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About Seaside signal. (Seaside, Or.) 1905-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 23, 2018)
November 23, 2018 • Seaside Signal • seasidesignal.com • 3A In Gearhart, please do not feed the elk Officials seek to curb elk-human interactions By R.J. Marx Seaside Signal Anyone seeking to give an elk a handout in Gearhart will have to think twice, if a city ordinance is adopted. The City Council met at a work session to consider a draft ordinance on feeding wildlife, the first step, mem- bers say, in helping the city tackle an increased elk pres- ence within city boundaries. After a Gearhart resident proposed a “don’t feed the elk” policy in July, members of the City Council consulted with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. The department asked Gearhart to consider prohibit a no-feeding ordinance, May- or Matt Brown said. “Accord- ing to the ODFW, there have been reports of folks in town feeding, so they strongly sug- gested that would help with safety mitigation of the herd.” According to the Gearhart draft, “attracting or feeding” R.J. MARX Elk in Gearhart, shortly before a City Council workshop on a “no-feeding” ordinance. of wildlife within the city lim- its could be declared a pub- lic nuisance prohibited at all times. Along with elk, City Ad- ministrator Chad Sweet said, wildlife would be defined as bear, cougar, coyote, wolves and other animals. Feeding “anything that would be con- sidered wild” would be con- sidered a possible violation. The ordinance also ad- dresses the feeding of small- er animals such as skunks, raccoons and geese, Brown said, which has led to not only some potential health issues, but safety issues as well. Like a similar no-feeding ordinance in Warrenton, the feeding of songbirds or squir- rels would not be regulated. Violation of the Gearhart ordinance could bring a pen- alty of up to $500, but offi- cials hope they’ll find com- pliance with the public before issuing fines. “We’re going to work with people for a period of time before we start issuing tick- ets,” Sweet said. “If we take care of large wild animals and have this ordinance, and keep it simple, it will probably take care of 90 percent of the prob- lem. If we find unintended consequences, we can always make an adjustment.” Brown and councilors asked city staff to begin craft- ing the no-feeding ordinance, to be presented at a future meeting. Gearhart City Council issues Palmberg zoning denial City Council rejects property owner’s request By R.J. Marx Seaside Signal City councilors were un- convinced by property own- ers Palmberg Paving Co. that a zoning change was needed to promote higher-density housing on a 27-acre property in Gearhart. The owners had hoped to rezone 498 McCormick Gar- dens Road in advance of a sale. After receiving flood maps, soil analysis and hous- ing data, among other docu- ments, the Planning Commis- sion held two meetings this fall and received input before recommending denial, said City Planner Carole Connell. Low elevation, drainage issues, questions about soils and the property’s former in- dustrial use led to concerns from commissioners. The change, from rural agricultur- al to medium-density residen- tial, could have delivered 10 parcels on 7.5 buildable acres, about 20 percent of the site. At the Nov. 7 City Coun- cil public hearing, the owners asked the council to reconsid- er the Planning Commission’s recommendation. Heidi Palmberg Snidow and consultant Li Alligood, of Otak, sought to alleviate con- tamination, traffic and quality of life concerns. Snidow stressed the fam- ily’s decades of supporting the community. “We really do want to see the best for Gear- hart in years to come,” she said. Snidow said the family seeks to sell the property to a developer “who can create a residential community con- sistent with the growth that is and has been happening.” The hearing was for a zone change only, she added, and any development would be subject to city review. But neighbors and city councilors echoed the Plan- ning Commission’s earlier concerns. Roads are too narrow for the additional traffic, said Mc- Cormick Gardens Road res- ident Gloria Edler. “It’s nice for a rural area — but gosh, to add 50, 100 cars, I can’t even imagine such a thing.” McCormick Gardens Road homeowner Mary Chandler said “the traffic on that road is enough as it is. It could just be a nightmare.” City Councilor Paulina Cockrum said she was “un- comfortable moving forward at this time with this plan. We’ve being asked to approve something with many issues that are still unknown. That makes me uncomfortable.” A motion to deny rezon- ing was unanimously carried by Cockrum, Reita Fackerell, Kerry Smith and Mayor Matt Brown. Councilor Dan Jesse, as a neighbor to the property, did not vote. City officials, however, left a path forward for future development on the property. Pacifc Way near Railroad Avenue in Gearhart, near the southern border of the Palmberg prop- erty. Neighbors said they feared the im- pact of a high-den- sity development on local roadways. R.J. MARX The rural agricultural zone does allow a “cluster develop- ment” option, Connell said, with each buildable acre of- fering a 10,000-square-foot lot. “If they didn’t change the zone, they could have 20 sin- gle-family lots on the proper- ty in a cluster manner through the Planning Commission without a zone change,” Con- nell said. “They could do that now.” I’m so glad I found you – and that the folks at Providence knew how to get you gone. These days, the view from here is lovely. Darn lucky and blessed, Penny Give Back during the G ivinG T uesday M oveMenT Tuesday November 27 th Join CCR during a one-day donation drive to prepare for winter by filling our generator propane tanks and other needs around the station. KMUN ◆ KTCB ◆ KCPB P.O. Box 269, Astoria, OR 97103 503.325.0010 Listen online CoastRadio.org prov idenceoregon . org / de a rnorthcoa s t