EIGHT - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, May 24, 2017
FARM & FOREST PLANNING
-Continued from PAGE ONE regulations on outdoor should not affect assess-
addressing tourism.
State law requires each
city and county to adopt a
comprehensive plan and the
zoning ordinances needed
to put the plan into ef-
fect. The planning com-
mission decided on four
broad economic sectors
driving Morrow County’s
economy: agriculture, large
port industry, energy and
tourism. With the develop-
ment of agritourism-type
businesses, especially in the
south end, like fee hunting,
bicycle riding and the off-
highway vehicle park, it
became obvious the zoning
ordinance needed updating,
McLane said.
McLane emphasized
the new zoning ordinances
will still protect the public
safety and common good,
but will bring “balance” to
the planning process.
“We want to open the
door, but make sure we
are still protecting health
and safety,” she said. As
an example, she said fee
hunting operations in the
county may see additional
opportunity to hold more
and different types of public
events, thus expanding their
businesses. She said certain
agritourist-type activities
are allowed under Oregon
law, but are not available
in Morrow County without
the zoning changes.
Most of the changes
will be on the farm zoned
land in the county (see map)
but there are also changes to
the forest zoning. Changes
would be made to loosen
gatherings allowed in the
forests, as well as oppor-
tunity for youth camps.
The Morrow County OHV
park is all zoned Forest Use,
and has seen some devel-
opment there, including a
food vendor and limited
undeveloped small cabins.
“This may be the path
to open more commercial
opportunity, mainly at the
OHV park,” McLane said.
The new zoning will af-
fect the other county parks
but in a minimal way, she
added.
At times when a county
tries to change its zoning
ordinance, it can face chal-
lenges from the Depart-
ment of Land Conservation
and Development (DLCD),
which oversees planning
issues across the state.
However, that possibility
has been minimized since
McLane has been working
with the department, and
receiving its guidance on
the updates, since 2013.
“There will be more
opportunity for agritourism
and lodging under these
changes,” McLane pointed
out. “And we have DLCD
support through the model
code work we have been
doing on this. The model
code is settled with state
agencies, which is encour-
aging, for we have state
support on this,” she em-
phasized.
McLane did say she
does not want there to be
confusion when people
receive their tax statements.
She said the zoning changes
Morrow County Road Dept. would like to
remind all motorists that with any road
maintenance project to be aware of the
workers, they are very important to us.
Watch for signs, flags and work-zone employees
and equipment. Morrow County’s goal is to provide
a safe roadway. However, it is always up to the
motorist to drive according to conditions. Be patient
and plan ahead. Leave early if you know you will
be driving through work zones. Please use extreme
caution and common sense. They will do their best
and would appreciate your patience
Temporary closers with
grinding and reclaimation will
be taking place with in the next
few weeks. Some areas to be
aware of with some delays and
partial closers are...
Laurel/Wilson
Intersection in
Boardman.
Ione/Boardman Rd.
(Juniper to Ella)
Blackhorse east of Piper
Canyon.
Again be prepared and be safe.
Questions or concerns may be
addressed to 541-989-9500
Morrow County Road Department.
ment and tax on agricultural
land, but if a landowner
is using their property for
agribusiness, the assessor
may view the assessment
differently than if the land
were being used for other
agricultural uses.
Another area that will
be affected by the code
change will be the elimi-
nation of the small farm
40-acre designation found
on parcels, mostly around
Boardman. None of these
parcels have been created
since 1995, and McLane
said since then they have
been subject to the same
rules as the 160-acre EFU
zoning. The new zoning
rules will just eliminate the
name of the parcels, but not
affect the landowners or
use of the property in any
other way.
Anyone wishing more
information on the pro-
posed zone changes can go
to www.co.morrow.or.us/
planning/page/farm-forest-
use-model-code-update on
the county website, or con-
tact planning director Carla
McLane or planner Stepha-
nie Loving by phone at 541-
922-4624 or by email at
cmclane@co.morrow.or.us
or sloving@co.morrow. The changes will affect a significant portion of the county that is zoned either Exclusive Farm
Use, EFU, or Forest Use, FU. -Contributed
or.us.
Students spruce up the SYKES ART SHOW
town during annual
Mustang Mop-Up
Lane Wilhelm (left) and Kane Sweeney wash the windows on
the St. Patrick’s Senior Center in downtown Heppner during
last Thursday’s Mustang Mop-Up. -Photo by David Sykes
Morrow County
students win annual
spelling contest
Pendleton—More than
35 students from three
counties participated in
the annual spelling con-
test sponsored by the In-
terMountain Education
Service District (IMESD)
earlier this month. Students
from Morrow, Umatilla and
Union counties participated
on May 8 at Blue Moun-
tain Community College
in Pendleton. The IMESD
sponsors the spelling con-
tests each year.
The students who com-
peted in the county com-
petitions had already won
a spelling contest at their
schools. There are three
divisions: Division 1 (first
through fifth grades), Divi-
sion 2 (sixth through eighth
grades) and Division 3
(ninth through 12 th grades).
Morrow County win-
ners were:
Division 1—1 st Place:
Jackson Coiner, Heppner
Elementary; 2 nd Place:
Bradley Rysdam, Irrigon
Elementary; 3 rd Place:
Dairys Pena, Windy River
Elementary.
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One of Sykes’ latest works, “Lovers.”
-Continued from PAGE ONE of the Arts, Seattle. He
from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Monday through Friday and
noon to 4 p.m. Saturday.
Sykes graduated from
Heppner High School and
received a bachelor of fine
arts from Cornish College
is the co-owner of Sykes
Brothers Printing in Pend-
leton.
Art Center East may be
accessed at artcentereast.
org, 541-624-2800.
Division 2—1 st Place:
Serenity Rodriguez, Ione
Community School; 2 nd
Place: Madison Palmer,
Heppner Elementary; 3 rd
Place: Conor Brosnan, Hep-
pner Jr/Sr High.
Division 3—1 st Place:
Heinrich Padberg, Ione
Community School.
At the county contests,
students took a 35-word
written test. First through
third places were selected
in each of the three divi-
sions. An awards ceremony
immediately followed, with
winners receiving medals.
The first-place winner from
each division is invited
to participate in the state
competition the Saturday of
Labor Day weekend at the
Oregon State Fair.
For more information
contact 541-966-3126 or
lizette.berryessa@imesd.
k12.or.us.