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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 2, 2020)
NEWS MyEagleNews.com Wednesday, December 2, 2020 A5 Planning commission approves County postpones adoption site design for Hill Family Park of new flood ordinance Court allocates COVID-19 relief funds to complete fairgrounds pavilion renovation New park to provide riverfront access in John Day By Rudy Diaz Blue Mountain Eagle The Hill Family Park project in John Day is moving forward. The city planning commis- sion approved the design for a park that will provide the pub- lic with easier access to the John Day River Nov. 18. John Day City Manager Nick Green said the city plans to use the Hill Family Park as a river- front park. “We do not have anywhere in the city where the public can access the John Day River,” Green said. He said the only location to access the river is near the Grant County Fairgrounds, but it is not developed or designed for access by a large group of people. The Type III site design review application states the park plans include picnic and recreation areas, trails, a pedes- trian bridge, a public restroom and a parking area with ADA parking spaces. The parking area, restrooms and picnic area are on the left side of the new cul-de-sac at the northern end of Northwest Can- ton Street, heading toward the John Day River. Green said there will two parking locations with one on the south side of the river near the cul-de-sac and at the north side of the river near Bridge Street. A trail system will be running between the Hill Family Park and the Seventh Street Com- plex. The majority of the devel- opment is on property owned by the city with the exception of an adjustment that would need to take place to connect the trails. Green said the horizontal improvements, which include utilities and groundwork, are funded and construction-ready once the planning commission By Steven Mitchell Blue Mountain Eagle Grant County Court moved to push out voting on the county’s flood ordinance until the first part of the new year. According to county Planning Director Shannon Springer, the flood ordinance is not new and is required for the county to participate in the National Flood Insurance Program. She said the county adopted an ordi- nance in the mid-1980s and began partic- ipating in the flood program in the 1970s. She said, since then, the Federal Emer- gency Management Agency remapped the county’s flood zones and included proper- ties that were previously not a part of the flood zones. Landowner Alec Oliver, whose prop- erty is in the remapped flood zone, is con- cerned about new regulations and what it would mean for agricultural operations. One of Oliver’s biggest concerns, said Springer, is that flood zones go east to the highway, according to the new mapping. He said he is concerned about how much further the government will go with its regulations. “My fear is, it might not be a fair exam- ple, but the current situation we’re in right now with COVID, where we have a gov- ernment that’s trying to limit the number of people at our dining room table, this just gives another foot in the door to limit what kind of property rights I have based The Eagle/Rudy Diaz The first cul-de-sac in John Day on the northern end of Northwest Can- ton Street will be near parking for the new Hill Family Park, which will provide access to the John Day River. Eagle file photo Liz Aleman approves the site plans, but the next step is to order the bike pedestrian bridge to be placed across the John Day River. The city’s future plan is to work with a community group to determine what amenities to include. “At this stage we’re trying to make sure we have adequate access to the site and facilities,” Green said. Planning Commission mem- ber Liz Aleman asked if motor- ized access is anticipated for the trail. Green said the intent is to not make it open for ATVs and vehicles other than lawn mowers and maintenance vehicles. The John Day-Canyon City Parks and Recreation District has been a part of the planning pro- cess, but maintenance will be done by the city staff at the start. The Planning Commission also approved a site design application for the development of 12 one-acre parcels located between the U.S. Forest Service office building and Valley View Assisted Living. The parcels are from a pur- chase the city approved in the summer, which included 14 acres near the Innovation Gate- way site and the right of way from Iron Triangle. The city conducted environ- mental remediation, site charac- terization and abatement to open it up for future commercial and industrial development, accord- ing to Green. The yellow shop building on site remained while the other two buildings were demolished to make room for the right-of- way between Patterson Bridge Road and the future Valley View Drive. Once the city receives the approval needed to move for- ward, the city will proceed with development, and each lot will be on the market for sale at fair market value. on based on a map on how I go in and manage my land and take care of my land that we’ve been taking care of for the last 140, 130 years,” he said. Oliver’s other con- Shannon cern is that it does not Springer address rural differences. Rural and ag practices would be subject to permits and licenses. County Commissioner Jim Ham- sher asked about the possibility of an ag exemption. Springer said she was not sure if there was that type of “mechanism” within the policy, but she would follow up. In other Grant County news: • The county court voted to allocate $33,480 in COVID-19 relief funds to the fairgrounds to complete flooring at Trow- bridge Pavilion. Hamsher said, had the county com- pleted the renovation, the fairgrounds could have been used as an Emergency Operations Center and could be used as a vaccination center in the future. • Community Counseling Solutions CEO Kimberly Lindsay said the commu- nity “overwhelmingly” supported tran- sitioning Juniper Ridge from an acute psychiatric facility and into a secure resi- dential facility. Next year, Lindsay said, Juniper Ridge will begin taking patients who have been downgraded from acute psychiatric care from the Oregon State Hospital in Junc- tion City. She said the funding to update the facil- ity to a secure residential treatment facility would be from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, which must be spent by the end of the year. Hoodenpyl named Marine of the Quarter Blue Mountain Eagle United States Marine Cpl. Jesse Daniel Hoodenpyl of Kimberly was named Marine of the Quarter this summer as lance corporal and has since been promoted to corporal. He is stationed in Okinawa. COPS AND COURTS Arrests and citations in the Blue Mountain Eagle are taken from the logs of law enforcement agencies. Every effort is made to report the court disposition of arrest cases. Grant County Circuit Court Two counts of harassment against Jacob M. Derosier of John Day allegedly committed Aug. 22 were dismissed Nov. 25 based on a motion by Dis- trict Attorney Jim Carpenter stating the victim recanted and is hostile to the state, actively supporting the defendant. Tyler A. Smith of John Day pleaded no contest Nov. 25 to a charge of driving under the influence of intoxicants allegedly committed Oct. 11. He entered a diversion agree- ment. A charge of refusal to take a test for intoxicants was dismissed. Grant County Sheriff The Grant County Sheriff’s Office reported the following for the week of Nov. 25: Concealed handgun licenses: 8 Average inmates: 13 Bookings: 4 Releases: 8 Arrests: 1 Citations: 0 Fingerprints: 1 Civil papers: 11 Warrants processed: 13 Assistance/Welfare check: 0 Search and Rescue: 4 Oregon State Police Nov. 22: A fish and wild- life trooper received a call about a doe mule deer shot on Forest Service Road 1601. The reporting party observed three vehicles in the area but did not record the license plates. The reporting party retrieved and field dressed the animal. The trooper skinned the deer and took it for processing for donation to the food bank. Nov. 26: A driver travel- ing west on Highway 26 near milepost 182 lost control on slick roads and slid into the guardrail on the south side of the highway, spinning around and sliding across into the snow on the north side. The driver was uninjured. Nov. 26: Oregon Depart- ment of Transportation reported a vehicle versus elk crash on Highway 19 near milepost 105. A tow truck was already en route. A trooper dispatched the cow elk. Nov. 26: A trooper stopped a pickup for a traffic violation in Prairie City. The driver, Thomas E. Pfeifer, 51, Prairie City, was misde- meanor suspended for a driv- ing under the influence of intoxicants conviction and lacked proof of insurance. Due to COVID-19 restric- tions at the jail, Pfeifer was cited and released for driv- ing while suspended and uninsured. The vehicle was released to a licensed driver. Nov. 28: A trooper cited Wesley Burke, 26, John Day, for failure to appear on a warrant for a traffic offense. Dispatch John Day dispatch worked 117 calls during the week of Nov. 23-29, including: • John Day Police Department Nov. 23: Responded to a theft report on West Main Street. Nov. 23: Responded to assist Blue Mountain Hos- pital with a person who was trespassing. Nov. 23: Responded with Grant County Sheriff’s Office to a report of a suicidal person. Nov. 26: Responded to an unattended death on Charolais. Nov. 26: Responded to a hit and run on Main Street. • Oregon State Police Nov. 23: Advised of a pos- sible drunk driver on Highway 395B. Nov. 24: Advised of a black cow on Highway 395. Nov. 26: Advised of an injured deer on Highway 26. Nov. 29: Advised of an injured deer on Highway 26 near Dayville. • Grant County Sheriff’s Office Nov. 25: Responded to a noninjury crash on West Bench Road. Nov. 27: Responded to a noninjury crash on County Road 52. Nov. 29: Responded to a report of criminal mischief on Vester Creek Road. • John Day ambulance Nov. 23: Responded for a 61-year-old woman on North Johnson Street. Nov. 25: Responded for a woman with severe vomiting on Northwest Charolais. Nov. 26: Responded for a man with heart issues. Nov. 26: Responded with Prairie City fire to a single-ve- hicle crash on Highway 26. Nov. 28: Responded for a 58-year-old man with shallow breathing. Nov. 28: Responded for an 82-year-old woman with nau- sea and weakness on South McCallum Avenue. Nov. 29: Responded for a 90-year-old woman with trou- ble breathing on East Ninth Street. Nov. 29: Responded for a 32-year-old man who was not breathing on Cottonwood Street. Nov. 29: Responded for a 54-year-old woman on West Main Street. • Long Creek ambulance Nov. 23: Responded with John Day ambulance to a report of a woman with severe bleeding on Main Street. • Monument ambulance Nov. 23: Responded with John Day ambulance for a 70-year-old man with confusion and paralysis. Nov. 29: Responded with John Day ambulance for a 72-year-old man with chest pain on Highway 402. • John Day fire Nov. 23: Responded to a smoke investigation on South- west Fifth Avenue. Nov. 23: Responded to an unfounded grass fire report. • John Day Public Works Nov. 28: Responded to a report of a rockslide on South Canyon Boulevard. IS YOUR MEDICARE PLAN ENDING? S216347-1 Losing your plan is a great “guaranteed issue” opportunity for you! 137 E. Main St., John Day • 541-575-1637 Donna Steele Call me for a FREE, no-obligation review to help with your options to keep you covered in 2021! 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