14A • February 27, 2015 | Cannon Beach Gazette | cannonbeachgazette.com
Planning decision draws fi re
Council from Page 1A
gives the council greater a 15,000-square-foot “Mc- acted with “disbelief” and
freedom to approve build- Mansion” out of character “shock,” said Jeff Harrison,
Nicholson, a Portland ing projects on land with with the style and scale of who lives across the street
resident, purchased the unique features.
from Nicholson. “We were
the neighborhood.
0.57 acres at 532 N. Lau-
Councilor Mike Bene-
appalled.”
rel St. last summer for ¿HOG YRWHG DJDLQVW WKH A ‘big thing’
Harrison argued — as did
After a presentation by the city’s land use attorney,
$895,000.
overlay because, he ar-
The council’s decision gued, it doesn’t meet the Nicholson, his attorney, and Bill Kabeiseman, at the Feb.
on Feb. 10 recognizes the city code’s criteria for a group composed of an ar- 10 council meeting — that
four separate lots for de- a planned development, chitect and a couple of en- Nicholson’s property did
velopment purposes.
which is not to be used to JLQHHUV ZKR WHVWL¿HG WR WKH not meet the criteria for a
As for the development bypass regular zoning pro- stability of the site, Council- planned development.
itself, the council unan- visions “solely to allow or Melissa Cadwallader said
Though they give cities
imously approved Nich- increased densities” or she appreciated their work. JUHDWHUÀH[LELOLW\ZKHUHODQG
olson’s plan on condition “maximizing densities on “I think the team that’s been use is concerned, planned
that he:
parcels of land that have put together shows that they developments in Cannon
• Move two of the pro- unbuildable or unusable know our community,” Cad- Beach apply to proper-
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wallader added.
ties three acres or larger,
west for greater setback
Councilor George Vetter Kabeiseman said. When
In allowing Nichol-
• Limit the size of the son to move forward, the ² ZKR OLNH %HQH¿HOG DQG applied to a smaller piece
four structures on the par- council chose not to act Mayor Sam Steidel, is a for- of property — like Nichol-
cel to a combined total of on the planning commis- mer planning commission son’s half-acre parcel — it is
9,000 square feet
• Embed planters into
a planned retaining wall
Councilor Mike Benefi eld voted against
situated near the driveway
and keep it a “living wall”
the overlay because, he argued, it
• Consult with an arbor-
doesn’t meet the city code’s criteria
ist to make sure two large
spruce trees on the prop-
for a planned development
erty won’t get seriously
damaged during construc-
tion
sion’s January recommen- member — said he respect- usually because the site has
• Repair any damage dation that the planned de- ed the planning commis- unique features.
done to Laurel Street velopment be denied.
sion’s work and that it was a
At the Jan. 22 planning
during development at his
Both the planning com- “big thing” when the coun- commission meeting, Com-
own expense, restoring it mission and the council cil didn’t heed the planning missioner Lisa Kerr said that
to its current condition
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what makes Nicholson’s
After selling the three request for the slope-den-
Councilor Wendy Hig- property unique — its slope
new houses, Nicholson sity variance late last year. gins also expressed her ap- — seems to make it less¿W
said he will invest the This led Nicholson to ini- proval.
ting for development, not
money in another project: tiate an appeal with the
“I really appreciate, Mr. PRUH¿WWLQJ
tearing down a 99-year- Oregon Land Use Board Nicholson, your passion for
Kerr, citing the same part
old ramshackle cottage of Appeals, a process he what you’re doing here,” of the municipal code as
on the northwest corner put on hold while he pur- Higgins said. “And I think, %HQH¿HOG SRLQWHG RXW WKDW
of the site and rebuilding sued the planned develop- as a city, we’re fortunate to planned developments are
it, in part, with the origi- ment.
have someone like you buy not to be used solely to in-
nal materials according to
Once the planning this property, that sees a crease densities or maximize
modern building codes.
commission denied Nich- preservation, cares about the densities on “unbuildable or
olson’s planned develop- community, knows what the unusable” areas.
Appeals
ment request, he began to culture is here. Your due dil-
By bringing in geotech
To make the variance gather city documents for igence has paid off.”
engineers to argue for the
— and, thus, Nicholson’s a potential lawsuit.
When Higgins said that, site’s usability, however,
vision — possible, the
Nicholson, who had “It seriously took everything Nicholson tried to address
council approved, by a 4-1 sunk about $150,000 into in me to not break out cry- Kerr’s concern about in-
vote, a planned develop- the project by then, said he ing,” Nicholson said after creasing densities on land
ment overlay zone. The feared that, if he was un- the meeting.
considered “unbuildable.”
overlay changes zoning able to go ahead with the
“Trying to call this a
restrictions in certain ar- development, he would Neighbors speak out
‘planned development,’ in
North-end residents who my opinion, is just munici-
eas to allow for different have had no choice but to
land uses or, as in this sell the property — and had opposed Nicholson’s pal code abuse, and I liken it
case, different densities. that it may have passed to plan and spoke out against to putting lipstick on a pig,”
A planned development someone bent on erecting it at previous meetings re- Harrison said. “It disregards
city code and sets a bad
precedent.”
“The planning commis-
sion did due diligence by
turning down this proposal,”
said Larch Street resident
Rex Amos, alluding to Hig-
gins’ comment to Nicholson.
Character and
communication
Rex Amos’ wife, Diane
Amos, is concerned about
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more private residences on
Laurel Street’s stretch of
gravel road. And though
Nicholson said he plans to
retain more than 30 trees,
including the two spruces,
neither she nor her hus-
band want to see 17 trees
removed, which Nicholson
said will happen.
Mindy Hardwick, a Lau-
rel Street resident, doesn’t
want to see another retaining
wall go up on the north end.
“It takes away the character
of what the north end is, she
said.
Robin Risley, who also
lives on Laurel Street, said
the retaining wall, which
Nicholson said may reach 8
to 9 feet tall in some places,
will be “one more scar on
this pretty landscape that we
have here — minus some
trees, too.”
Finally, a number of
Nicholson’s neighbors —
like Laurel Street residents
Elizabeth and Fred Lorish,
and Dale and Linda Hintz
— have raised the issue of
communication.
Nicholson reached out
to the property owners
Jane and Victor Harding
immediately to the north
and Andra Georges, to the
south of his own property,
all of whom have so far
expressed their support for
his development plan. But
he did not do the same with
the Amoses, the Harrisons,
the Hintzes, Risley, Hard-
wick and others.
“None of us were ever
contacted,” Dale Hintz said.
Winners
abound on
game night
Fundraiser
for Children’s
Center needs
volunteers
Bring some good luck and
good cheer to the Cannon
Beach American Legion Hall
for the eighth annual Casino
Game Night, a fundraiser for
the Cannon Beach Preschool
and Children’s Center.
From 7 to 10 p.m. Feb.
28, the legion building,
1216 S. Hemlock St., will
be transformed into a scene
from a Reno or Vegas ca-
sino, with craps, blackjack
and roulette offered, said
Barb Knop, the center’s
board president.
Scrip will be available for
purchase at the door; no min-
imum will be required. Play-
ers could win merchandise
from local businesses and gift
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and restaurants.
No skill is necessary; the
dealers (center staff, board
members and volunteers)
will help players learn the
rules of the games, she said.
Historically, the fundrais-
er has brought in an average
of $2,100 every year, accord-
ing to Knop.
The equipment is donated
by the Seaside and Gearhart
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candy-maker Brian Taylor
and his family, she said.
Community
members
who want to volunteer that
evening can contact Annette
Campbell, the center’s direc-
tor, at 503-436-1040.
“We particularly need vol-
unteers who would like to
be blackjack dealers,” Knop
said.
“It’s going to be a fun
night,” said Christy Bisping,
the center’s development di-
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our center, and we rely very
heavily on all the money that
we bring in.”
Robert Morse, D.O., Cardiologist
Sally Freeman,
Interpretive Park Ranger
Providence Seaside Hospital, in partnership with
Lewis and Clark National Historical Park invites you
into the woods for a Heart Healthy Hike.

92343 Fort Clatsop Rd.
Astoria, OR 97103
Robert Morse, D.O., cardiologist, will speak about the
risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
Following the heart healthy presentation Sally Freeman,
Interpretive Park Ranger, will lead a 2-mile hike into the
woods of our Lewis and Clark National Historical Park.
After the hike enjoy refreshments,
Providence gifts and a prize drawing.
The event is free but please register
by calling: 800-562-8964