6A • December 16, 2016 | Cannon Beach Gazette | cannonbeachgazette.com
What will parks, trails look like?
Cannon Beach
to draft the
master plan
By Lyra Fontaine
Cannon Beach Gazette
An improved dory boat
launching in Tolovana, a re-
stroom near Haystack Rock
and safer transit options
for walkers and bikers are
among the proposed projects
that could be part of Cannon
Beach’s first parks and trails
master plan. After gathering
input from residents, a citizens
advisory group and the Public
Works Department, park plan-
ners will draft the master plan
by the end of December. After
review by the advisory group,
the draft could come to the
City Council in February.
At an open house last
week, residents carefully
looked at maps displaying po-
tential plans for future parks
and trails. They spoke to park
planners and city employees,
marked ideas on the maps and
placed stickers by proposed
projects they considered im-
portant.
“We’ve narrowed things
down,” said Kirk Anderson,
LYRA FONTAINE/CANNON BEACH GAZETTET
Options were presented at the city’s parks and trails master
plan open house.
a city public works employee
who is involved in the plan-
ning process. “Prioritizing is
one more big step.”
Otak planner Mandy Flett
said identifying priorities ear-
ly on could help the city meet
deadlines and receive funding
for projects. There are no cost
estimates yet.
Trail projects marked as
high priority included a bike
and pedestrian route west of
Hemlock Street along Pacific,
a path under the bridge at Ecola
Creek Park and a trail from Elk
Run Park to Hemlock Street.
Possible park projects are
canoe and kayak launches at
Les Shirley Park, Ecola Creek
Park and Oxbow and Second
Street. Other ideas included
NeCus’ Park improvements
that respect the site’s Native
American heritage, a bridge
below the water-treatment
plant to complete the loop,
and a better boat ramp for
dory launching at Tolovana
State Park, with accompany-
ing wheelchair access to wet
sand.
Many of the projects can
be completed in one to five
years, while others could take
up to 10 years.
City parks provide oppor-
tunities for interpretive signs
on ecology, history, water
treatment, archaeology and
tsunami preparation, accord-
ing to the master plan infor-
mation.
Though not considered a
No. 1 priority, a potential plan
for a multiuse path parallel
to U.S. Highway 101 could
connect Tolovana to mid-
town. The trail would provide
a safer and less hilly route
for pedestrians and cyclists,
separate from traffic on the
S-curves.
Another possible project
could be converting Tolovana
State Park to city ownership,
moving its aging restrooms by
the beach and making further
enhancements.
Tolovana State Park
“could be a gem for the city,”
Otak senior planner Glen Bo-
len said. “The journey to the
beach could be a journey, not
just a parking lot.”
A small bathroom near the
bottom of the stairs leading to
Haystack Rock is another pos-
sible project that could benefit
Haystack Rock Awareness
Program volunteers and visi-
tors, Bolen said.
Council also approves
repeal of moratorium
on medical marijuana
committee that brought the
opt-out initiative to the city.
The council also approved
Marijuana retailers will
need to meet the city’s zoning a repeal of the city’s morato-
requirements and have Ore- rium on medical marijuana
gon Liquor Control Commis- dispensaries at its December
sion approval before the city meeting. The moratorium
signs the business license, served as a placeholder for
according to City Planner local jurisdictions to pass lo-
Mark Barnes. Review by the cal time, place and manner
Design Review Board will restrictions on medical mari-
be required if the applicant’s juana dispensaries. The mor-
building needs any exterior atorium expired in 2014 and
alterations or if the retailer staff recommended its repeal
to clean up city
constructs a new
building. Sign
In November, code.
The
City
permits will also
voters shot
Council adopted
be needed.
In Novem- down a ban on an ordinance in
July with time,
ber,
slight-
recreational place and man-
ly more than
half of Cannon
marijuana by ner restrictions
Beach
voters only nine votes. for medical and
recreational
chose not to
marijuana busi-
prohibit recre-
ational marijuana producers, nesses. Cannabis shops will
processors, wholesalers and be allowed in three commer-
retailers in Cannon Beach. cial zones: downtown from
The difference between those Ecola Creek south to Wash-
who voted “yes” and “no” ington Street, midtown from
Harrison Street south to El-
was nine votes.
The question was put out liot Way, and Tolovana Park
to voters as a result of a cit- from Delta Street south to the
izen initiative. Resident Jere- northern boundary of Sand
my Randolph was head of the Castle Condominiums.
Pot from Page 1A
Housing from Page 1A
The homes would be
available for those who
make about 70 to 100 per-
cent of the area’s median
income.
Before purchasing the
manufactured homes, the
city would have to amend
the budget or wait until
the new fiscal year in July,
Barnes said. Other decisions
— management, rent costs,
the process of screening
applicants, the homes’ lo-
cation within the RV Resort
and more — have yet to be
made.
Another potential devel-
opment could take place at
the former children’s center
site in Tolovana.
“If City Council agrees
to move forward with the
development proposals de-
scribed, additional analysis,
discussion and planning will
be needed to move forward
thoughtfully with an imple-
mentation plan,” the report
stated.
“I think we’re fortunate
to have city-owned property
that gives us the opportuni-
ty to develop projects like
this,” Councilor Mike Bene-
field said. “Most cities don’t,
and they’re struggling.”
Code amendment recom-
mendations include ensur-
ing that city fees, accessory
dwelling units and multifam-
ily housing encourage the
development of affordable,
long-term rentals. Another
option the city could pursue,
the report stated, is limiting
the growth of short-term
rentals through a combi-
nation of capping permits,
neighborhood-specific regu-
lations and enforcement.
Location concerns
Some who reside by
the RV Resort on Elk Land
Road and Haskell Lane have
concerns about the plan to
add park model homes.
“Protecting property val-
ues will be directly related to
the increased amount of peo-
ple, traffic flow and types of
FILE PHOTO
Starting Jan. 6, a medical or recreational marijuana facility
can be licensed to operate only within the limited commer-
cial zones in downtown, midtown and Tolovana Park.
buildings erected,” Rick
Hudson and Laurie Hudson
wrote in a letter to the city.
“We purchased our home
because of its location, its
seclusion and its quiet cor-
ner of Cannon Beach.”
Resident
Jan
Sie-
bert-Wahrmund said al-
though she has concerns
about the potential locations
for housing recommended
by the report, she will “try to
keep an open mind.”
Councilor George Vetter
expressed concerns about
“diminishing” the RV park’s
value. Barnes said he would
provide an analysis on the
financial impact the park
models could have on the
RV Resort.
“We live in a beautiful
place,” Vetter said. “Peo-
ple are willing to pay a lot
of money for property. If
we build something or put
something up within the
area of where these people
want to be, the pressure is
always there.”
He said if affordable
housing were placed on the
edge or outside the city, “the
pressure” would not be there.
The task force is not
looking to place afford-
able housing in “an area set
aside that’s less than equal
to anyplace else in our city
limits,” Councilor Melis-
sa Cadwallader said. “As a
fellow councilor, I find your
comments about, ‘we should
be looking at less favorable
property to be used,’ to not
be a good starting point for
developing what this task
force hoped to develop.”
The appointed task force
included Duane Johnson of
Duane Johnson Real Estate;
Todd Johnston, Northwest
Oregon Housing Authori-
ty executive director; Ken
McQuhae, retired engineer
and resident; Dave Norstedt,
Martin Hospitality vice pres-
ident of operations; Brandon
Ogilvie, a local contractor;
Sheri Russell, Columbia
Bank branch manager; City
Manager Brant Kucera; and
council liaison Cadwallader.
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