The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current, September 19, 2018, Image 6

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The Blue Mountain eagle., September 19, 2018, Page A6, Image 6

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Newspaper Page TextA6 News Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, September 19, 2018 City to consider rezoning Kam Wah Chung lots Main Street parking space lines could be repainted By Richard Hanners Blue Mountain Eagle The city took another step toward consolidating the lots around the Kam Wah Chung State Heritage Site, as the John Day Planning Commis- sion looked at rezoning the properties at their Sept. 11 meeting. The state Parks and Rec- reation Department is consid- ering acquiring the city park properties that include the Gleason Pool facility as part of a master plan to improve the historical Chinese land- mark for increased tourism. The department’s rezoning request grew out of a variance request to allow a volunteer park host for the Kam Wah Chung site to park an RV on site during the tourist season. City Manager Nick Green John Day Mayor Ron Lundbom The Eagle/Richard Hanners John Day City Manager Nick Green updates the city council about progress toward the city’s economic development goals on Sept. 11. said the lots owned by the state, as well as the city lots the state wants to acquire, are zoned general commercial and residential limited. Both zoning districts prohibit peo- ple from living in RVs outside of a mobile park. Instead of a variance, he suggested rezoning all the lots as park reserve, the same Grant County as the Grant County Fair- grounds. The rezoning would also conform with the Parks and Recreation Department’s plans for the Kam Wah Chung site. Chris Labhart, a volunteer at the historic site, noted that once the properties are zoned park reserve RV parking could be allowed as a conditional use. Currently the volunteer hosts park their RVs at Clyde Holliday State Park, but they would be willing to stay longer if they could park close to the Kam Wah Chung site. Green laid out a timeline for the rezoning process. The planning commission will see the request at their Oct. 23 meeting along with the city’s annexation request for the for- mer Oregon Pine mill site and a property recently acquired from the Hills, he said. At the city council meet- ing following the planning commission meeting, Sherrie Rininger, owner of the down- town store “etc.,” asked the city to consider repainting the yellow and white lines on curbs along Main Street to control parking. Councilor Dave Holland explained that the city stopped repainting the lines a number of years ago because of cost. Rininger said large vehicles were not just taking up more than one parking space but blocking views of her build- ing from passing vehicles. She said she spoke to Public Works Director Monte Legg about the matter, and he told her people don’t obey parking space lines. Councilor Shannon Adair, a part owner of the 1188 Brew- ing pub and restaurant on Main Street, said oversized vehicles parking downtown was a com- mon problem and she support- ed Rininger. Adair noted that she and Rininger have talked about forming a downtown merchants association, which would discuss various down- town issues including parking. Mayor Ron Lundbom not- ed he’s seen pickups with long trailers parked in front of Len’s Drug taking up several spaces. Councilor Brandon Smith, however, wanted to know where oversized vehicles could park in the downtown area. Green said he would see about getting the lines repaint- ed, but any effort to change parking regulations might take more time. Green also updated the council on talks with the state Department of Environmental Quality about a brownfield grant that could be used for as- bestos abatement at the down- town Weaver Building. The city purchased the building in 2017 after discus- sions with downtown mer- chants in order to see it re- stored as a mixed-use building with commercial businesses on the ground floor and res- idential units on the second floor. If awarded the grant, the city could strip the upper floor down to structural framing, which would make it a more attractive investment proper- ty, Green said. The city could then put the property on the market.