CLATSOP COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION … · 7 Mr. Wegner presented the following background...

Clatsop County Community Development Department, Land Use Planning Division

800 Exchange Street, Suite 100, Astoria, OR 97103

503-325-8611

1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER (Bruce Francis, Chairperson)

2. FLAG SALUTE

3. ROLL CALL

4. ELECTION OF CHAIR AND VICE-CHAIR

5. BUSINESS FROM THE PUBLIC - This is an opportunity for anyone to give a brief presentation about

any land use planning issue or county concern that is not on the agenda.

6. MINUTES: June 12, 2012 Regular Meeting (Page 3)

7. PUBLIC HEARINGS:

TSP Amendment Westport Ferry Access Road Staff: Hiller West (Page 9)

James J. Neikes Lot of Record (LOR) Appeal Staff: Julia Decker (Page 53)

8. WORKSHOPS

Sign Code: Final public workshop on revisions to the Sign Regulations (Sec. 2.300, Standards Document) to remove content-based restrictions and update various provisions. Staff: Hiller West (Page 137)

9. OTHER BUSINESS:

10. ADJOURN

The agendas and staff reports are available for review at www.co.clatsop.or.us. Select ‘Land Use Planning’ under ‘Services’. NOTE TO PLANNING COMMISSION MEMBERS: Please contact the Community Development Department (503-325-8611) if you are unable to attend this meeting.

ACCESSIBILITY: This meeting location is accessible to persons with disabilities. A request for an interpreter for

the hearing impaired or for other accommodations for persons with disabilities should be made at least 48 hours

prior to the meeting by contacting the Community Development Land Use Planning Division, 503-325-8611.

CLATSOP COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION

REGULAR MEETING AGENDA Tuesday, July 10, 2012

10:00 a.m.

Judge Guy Boyington Building 857 Commercial Street

Astoria, OR 97103

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Minutes of June 12, 2012 1 Clatsop County Planning Commission 2

Regular Session 3 Judge Guy Boyington Building 4

857 Commercial Street 5 Astoria, Oregon 97103 6

7 The meeting was called to order at 10:01 a.m. by Chair Francis. 8 9 PL Commissioners Present PL Commissioners Absent Staff Present 10 Susana Gladwin (10:04 a.m.) Hiller West 11 Bruce Francis Clancie Adams 12 Jan Mitchell 13 Robert Stricklin 14 Lianne Thompson 15 Michael Tiedeman 16 Kay Foetisch-Robb 17 18 Board of Commissioner’s Liaison Present (10:12 a.m.) 19 Debra Birkby 20 21 Business from the Public: 22 23 There was no business from the Public. 24 25 Minutes: 26 27 PC Tiedeman moved and PC Mitchell seconded to approve the minutes of the May 8, 28 2012 Planning Commission Regular Meeting as corrected. Motion passed unanimously. 29 PC Foetish-Robb abstained as she was not in attendance. 30 31 PC Thompson moved and PC Tiedeman seconded to approve the minutes of the May 32 29, 2012 Planning Commission Special Session as presented by staff. Motion passed 33 unanimously. PC Foetish-Robb abstained as she was not in attendance. 34 35 TSP Amendment Westport Ferry Road Relocation 36 37 Hiller West presented an overview of the proposed amendment to the County’s 38 Transportation System Plan (TSP) originally adopted in July of 2003. 39 The proposed amendment would include a new access road to the Westport ferry 40

dock, as indicated on the project concept map provided to the Commission. 41 The existing access road (Westport Ferry Road) traverses a residential area, and is 42

not conducive to large truck / industrial traffic. 43 The County is seeking funding to build a new road, west of the existing road, 44

connecting Highway 30 to the ferry dock. The current road (Westport Ferry Road) 45 would no longer provide access from the highway to the ferry dock. 46

A community meeting was held last week that provided resident feedback. There 47 appeared to be general consensus of approval for the proposed plan. 48

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Ed Wegner, Clatsop County Public Works Director, introduced to the Commission: 1 Paul Langer, Teevin Bros. staff member, who has been very involved in the Westport 2

Corridor study. 3 Dennis Scott, the newly hired Operations Manager for the Clatsop County Public 4

Works Department. 5 6 Mr. Wegner presented the following background information regarding the Westport 7 Community and the proposed amendments to the TSP: 8 10 years ago Teevin Bros. operated a facility utilizing Westport Ferry Road to 9

transport rock to barge traffic. The current road is very narrow, with residences on 10 one side and the Plympton Creek bed on the other. The County was unable to widen 11 or improve the current road to accommodate large truck traffic and the operation was 12 suspended. 13

In 2010 the Wauna Mill was awarded Enterprise Zone money. Georgia Pacific was 14 unable to meet all of the award requirements and in return was required to pay a 15 penalty. The County received an increment of that penalty money with the stipulation 16 that the money be spent within the Enterprise Zone (located in Columbia and Clatsop 17 Counties, encompassing the Westport community and the Wauna Mill). 18

19 A portion of the money has been allocated for the following projects: 20 The Westport Water Association and Wauna Water District applied for a grant with 21

FEMA to fund water system upgrades. Clatsop County designated $50,000 in grant 22 matching funds. 23

The clearing of debris and the widening of Plympton Creek in conjunction with the 24 Columbia County Soil and Water Conservation District. 25

Implementation of a college scholarship program to benefit students living in the 26 Westport community. 27

Funding of a tutoring program for the benefit of students living in the Westport 28 community. 29 30

A public meeting was held in Westport to get resident feedback regarding the types of 31 projects they felt would most benefit the community. The following list resulted: 32 Construction of a park and boat ramp for recreational use. Negotiations continue with 33

Georgia Pacific regarding a long term lease or the donation of property to establish 34 a park and recreational boat ramp similar to the John Day boat ramp. 35

Restoration of Plympton Creek to its historic pathway. This project will move forward 36 upon receipt of federal money. Clatsop County will work in conjunction with 37 Columbia County on this project. 38

Safety Issues on Highway 30 between the Westmart Store and Westport Ferry Road. 39 Ferry ramp and road access upgrade: 40

· Wahkiakum County operates the ferry and maintains the Washington ramp. We 41 are required to maintain an operating ramp and access on the Oregon side of the 42 river. 43

· The ferry has high traffic usage and serves as an alternative transportation route 44 in times of road closures due to weather and slides. The ferry has been 45

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imperative in keeping the Wauna Mill running in prior instances of inclement 1 weather and road closure. 2

· Wahkiakum County is constructing a new ferry ramp and acquiring a new ferry in 3 order to accommodate chip trucks. Clatsop County will need to construct an 4 access road and ramp that will accommodate large truck and industrial traffic 5 that does not currently have access. All changes must be completed and 6 operational by 2014. 7

· An amendment to the Transportation System Plan is required prior to moving 8 ahead with construction and funding as the new access road is not currently 9 included in the TSP. 10

· ODOT rail requires the elimination of a grade crossing upon creation of a new 11 grade crossing. The current Westport Ferry Road crossing will be closed (gated) 12 upon construction of the new access. 13

· Paul Langer spoke regarding the ownership history of the railroad. Currently the 14 railroad only provides service as far west as the Wauna Mill but the Port of 15 Astoria is working with the railroad to re-establish rail service as far west as 16 Tongue Point. 17

· Mark Barnes, County Consultant, presented the following information: 18 · The amendment to the TSP will become part of the comprehensive plan. 19 · The procedure is identical to the Goal 19 process, which was recently 20

concluded. 21 · The Transportation System Plan (TSP) is a “stand alone” document, but 22

legally and from the point of view of the Commission’s business, is a part of 23 the comprehensive plan. 24

25 Chair Francis recessed the meeting for a break at noon and reconvened the 26 meeting at 12:05 p.m. 27 28 Sign Code Workshop #3 29 30 Hiller West outlined the project goals and discussion points covered at the May 31 workshop in a PowerPoint presentation. A draft copy of the current sign code indicating 32 possible language changes was provided to the Commission. The topics presented 33 were: 34 Lighting (night-sky) Provisions 35 Permitting Requirements, Application Processes, Fees 36 Size Standards and Setback Requirements 37 38 Discussion points: 39 Single-sided, double-sided, and multiple-sided sign standards 40 Temporary versus permanent sign standards 41 Height limitations 42 Setback requirements 43 44 There will be another workshop on the sign code at the July or August Planning 45 Commission meeting. 46

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Hearings Officer 1 2 Hiller West presented information regarding the County’s prior use of a Hearings Officer 3 as well as an overview of discussion topics from the May meeting: 4 The Hearings Officer would handle type Ila applications – variances and conditional 5

use permits. This would allow the Planning Commission to devote more of their time 6 to the following upcoming issues: 7 · Countywide Transportation Plan 8 · Clatsop Plains Sub-Area Plan 9 · Applications involving rezones and density transfers 10 · Strategic Plan 11

Consensus decision format (Planning Commission) versus structured formalized 12 decision format (Hearings Officer). The structured format is easier to support if it is 13 appealed and goes to LUBA. 14

Current fee schedule (not updated since 2003) and possible changes. 15 Cost factors and funding involved in the hiring of a hearings examiner. 16 Possible fee waivers for non-profit applications, low income or senior housing, etc. 17 All legislative amendments would be handled by the Planning Commission. 18 19 Discussion Points: 20 Concerns were expressed that a hearings officer would not be open and sympathetic 21

to local resident concerns. 22 A hearings officer looks at issues that would not be thought of by the Commission 23

and rulings would be based entirely on the rules and regulations. 24 Possibility of a Planning Commissioner attending hearings and reporting back to the 25

Commission, ensuring that everyone was up to date on current issues. 26 Local involvement would be maintained in that all appeals would be referred to the 27

Board of Commissioners for review. There would be a public hearing allowing input 28 from local residents. 29

The code could be revised so that Ila applications could be referred to the Planning 30 Commission if a hearings officer was unavailable or there was difficulty obtaining 31 services. 32

33 A consensus was reached by the Commission to forward a recommendation to the 34 Board of Commissioners in favor of: 35 Issuing a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) 36 Conducting a fact finding on costs and funding options 37 38 Appointment of Commissioners 39 The appointment of two persons to fill the expiring terms on the Planning Commission 40 will come before the Board of Commissioners tomorrow morning. There are two new 41 applicants and two current Commissioners being considered for the vacancies. 42 43 Election of Officers 44 Election of officers will be added to the agenda for the July 10, 2012 regular meeting. 45 Lianne Thompson, Bruce Francis and Robert Stricklin expressed interest in being 46 nominated for either the position of Chairman and/or Vice Chairman. 47

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1 As there was no further business or discussion, Chair Francis adjourned the 2 meeting at 12:55 p.m. 3 4 5 6

Respectfully Submitted, 7 8 9

___________________________________ 10 Bruce Francis 11

Chairperson - Planning Commission 12

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