10A • January 1, 2016 | Cannon Beach Gazette | cannonbeachgazette.com
Winners of holiday light displays
Lights from Page 1A
“My maintenance staff
worked diligently for days
to put it together,” Blanken-
ship said of the displays,
both inside and outside the
resort. “They did all the
hard work.”
Blankenship highlight-
ed the contributions of two
employees:
maintenance
manager Art Stockenberg
and executive housekeeper
Iolanda Salome. “They real-
ly have to have the credit for
putting everything togeth-
er,” Blankenship added.
The award for best
business window went to
Bruce’s Candy Kitchen.
The top residential lighting
display was at 216 E. Mon-
roe. The votes were collect-
ed online and announced by
the Cannon Beach Chamber
ANDREW TONRY PHOTO/CANNON BEACH GAZETTE
Lights at Hallmark in Cannon Beach.
of Commerce. Each winner
received a plaque.
“I’m really excited about
the participation that we
seem to have in Cannon
Beach,” said Chamber of
Commerce Executive Di-
rector Courtland Carrier.
“We get comments from
people all the time about
how good the town looks.”
And while the chamber
promotes the event, they
neither require participation
nor facilitate lights for busi-
nesses who would rather ab-
stain — all participation is
voluntary.
For Carrier, along with
a number of Cannon Beach
citizens and visitors, the
lights are quite welcome —
perhaps even beyond the
end of December.
“Having a lighting that
might be up on a more per-
manent basis is something
residents have told me
they’d like to see,” Carrier
said. “And I’m interested in
perusing that.”
After all, Carrier too has
felt the deep, darkness of the
winter skies. On the night of
Dec. 22, the shortest day
of the year, Carrier and his
wife celebrated with marti-
nis.
“It can only get brighter
from here,” he said.
Comment period open for Nicholson subdivision
Nicholson from Page 1A
“As a builder, the build-
ing inspector made us get a
geotechnical report,” Cap-
per said. “The geotechnical
report came back and said a
standard foundation isn’t go-
ing to work. They dug some
test holes and all they found
was sand. This guy [Nichol-
son] says he’s not going to
drive pilings.”
“Most of the people here
live in the neighborhood and
they don’t like the idea of a
subdivision,” Capper added.
“I don’t live anywhere near
there. I just felt that nobody
knew what my experience
was. We put two houses
where he’s going to try to put
four, with a common road.
And maybe you can do that,
but nobody has signed off
and said, ‘Yeah, there’s no
problem, I’ll take responsi-
bility if there’s any failure.’
That’s my big concern. I’d
like to see him adhere to the
same standards I do.”
“I’m not against building
there,” Capper said. “But
there’s a procedure that you
have to go through and he
hasn’t done it.”
Rasmussen, Nicholson’s
lawyer, contended that at this
juncture their development
plans — and geotechnical
consultation — do not call
for pile-driving to secure the
foundation, though he would
not rule out a change.
The meeting also includ-
ed a lengthy debate over the
Planning Commission’s ju-
risdiction to even approve or
deny Nicholson’s application
on the basis it was incom-
plete.
The objection, however,
was mostly moot as Nichol-
son’s application was legally
approved the moment City
Planner Mark Barnes set a
return letter accepting the ap-
plication.
“The only way to stop
that is for me to say it’s in-
complete and say why it’s
incomplete,” said Barnes. “I
couldn’t in this case. There
was nothing I could point out
and say, ‘this is clearly miss-
ing.’” Barnes also said he
consulted with the city’s at-
torney, and that the attorney
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Nonetheless,
Cannon
Beach resident Cleve Roop-
er addressed the audience in
regards to Barnes.
“Your planner has ac-
cepted this application even
though it wasn’t complete,”
said Rooper. “It doesn’t re-
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Maybe it shows his bias to-
wards the developer, I don’t
know.”
Rooper looked at Barnes
and added: “Shame on you,
Mark, for letting that hap-
pen.”
Barnes had no further
comment.
Everyone at the meeting
was afforded the opportunity
to speak. Those who couldn’t
attend were asked before-
hand to submit written com-
ments to the public record.
There were no comments in
support of the project.
As the two-hour mark
neared, the Planning Com-
mission voted to keep debate
open.
“The date of this hearing
has precluded a lot for peo-
ple from being here,” Com-
missioner Lisa Kerr said. “I
want everyone to get to say
what they want to say. It’s re-
ally important.”
The vote in favor of a
continuance passed, 6-to-1,
with Planning Commission-
er Joseph Bernt the lone vote
against.
“I didn’t see that there
was much point in continu-
ing,” said Bernt. “I think we
have all the basic objections
and assertions in front of us
now.”
“Frankly I saw [the con-
tinuance] as kind of a fear of
the wrath that’s going to hit
the City Council now, sooner
or later,” Bernt said. “A lot
of people were really angry
about what they did. I just
thought we’d be able to set-
tle it tonight. We’ve spent so
much time on this thing.”
Nicholson himself shared
a similar sentiment.
“It’s tiring,” Nicholson
said. “It’s been over a year.
It’s been a year and a half.”
Oregon Coast Alliance
says foredune planning
must be collaborative
With El Niño this year,
there is a chance the sand
Follette said it should be will move on its own, she
updated more often.
added. Littorial (or sed-
The city considered iment) cells constantly
prohibiting
foredune move.
grading after the Planning
Patrick
and
other
Commission approved a homeowners say the Eu-
13,700-cubic-yard Break- ropean dune grass has ac-
ers Point Homeowners cumulated over 2 million
Association dune grading cubic yards of sand over
project in August. Coun- the last 15 years and needs
cilors expressed concern to be removed along with
over effects to the littoral the European dune grass.
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La Follette countered
sand management plan that the Breakers Point
on hand, but ultimately Homeowners
Associa-
decided to table the topic tion revegetation plan
until further notice.
approved by the Planning
Commission raises its
Other developments
own concerns.
La Follette said home-
“It’s generally a good
owners should be more thing to eliminate inva-
thoughtful about the sive species, but Amer-
foredune grading’s im- ican dune grass doesn’t
pact on other properties. hold as well as European
At Planning Commission grass. The dunes move
meetings, Chapman Point much more without it,”
homeowners stated the she said. “The grass stabi-
last dune-grading proj- lizes it. European grass is
ect completed at Break- in a category of its own.”
ers Point increased the
Much of the area
amount of sand coming homeowners want to
their way.
grade doesn’t even belong
“It should give pause,” to them or the city, she
La Follette said. “It’s nec- added. La Follette said the
essary to work collabo- land belongs to the state.
ratively. What you do af-
The views homeown-
fects your neighbors.”
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She called foredunes everyone, she said, add-
WKH ³¿UVW OLQH RI GHIHQVH ing many like the dunes.
in storm surges.” If the They’re characteristic of
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area could become a safe-
But homeowners say
ty concern in case of a changes in dune patterns
surge or tsunami, she add- have made beach access
ed.
a nightmare in some loca-
When the Breakers tions, especially for those
Point Homeowners Asso- with disabilities.
ciation proposal to grade
La Follette said she is
was approved, Property not aware of any major
Manager Bruce Francis public access issues, and
said the tsunami of 1964 added there is no guaran-
showed the dunes provid- tee to views or access for
ed little protection.
beachfront property own-
La Follette said the ers.
dunes are based on ocean
Frank Patrick said the
cycles. In the 1990s, resi- Breakers Point homeown-
dents worried about dune ers will likely regroup at
erosion about rather than the beginning of the year
an abundance of sand.
to plan their next step.
Dunes from Page 1A
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