolution PC 20 08
SUB 01 – Tentative Subdi-
vision (SUB) Plat.
The applications were
submitted to the commis-
sion by Mercedes Serra
from 3J Consulting, on
behalf of APIC Florence
Holdings, LLC. Serra at-
tended the meeting and
was responsive to the con-
cerns raised by local resi-
dents. She also addressed
some of the points raised
in staff reports.
The resolution states the
applicant plans on building
31 detached single-family
residences, 49 single-fami-
ly attached residences and
46 multi-family units at the
northeast intersection of
Rhododendron Drive and
35th Street. Amenities will
include a pavilion, picnic
areas, seating, a children’s
play area, walking trails,
dog park, pocket gardens,
private internal drive and
alleyways.
The location is zoned
Mobile/Manufac tured
Home Residential District
(RMH) and is regulated by
Florence City Code Title
10, Chapter 10.
There were a number of
issues highlighted in both
public testimony provided
to commissioners and staff
reports. Among those that
trouble local residents are
increased traffic, stormwa-
ter runoff and overall qual-
ity of life issues associated
with the expected increase
in residents and traffic.
One of the studies con-
ducted was a traffic impact
analysis done by Kittelson
and Associates, a trans-
portation consulting firm
based in Portland.
The study was conduct-
ed in December 2019 and
counts were taken during
morning and evening drive
times and stated the fol-
lowing:
“A trip distribution pat-
tern was developed for the
proposed
development
based on existing traffic
patterns and the location
of major trip origins and
destinations in the Flor-
ence area.”
“The proposed develop-
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ment is estimated to gen-
erate approximately 1,077
net new weekday daily
trips, with 75 net new trips
(18 in, 57 out) occurring
during the weekday AM
peak hour and 93 net new
trips (59 in, 34 out) occur-
ring during the weekday
PM peak hour.”
This evaluation was
central to the later deci-
sion by commissioners to
delay any decision on the
approval of the applica-
tion until the commission’s
Sept. 8 meeting.
The sentiments ex-
pressed in the following
letters opposing the proj-
ect are examples of the
concerns of some local
residents. There were more
comments submitted that
were opposed to the proj-
ect, in its current form,
than were in support.
“Currently, the wait to
turn left onto Rhododen-
dron Drive from West-
bound 35th St. is taking
longer and longer,” wrote
Alan Matisoff. “The addi-
tion of the new proposed
dense community will
make that wait even longer
and … very unsafe for cars,
bicycles and pedestrians. I
would hope that the City
of Florence has already
had Traffic Engineers look
closely at this plan and
make some recommenda-
tions. I do not think this
new community plan can
be granted approval until
all these issues have been
resolved.”
Tom and Karen Wilson’s
comments said, “Traffic on
Rhododendron is already
bad and 35th Street is the
only access to Highway 101
for several miles in either
direction. This requires
everyone living north or
south of 35th Street to pass
by this area to get to High-
way 101. Keeping in mind
that Fairway Estates will be
adding 80 new homes and
now 136 homes from this
new project. Traffic would
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increase considerably on
Rhododendron and 35th
Street. This area is current-
ly plagued by traffic acci-
dents, due mainly to the
amount of traffic, speed
and the lack of a turning
lane onto Coast Guard
Road. …”
The Wilsons also com-
mented on water drainage
and requested an environ-
mental impact study be
conducted, along with an-
other traffic impact analy-
sis.
The next letter brought
up the possible problems
with a forced evacuation in
the future.
Richard and Elenor
Sullivan talked about the
monthly earthquake/tsu-
nami warning siren and its
importance to safety.
“However, our safety is
thrown out of the window
with the development of
the planned construction
of 126 homes at Rhodo-
dendron and 35th Street.
… When the siren goes
off FOR REAL due to a
natural disaster, the im-
pact of evacuation onto
Rhododendron in only a
quarter of a mile north of
35th Street is going to be
phenomenal,” the couple
wrote.
The issue of stormwa-
ter discussed at length by
Florence Public Works
Director Mike Miller, who
re-informed the commis-
sioners and the public that
there was no city capacity
for additional stormwater
drainage.
This is an issue which
the applicant was aware of,
but Miller added an up-
date.
“As the comments start-
ed coming in and the con-
cerns, especially from Sea-
watch Estates, I elected to
have GSI Water Solutions
do another review of the
stormwater management
system, just to address
some of the issues that
were raised,” Miller said
“There are a number of
factors, not just groundwa-
ter, that may be effected. ...
There are other factors go-
ing on too.”
The commission then re-
quested that the applicant
review the submitted pro-
posal and update the com-
mission on the reworked
plan requested by staff.
Among the many details
that remain to be clarified
before approval can be
granted to move forward
on the development were
comments from of Siuslaw
Valley Fire and Rescue Fire
Marshal Tony Miller.
“During the discussion
process, SVFR requested
two additional hydrants
(not notated on the plans
presented at the time),”
Miller said. “It appears
the hydrant located on the
west side of Rhododen-
dron Drive was counted
as one of the additional
hydrants required for fire
suppression or not added
to the plans presented. The
hydrant on the west side
cannot be utilized in the
count for this project.”
This was added to the
changes requested by city
staff that will have to be
addressed by the applicant.
On the plus side, there
were also a number of
high-profile
endorse-
ments for the 35th Street
PUD. This included strong
support from Mike Har-
klerode, president of the
Florence Habitat for Hu-
manity Board of Directors.
“Due to the high ‘liva-
bility’ of our community,
Florence has a robust mar-
ket for homes at the upper
end of the affordability
scale. We also benefit from
multiple subsidized hous-
ing developments. What
is missing is an oppor-
tunity for those entering
the middle class to gain a
foothold on the American
dream by securing a home
in which to live while pur-
suing greater fortunes,”
Harklerode wrote. “This
development has the full
support of our board of di-
rectors and we encourage
City of Florence leadership
to pursue this venture with
vigor and expedience. If
Habitat can be of any sup-
port, please let us know.
We are eager to support
projects and policies that
increase the availability of
affordable housing in our
community.”
Siuslaw School District
Superintendent Andy Grz-
eskowiak stated the follow-
ing in his letter of support:
“In my position with the
Siuslaw School District, I
regularly see the impact
of insufficient workforce
and affordable housing in
the local area. Each year
students and their fami-
lies struggle finding avail-
able housing. This stress
creates an uneven playing
field for students. Without
adequate housing, these
students struggle to have
a regular place outside of
school to continue their
learning at home. There is
a direct relationship to ac-
ademic success and a stable
home environment. Each
year the school district
loses students as working
families move to other ar-
eas with more housing op-
tions.”
Ultimately it was decid-
ed that the amount of in-
formation presented, and
the detail contained in
that information, required
more time for commis-
sioners to read and con-
sider before a vote could
be taken. The commission
decided to move the date
for further consideration
of the application.
“I would like Mercedes
to get all of her recommen-
dations and changes for
approval to staff and then
staff can answer those and
make recommendations
for our Sept. 8 meeting,”
Murphey said. “I would
like the applicant to up-
date the stormwater runoff
management plan, so it is
acceptable to the City of
Florence.”
The chairman then
made a motion to move
final consideration of the
application to Sept. 8,
which was seconded and
approved unanimously.
The second resolution
considered was an exten-
sion request filed by Archi-
tect Daniel Klute on behalf
of Charles McCade, MD,
of the Cannery Station De-
velopment for two applica-
tions currently pending.
The project’s proposed
transitional cottages are
located in the southeast-
ern quadrant of Lot 2 of
the Cannery Station De-
velopment located south of
Munsel Lake Road., north
of the Baptist Church,
east of Fred Meyer and
Highway 101 and west of
Florentine Estates, in the
North Commercial Dis-
trict regulated by Florence
City Code Title 10, Chap-
ter 30.
Huber-Heidorn
re-
capped the development
timeline for the Cannery
Station project. After a
brief discussion, a request
for an extension was ap-
proved by the commission.
The last item discussed
and decided was an appli-
cation for a conditional use
permit.
The application was filed
by Rosa Cazares and the
property, located at 470
Highway 101, is owned by
Aaron Mitchell.
City Planner Hailey
Sheldon presented the staff
report on the proposal and
the commissioners had few
questions for the applicant
or staff. The application
was approved with condi-
tions which were agreed
upon, with only Commis-
sioner Brian Jagoe dissent-
ing.
During the meeting, the
Planning Commission also
recognized the retirement
of Planning Department
employee Vevie McPher-
ren and introduced Aleia
Bailey as an interim mem-
ber of the department.
For more information,
and to review the meeting’s
packets and agenda, visit
ci.florence.or.us.
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