SIUSLAW NEWS | SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2020 | 7A
Plans
from 1A
zoned
Low
Density
Residential with a Prime
Wildlife shorelands manage-
ment unit overlay (LDR/
PW).
During the meeting, City
Planning Director Wendy
FarleyCampbell’s presenta-
tion included the informa-
tion required by the city for
proper deliberation of the
proposal.
The concerns discussed
during the meeting included
three issues related to water:
stormwater drainage, poten-
tial flooding and wetland
area impact, in addition to
traffic concerns and a per-
ceived lack of pedestrian
facilities.
The meeting materials
included reports submitted
from Benedick Holdings, as
well as materials from
Florence Public Works
Department, Florence Police
Department, Siuslaw Valley
Fire and Rescue, Western
Lane Ambulance District
EMAC
from 1A
Day observance and procla-
mation.
Titmus reviewed these
standards and mentioned
the COVID-related cancel-
lation of Arbor Day 2020
and the efforts being made
by EMAC to re-engage with
community members in the
coming months.
He also responded indi-
and Lane County Public
Works.
In addition, areas of con-
cern needing response were
listed, with the relevant local
agencies responding by rais-
ing no serious objections to
the annexation.
Public Works Director
Mike Miller even suggested
in his presentation that there
would be added advantages
to others living in the near
the annexation.
“Regarding sanitary sewer
service, the proposed project
will provide opportunities
for other surrounding
homeowners to have city
sanitary sewer service if they
desire,” said Miller. “City
sanitary sewer service is cur-
rently only available to prop-
erties within the city limits.
Properties outside of the city
limits would need to annex
prior to receiving sanitary
sewer service from the city.”
Miller explained that it is
the policy of the City of
Florence to provide sanitary
sewer service to any proper-
ty within the city’s wastewa-
ter service area.
“However, the property
owners are to pay for sewer
main extension, manholes,
pump stations, construction,
connection fees, engineering
fees, street opening permits
and any other fees necessary
for the connection to the
public sewer system for the
project,” he added.
The public hearing on
this issue was then closed,
with the written record left
open for the addition of
materials through Nov. 24.
The motion was made by
Commissioner Brian Jagoe
and passed unanimously by
the Planning Commission.
On Dec. 8, at 5:30 p.m.,
the Planning Committee
will continue deliberations
on Farthing’s request, on
behalf of Benedick Holdings,
LCC, to annex the 48-acre of
property and apply a City of
Florence zoning designation
to the land.
During the remainder of
the evening, the second item
was a request for a post-
ponement of a public hear-
ing from Driftwood Shores
regarding an architectural
variance for a storage build-
ing.
That request was also
passed, without discussion.
Two days later, the
Florence Transportation
Committee meeting on Nov.
12 was brief. It was primarily
a review of the final draft of
the group’s workplan that
was then presented to the
city council this past
Monday.
The
Transportation
Committee is responsible
for advising the city council
on issues related to vehicu-
lar, bike and pedestrian traf-
fic, public and private transit
and air traffic at the Florence
Municipal Airport.
The
Transportation
Committee memorandum
to the city discussed the
overall area transit plan,
which highlighted public
transportation.
“As ridership on the
Rhody Express continues to
rise, the introduction of the
Florence–Eugene bus route
is on its way to being estab-
lished in spite of COVID-19,
along with the introduction
of a new transit system from
Coos Bay to Florence,” the
committee said in its memo
to
the
city.
“The
Transportation Committee’s
work regarding public trans-
portation efforts in the city
are as important as ever.
Most recently, the commit-
tee was informed that the
Lane
Council
of
Governments was also
awarded a Transportation
Growth Management Grant,
which could facilitate better
connectivity to towns and
cities within Lane County
and other counties as well.”
Josh Haring, owner of
River City Taxi, which man-
ages the Rhody Express,
added that the possibility
exists of a new vehicle being
added to Rhody Express
routes due to the continued
use of the service, projecting
a new bus may be available
in 2021.
Discussion of the new
wireless connections at the
Florence Municipal Airport
(FMA) was brought to the
attention of the committee
by member Terry Tomeny, a
pilot that is involved with
many
aviation-related
aspects of the transportation
equation in the area.
Tomeny asked for clarifi-
cation of the wireless access
procedures for the airport
and reviewed the related
requests in the workplan,
which included an update
on recent improvements to
the runways and lighting
systems at the airport.
There were few changes
suggested by members to the
workplan, which was then
submitted to the council.
The
next
Planning
Commission meeting is
scheduled for Nov. 24 at 5:30
p.m. The next meeting of the
Transportation Committee
is Dec. 10, beginning at 2:30
p.m. For more information
on these and other City of
Florence committees, visit
w w w. c i . f l o r e n c e . o r. u s /
boardsandcommissions.
rectly to the suggestion that
the designation was primar-
ily one that was geared to-
wards the beauty and visual
appeal of trees, suggesting
there is a deeper component
to the effort.
“It’s not just the aesthet-
ics, talking about the desig-
nation itself,” Titmus said.
“The Arbor Day Foundation
is very much engaged in
doing this for the environ-
mental concerns. They have
a program now to plant a
certain number of trees, and
in the State of Oregon, it is
about 183,000 trees that they
would like to get planted this
year.”
Florence is one of more
than 3,400 municipali-
ties across America that
has been designated a Tree
City USA by the Arbor Day
Foundation, with support
from the U.S. Forest Service
and the National Association
of Foresters.
EMAC member Sherrie
Harvey also recapped the
goal and brief history of the
tree program and pointed
towards some small steps
that could now be taken to
— at least partially — turn
the public’s attention toward
its leafy neighbors.
“The original purpose of
the was to engage the com-
munity, and then COVID
happened and that basical-
ly shut down people taking
pictures,” Harvey said. “We
can now do a drive about
posting pictures where you
are indeed planting a tree
and doing something more
aligned with the goals of the
Tree Board.”
Arbor Day Foundation
Chief Executive Matt Harris
has said the designation is
important for a number of
reasons.
“Everyone benefits when
elected officials, volunteers
and committed citizens in
communities like Florence
make smart investments
in urban forests,” he said.
“Trees bring shade to our
homes and beauty to our
neighborhoods, along with
numerous economic, social
and environmental benefits.
Trees are assets to a commu-
nity when properly planted
and maintained. They help
to improve the visual appeal
of a neighborhood, increase
property values, reduce
home cooling costs, remove
air pollutants and provide
wildlife habitat — among
many other benefits.”
Florence City Council-
or Ron Preisler, as council
ex-officio
representative,
also reported this would
be his last EMAC meeting,
since the December meeting
of the committee has been
cancelled. He thanked fellow
members for their time and
commitment to the com-
munity and for their work
crafting the application and
accompanying requirements
to become a Tree City. He
also thanked them for the
many issues EMAC has been
involved with during his ten-
ure on the committee.
The next EMAC meeting
will be in January, but the
date is unscheduled at this
time. For more information,
visit www.ci.florence.or.us/
bc-emac.
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