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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 14, 2016)
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2016 Council rezones McNary land to allow housing development By JADE McDOWELL Staff Writer The Umatilla City Coun- cil agreed to rezone a portion of McNary from commercial to residential after a develop- er made concessions in the design of a proposed subdi- vision. Fastrack Inc. owner Ar- nie Wick first approached the council in March, ask- ing for the entire 8.5 acre property across from the Quality Inn to be rezoned from commercial to residen- tial. He planned to build 38 homes on 8,500-square-foot lots valued at $130,000 to $160,000 each. At the time some city councilors called McNary a “bedroom community” and said the new housing could spur growth, while others said they were hesitant to get rid of most of McNary’s buildable commercial prop- erty. There were also con- cerns that the lots were too small and the houses would be sandwiched together. In April, after two meet- ings on the subject, the coun- cil voted unanimously to re- ject the request for a zoning change. Wick’s revised proposal before the council on Tues- day would expand the lots to 10,000 square feet and leave the eight lots facing Wil- lamette Avenue zoned for commercial use, resulting in a housing development with 24 new homes paired with sizable yards. “We’re capable of pro- viding whatever it is the community needs and what everyone feels good about,” Wick said. “It’s better these things are discussed.” Councilor Mary Dedrick said she wasn’t sure that peo- ple looking for higher-end homes would be interested in a home next to a mini-mart and said she would like to see the whole property zoned residential now that Wick had agreed to build on larger lots. Wick said the strip of commercial property along Willamette Avenue could always be turned into a res- idential zone later if the council wanted to revisit it, but approving his request for a rezoning of the rest of the property would let him get started. “This decision tonight is going to keep Arnie going,” City Manager Russ Pelleberg told the council. “I think he’s been held up long enough.” The council agreed, vot- ing 5-0 to direct the planning department to draw up an official ordinance rezoning most of the property to resi- dential. Property dispute On Tuesday the council also heard an appeal for a property dispute between two Umatilla landowners on Riverside Avenue, but decid- ed to put off a decision until Dec. 20 to give councilors time to digest the extensive testimony they heard from both parties and their attor- neys. Tom and Janis Carey ap- plied to the city this summer for a replat of their property Staff Writer STAFF PHOTO BY E.J. HARRIS The Umatilla City Council is looking for input on whether to rezone areas of the McNary subdivision from commercial to residential to allow a new housing development. that would erase a 20-foot- wide easement on their land that currently allows the neighboring property own- ers vehicle access to the shop at the back of their proper- ty. City planner Bill Searles granted the request. Neighbors Teri and Kevin Petersen appealed the deci- sion to the city’s planning commission, which reversed it. The Careys are asking the city council to uphold Searles’ original decision. Under Oregon law city staff can erase a public ease- ment during the replatting process but not a private one. A central question in the case is whether the easement, which is merely marked “ac- cess easement” on the plat, is public or private. 100 year milestone This week marked the 100-year anniversary of one of the city of Umatilla’s most famous events, a polit- ical coup known as the Pet- ticoat Revolution that made national headlines. It was four years before the 19th Amendment would guarantee women the right to vote, but in Oregon that right had already been ex- tended to them. Fed up with the way the men were run- ning the town, on Dec. 5, 1916, the women of Uma- tilla quietly staged a write- in campaign against their husbands. When the votes were counted and recounted, Laura Starcher had beaten her husband Mayor E.E. Starcher by 26 votes in a town of 198 residents. She was joined by female city councilors Anna Means, Florence Brownell, Stella Paulu and Gladys Spinning (two male city councilors who had not been up for re-election retained their seats) along with city re- corder Bertha Cheney. Some newspapers of the time mistakenly called Starcher the country’s first female mayor, but Argonia, Kansas, had a female may- or in 1887 and the town of Kanab, Utah, elected a fe- male mayor and all-female town council in 1912 after no men expressed interest in running. According to the Oregon History Project, after Uma- tilla’s Petticoat Revolution “the council improved water and electrical services, ap- proved funds for street and sidewalk projects, and or- ganized city cleanup weeks. Additional accomplish- Extra Space For the Holidays! Solar Shades ! Offer Expires: 12/31/16 FREE Estimates! 541-720-0772 102 E Columbia Dr. Kennewick, WA 99336 Patio Rooms Sunrooms · Pergolas Patio Covers · Solar & Drop Shades · Awnings & More! License #188965 Order Your Favorite Holiday Smoked Turkey! Great for gifts, parties & gift baskets! Gift certificates available E.O.M.S. Eastern Oregon Mobile Slaughter 541-567-2011 253 W. Hermiston Avenue, Hermiston ments included new railroad crossing signs, the founding of a town library, replace- ment of the city’s American flags, institution of monthly garbage collection, planning for future community proj- ects, and the appointment of a city health official during a 1918 smallpox epidemic.” Starcher resigned from her post a year early due to health reasons and was suc- ceeded by two more female mayors. Umatilla continues its century-old history of fe- male city councilors today with Mary Dedrick and Sharon Farnsworth. Dedrick said Tuesday after the coun- cil meeting that she enjoyed being a part of that tradition. “Women rule!” she said, summing up her feelings on the subject. ——— Contact Jade McDowell at j 541-564-4536. After seven months of negotiations, Uma- tilla County and mem- bers of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees agreed on a labor contract. The county board of commissioners on Wednesday, Dec. 7, voted 2-0 to ratify the three-year deal that includes cost of living increases of 2 percent each year for the 110 members in the local. The contract is effec- tive retroactively to July 1, 2016 and runs through June 30, 2019. Bargaining began May 9. Seth Moore was the AFSCME rep- resentative at the table for the employees and took to Facebook to provide updates on the negotiations. He also used those updates to criticize the coun- ty’s team for a lack of readiness and dragging out the process. On Aug. 31, both teams asked for a mediator to step in and help and Commissioner George Murdock reported in October that negotia- tions broke down. Commissioner Lar- ry Givens said pay was the hurdle that caused the need for outside help. The union wanted more than the county could afford, he said, and both sides were prepared to walk out of the talks. Moore agreed pay was an issue. He said the union would like to see Umatilla County provide pay comparable to coun- ties with similar popula- tions, such as Polk, Ben- ton and Coos counties. Moore called the contract a compromise, but one the members ratified. County commissioners in July 2015 gave coun- ty-wide elected officials a cost-of-living increase of 3 percent and increased their own pay 7.5 per- cent, making their salary $86,273 a year. The in- creases made the commis- sioner pay comparable to what Benton County pays commissioners at the top of its scale and about $20,000 more than what Polk and Klamath coun- ties pay theirs. Labor negotiations al- ways give employees and management angst, Giv- ens said, and agreeing on a new contract is a relief. Commissioner Bill Elf- ering said if neither side gets everything it want- ed, it’s probably a good deal. “I think that’s probably the case here,” he said. The matter of insur- ance, though, is going to bring both sides back to the bargaining table in 2017. The county’s carri- er, LifeWise Health Plan of Oregon, is pulling out of the state’s insurance market. Jennifer Blake, the county’s human re- sources director, said there are at least five in- surance companies the county can turn to, and staff are working on seek- ing bids as soon as possi- ble. Robert Pahl, the coun- ty’s chief financial of- ficer, added the county is facing a “substantial increase” in the cost of health insurance of at least 15 percent. MEDICAL DIRECTORY COUNSELING PEDIATRIC DENTISTY Call Today! 541-289-5433 1060 W. 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Afterwards warm up inside with refreshments IVL,]TKQUMZ5][QK Christmas Eve Service 7 pm Christmas Day Service 10:30 am Family Dentistry ~ N ew Patients Welcome~ 541-567-8161 995 W. Orchard Ave., Hermiston Ryan M. Wieseler, D.D.S . VISION CARE Eye Health & Vision Care Robert D. Rolen , O.D., LLC Optometric Physician 115 W. Hermiston Ave. Suite 130 541-567-1837 MENTAL HEALTH LET US BE THE ONE THAT HELPS! • Adult, Child and Family Therapy • Psychiatric Evaluation and Treatment • Mental Health and Crisis Services • Confidential and Professional Care LIFEWAYS PENDLETON Crisis Phone: LIFEWAYS HERMISTON 331 SE 2nd St., 595 NW 11th St., 866-343-4473 Pendleton, OR 97801 Hermiston, OR 97838 Office: 541-276-6207 WWW . LIFEWAYS . ORG Office: 541-567-2536 To advertise in the Medical Directory, please call Jeanne at 541-564-4531 or Audra at 541-564-4538
