S ERVING THE COMMUNITIES OF C OTTAGE G ROVE , C RESWELL , D ORENA , D RAIN , E LKTON , L ORANE AND Y ONCALLA
C ottage G rove
WEDNESDAY EDITION | NOVEMBER 24, 2021 | $1.00
S entinel
VOL. 132, NO. 47 •
Est. 1889
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Residents petition for better downtown access
By Damien Sherwood
dsherwood
@cgsentinel.com
(541) 942-0555
WEATHER
Mostly cloudy with a
high of 51 and a low
tonight of 38
Full forecast on A5
COLUMNIST
Rayme Epperson wants to
see some changes downtown
and has gathered 106 signa-
tures to back her up.
Epperson, owner of down-
town business Salon Five14,
said she has witnessed a
significant portion of her
mobility-impaired clientele
hindered by a lack of acces-
sibility. Though she tried to
reserve parking in front of her
Main Street business for these
clientele, she was told by the
City of Cottage Grove it was
not allowed.
So, with dozens of names
on an informal petition in
hand, Epperson proposed
to the city that ADA
(Americans with Disability
Act) parking be constructed
downtown, though she has
also said she would settle
for anything that improved
accessibility for those who
are mobility-challenged.
“It would be nice to have
some kind of concrete ramp
or semi-circle to eliminate
that giant step up on the
curb — not a blockade like
in front of the eateries that
are supposed to be removed
for winter,” she said, referring
to the “streeteries” installed
in downtown parking spaces
this year.
However, Epperson said the
city’s response to her parking
space request has been an un-
compromising rejection.
Several city staff have told
The Sentinel, too, that meet-
ing ADA standards for a park-
ing space in particular would
be difficult or impossible on
Main Street simply because of
space requirements.
“Physically, there’s just no
way we could take that one
spot and build a space,” said
Public Works and Develop-
ment Director Faye Stewart,
referring to ADA parking.
“Just the physical constraints
that we have to deal with and
the rules around ADA park-
ing spaces. I’ve been told it’s
impossible to build some-
thing there site-specific under
the conditions we have today.”
One reason for the physi-
cal constraints is the slope of
Main Street itself, which has
a noticeably high crown at
its center. Curbs downtown
are notoriously high as well,
which is both a hindrance for
the mobility-impaired and
engineers seeking solutions.
“But in a rebuild job, it
might be something that
could be considered,” Stewart
added.
Several locals have testified
to the need for that consider-
ation to take place.
Resident Fonda Norris said
she is “moderately handi-
capped,” and uses a walker or
wheelchair for safety purpos-
es when she is out and about.
“I very rarely go to down-
town Cottage Grove because
of accessibility,” she said.
“[There is] not nearly enough
handicapped parking and if
DAMIEN SHERWOOD/COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL
Downtown curbs on Main Street can be prohibitively
high for some residents with mobility issues.
there is a spot available, it is
usually too far from where I
need to go, so then I need to
use the handicapped corners
or try to get up on a curb.”
She also said the corners
Farmers market makes winter stand
Mary Ellen
Pet Tips ‘n’ Tales
A5
SPORTS & REC
themselves are hard to use
because they are not aligned
properly with the sidewalks.
“If I am in a wheelchair
See PARKING 3A
CG to
receive
bridge
beams
By Damien Sherwood
dsherwood
@cgsentinel.com
nut Avenue from another
property that is zoned R2.
City staff determined that
the rezoning of Nordin’s
land to RC would be con-
sistent with other zoning in
the neighborhood.
Nordin’s plan involves
making residential space
for “perhaps 12 or 14 indi-
viduals” rather than hous-
ing just the land’s single
occupant.
Using a co-housing
model, Nordin proposes
encouraging an ownership
stake in the property with
holders given the ability to
sell that stake.
The plan also propos-
es construction with a
net-zero energy approach,
After rounding the new
year, Cottage Grove is due
to collect 11 free bridge
beams from the Oregon
Department of Transporta-
tion (ODOT).
“We’re excited by that in
multiple ways,” said City
Manager Richard Meyers
on KNND’s Beeper Show
on Monday.
The 115-foot-long beams
will be used for the city’s up-
coming Cleveland Bridge
project, though there is still
not a date set for the project
to begin.
“We don’t know when
we’re going to be building
this,” said Meyers. “It could
be next year. It could be
three or five or 10 years, but
ODOT needs to get these
beams that they use for the
temporary structures off
the property that they’re
stored on right now.”
The beams were used for
the I-5 bridge crossing of
the Willamette River be-
tween Springfield and Eu-
gene. There are reportedly
hundreds of these beams
ready to be given away.
Cottage Grove city engi-
neers evaluated the beams
and confirmed that they
would work perfectly for
the city’s planned project.
They can also be stored for
long periods without corro-
sion.
“So it’s a huge, huge ad-
vantage for us to get these.
And they’re free,” said
Meyers, estimating that
the beams would normally
See ZONE 3A
See BEAMS 3A
Basketball returns
for Creswell, CG
B1
DAMIEN SHERWOOD/COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL
The South Valley Farmers Market held one of its winter events on Nov. 20 at the Covered Bridge Brewing
Group. The next (and last) winter market of the season will be held Dec. 11 at the same location from 11 – 3
p.m. (See A6 for the full story.)
• RECORDS
Obituaries
Official releases
A2
• LORANE NEWS
A5
• CLASSIFIEDS
Listings and public
notices
B5-B6
follow us for the
latest news:
/CGSentinel
@CGSentinel
Planning Commission rejects zone change
recommendation to city council
By Damien Sherwood
dsherwood
@cgsentinel.com
541- 942-3325 ph • 541-942-3328 fax
P.O. Box 35, Cottage Grove, OR 97424
In a rare move, the Cot-
tage Grove Planning Com-
mission last Wednesday
(Nov. 10) voted against a
city staff recommendation
that the commission rec-
ommend a zone change re-
quest to city council.
An application from
landowner Don Nordin
to rezone land at 1142
Chestnut Ave. from R1
to RC (Residential Com-
mercial) prompted public
discussion at the planning
commission meeting and
concerned some in the
neighborhood.
It was ultimately deter-
mined through the discus-
sion that Nordin’s housing
plans could move forward
without the zone change.
“I think we would rath-
er ensure it comes back so
we have community input,
especially since it doesn’t
preclude him from doing
what he says he wants to
do,” said Commissioner
Darby Valley regarding the
decision to vote against the
recommendation.
Valley also referenced
a zone change of the old
Harrison
Elementary
School from R1 to R2 pass-
ing through the commis-
sion with little resistance in
2019. In that case, the land
ended up not being used
in the way the commission
expected it to, he said.
Nordin laid out a unique
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plan for his land for the
commission.
“In response to a com-
munity need for more af-
fordable housing and at
the direction of HB 2001
from our legislature to ad-
dress the need for ‘middle
housing’, I am requesting
a change from the R1 zon-
ing on my property … to
RC residential commer-
cial to allow for a phased
construction of a duplex
and cottage cluster with
an associated opportuni-
ty space, utility shed, and
great room,” stated Nordin
in his request to the com-
mission.
The property abuts an-
other property across L
Street that is already zoned
RC and is across Chest-
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80408 Delight Valley School Road
Cottage Grove, OR 97424
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