Board of Clatsop County Commissioners Meeting Highlights Wednesday July 10

Code enforcement ordinance

The board opened a public hearing on an ordinance establishing a civil citation process for code enforcement and nuisance abatement and replacing the existing enforcement process. The ordinance is designed to provide the county’s code compliance officer with a more efficient process for responding to non-criminal violations of the county’s land use ordinance and building codes. It clarifies the definition of public nuisance, revises the schedule of fines and creates an Abatement Fund to hold revenue from fines to help fund enforcement actions.

The ordinance would replace the existing “notice-order” nuisance abatement process, which is labor-intensive and results in compliance orders that are difficult to enforce, according to Code Enforcement Officer Bart Catching.

The public hearing is continued to the board’s July 24 meeting.

Land-use appeal

The board set a public hearing on an appeal of a county hearings officer ruling. Steve Cullen is appealing a June 9 decision rejecting his application for the expansion of a non-conforming structure at an Exclusive Farm Use-zoned property south of Astoria.

The board limited the hearing to the record of the hearings officer review. The hearing is scheduled for July 24.

Air Guard training

The board heard a presentation from the Oregon Air National Guard on its proposal to expand pilot training flight areas for the Guard’s Portland-based 142^nd Fighter Wing. The Oregon Airspace Initiative, which is currently under National Environmental Policy Act review, would alter an existing coastal training area lying roughly between Astoria and Depoe Bay by lowering the minimum flying altitude from 18,000 feet to 11,000 feet. It would also create a new training area in north-central Oregon.

The expanded sites would provide back-up training areas closer to the 142^nd’s Portland base, resulting in significant fuel savings for training flights, Wing Commander Col. Rick Wedan told the board. The Guard pilots use the alternate areas when rough seas prevent use of their primary off-shore training airspace.

Arch Cape rentals

The board held a work session discussion on county regulations covering short-term rentals in the Arch Cape community.

The regulations, adopted by the board in 2004, define short-term rentals as dwellings rented for up to 30 consecutive days, and impose maximum occupancy limits and other rules. Commissioner Debra Birkby said the existing rules allow too intensive use, with traffic problems and other associated issues.

The board directed that the issue be presented to the Southwest Coastal Citizens Advisory Committee for review.