Friday, March 26, at 6pm, the Southwest Coastal Citizen Advisory Committee will hold a public forum at the Arch Cape Fire Hall, 79316 E. Beach Road, regarding the adoption of Ordinance Number 10-01. The Clatsop County Transportation and Development Services Department has determined that adoption of this ordinance may affect the permissible uses of your property, and other properties in the affected zone, and may change the value of your property.
For more information concerning the ordinance, call the Clatsop County Transportation and Development Services Department at 503-325-8611.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Friday, March 19, 2010
HEARINGS SCHEDULED FOR BRADWOOD SUPPLEMENTAL APPLICATIONS
The Clatsop County Hearings Officer will conduct four public hearings beginning Tuesday, April 6 on a consolidated land-use application regarding the proposed Bradwood Landing liquefied natural gas project.
Project applicant Bradwood Landing LLC and NorthernStar Energy LLC have submitted supplemental applications for eight components required under the county’s March 2008 conditional approval of the proposed LNG terminal and associated facilities at Bradwood Landing 25 miles east of Astoria. Those supplemental applications cover the Shoreline Monitoring Plan, Dredge Material Disposal Plan, Park-and-Ride Plan, Mitigation Plan, Clifton and Bradwood Road Improvements Conditional Use Permit, Decommissioning Plan, Riparian Vegetation Restoration Plan, and Erosion and Sediment Control Plan
The hearings will be held at the Judge Guy Boyington Building, 857 Commercial St., Astoria on four days on the following days and times:
· Tuesday, April 6, 1 p.m.-5 p.m.
· Thursday, April 8, 3 p.m.-7 p.m.
· Tuesday, April 13, 3 p.m.-7 p.m.
· Thursday, April 15, 1 p.m.-5 p.m.
A copy of the applications, all documents and evidence submitted by or on behalf of the applicant may be reviewed in the Clatsop County Transportation and Development Services ? Land Use Planning Office, 800 Exchange St., Suite 100, Astoria at no cost, and copies may be obtained at reasonable cost. The staff reports for these applications may be inspected at no cost or copies obtained at reasonable cost seven days prior to the hearings.
Parties are invited to express their opinion for or against the proposals in person at the hearings or by letter addressed to the Clatsop County Hearings Officer, 800 Exchange St., Suite 100, Astoria OR 97103. Written comments must be received by 5 p.m. Monday, April 5.
For more information go to the “Bradwood Landing Supplemental Applications” page under “Land Use Planning” at www.co.clatsop.or.us
Project applicant Bradwood Landing LLC and NorthernStar Energy LLC have submitted supplemental applications for eight components required under the county’s March 2008 conditional approval of the proposed LNG terminal and associated facilities at Bradwood Landing 25 miles east of Astoria. Those supplemental applications cover the Shoreline Monitoring Plan, Dredge Material Disposal Plan, Park-and-Ride Plan, Mitigation Plan, Clifton and Bradwood Road Improvements Conditional Use Permit, Decommissioning Plan, Riparian Vegetation Restoration Plan, and Erosion and Sediment Control Plan
The hearings will be held at the Judge Guy Boyington Building, 857 Commercial St., Astoria on four days on the following days and times:
· Tuesday, April 6, 1 p.m.-5 p.m.
· Thursday, April 8, 3 p.m.-7 p.m.
· Tuesday, April 13, 3 p.m.-7 p.m.
· Thursday, April 15, 1 p.m.-5 p.m.
A copy of the applications, all documents and evidence submitted by or on behalf of the applicant may be reviewed in the Clatsop County Transportation and Development Services ? Land Use Planning Office, 800 Exchange St., Suite 100, Astoria at no cost, and copies may be obtained at reasonable cost. The staff reports for these applications may be inspected at no cost or copies obtained at reasonable cost seven days prior to the hearings.
Parties are invited to express their opinion for or against the proposals in person at the hearings or by letter addressed to the Clatsop County Hearings Officer, 800 Exchange St., Suite 100, Astoria OR 97103. Written comments must be received by 5 p.m. Monday, April 5.
For more information go to the “Bradwood Landing Supplemental Applications” page under “Land Use Planning” at www.co.clatsop.or.us
Thursday, March 18, 2010
HAZEN URGES FEDERAL FUNDING FOR LOCAL PROJECTS IN D.C.
Clatsop County Board of Commissioners Chair Jeff Hazen urged support for various local projects and talked climate change and tsunamis with members of Congress and their aides during a three-day trip to Washington, D.C. last week.
Hazen met with staff members from the entire Oregon Congressional delegation with the exception of Rep. Greg Walden, and had brief but informative face-to-face exchanges with Sen. Jeff Merkeley and First District Rep. David Wu.
A key focus of the visit was pressing for support of several local projects in search of federal funding in the upcoming fiscal year. The projects include: planning for relocating public facilities in Clatsop County out of the tsunami inundation zone; Astoria Riverfront Trolley track repair; replacement of Avenue U bridge in Seaside; repairs to Port of Astoria’s East Mooring Basin causeway; and LEKTRO’s request for Defense Department funding for its aircraft tugs.
Hazen also urged attention for federal issues affecting Warrenton including changes to FEMA flood-mapping and the proposed transfer of federal dock facilities in Hammond to the City of Warrenton.
Hazen called all his meetings with Congressional staff productive.
“They all asked great questions,” he said.
Tsunami preparedness in particular “is on the forefront of everyone’s mind” as of the result of the 2004 Indian Ocean disaster and the recent quakes in Haiti and Chile, he said.
Hazen also joined two other county commissioners from Florida and Virginia at a meeting with an aide to Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry to discuss the new Climate Communities program. Launched in 2008, the national coalition of cities and counties promotes a bigger role for local governments in federal clean-energy initiatives ? a message the three county leaders made to Kerry’s staff, Hazen said.
At one point in his visit, Hazen stepped into a hearing room in the Capital Building for what turned out to be an awards presentation for a noted Korean human rights advocate, Lee Ae-ran, who fled North Korea in the 1990s and now works to help fellow defectors acclimate to life in South Korea. It was an especially meaningful event given his own visit to Korea in 2003, he said.
Hazen, who noted all the staff he met with “were very glad I came out,” said such face-to-face meetings are beneficial in promoting local interests, and added he would like to see the county make the Washington, D.C. trip a yearly event, and to include a delegation of other local community leaders.
Hazen met with staff members from the entire Oregon Congressional delegation with the exception of Rep. Greg Walden, and had brief but informative face-to-face exchanges with Sen. Jeff Merkeley and First District Rep. David Wu.
A key focus of the visit was pressing for support of several local projects in search of federal funding in the upcoming fiscal year. The projects include: planning for relocating public facilities in Clatsop County out of the tsunami inundation zone; Astoria Riverfront Trolley track repair; replacement of Avenue U bridge in Seaside; repairs to Port of Astoria’s East Mooring Basin causeway; and LEKTRO’s request for Defense Department funding for its aircraft tugs.
Hazen also urged attention for federal issues affecting Warrenton including changes to FEMA flood-mapping and the proposed transfer of federal dock facilities in Hammond to the City of Warrenton.
Hazen called all his meetings with Congressional staff productive.
“They all asked great questions,” he said.
Tsunami preparedness in particular “is on the forefront of everyone’s mind” as of the result of the 2004 Indian Ocean disaster and the recent quakes in Haiti and Chile, he said.
Hazen also joined two other county commissioners from Florida and Virginia at a meeting with an aide to Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry to discuss the new Climate Communities program. Launched in 2008, the national coalition of cities and counties promotes a bigger role for local governments in federal clean-energy initiatives ? a message the three county leaders made to Kerry’s staff, Hazen said.
At one point in his visit, Hazen stepped into a hearing room in the Capital Building for what turned out to be an awards presentation for a noted Korean human rights advocate, Lee Ae-ran, who fled North Korea in the 1990s and now works to help fellow defectors acclimate to life in South Korea. It was an especially meaningful event given his own visit to Korea in 2003, he said.
Hazen, who noted all the staff he met with “were very glad I came out,” said such face-to-face meetings are beneficial in promoting local interests, and added he would like to see the county make the Washington, D.C. trip a yearly event, and to include a delegation of other local community leaders.
Washington and Oregon team up to prevent truck crashes
More than 698 truck safety inspections were completed by Oregon Department of Transportation and Washington State Patrol certified inspectors during a multi-day inspection operation held last week along the Interstate 5 corridor in Oregon and Washington.
More than 782 violations were found during the inspections which focused primarily on commercial vehicle drivers’ logbooks and qualifications. Under federal and state regulations, drivers must take mandatory rest breaks after driving a specified number of hours. These regulations seek to prevent driver fatigue by controlling the number of consecutive hours drivers can spend behind the wheel without stopping for rest.
During the event, 145 drivers (or 19 percent) were placed out of service for safety violations. That rate is consistent with inspection events at other locations in Oregon and Washington over the last few years. The national driver out of service rate is about seven percent.
In Oregon, the Oregon Department of Transportation Motor Carrier Division has primary responsibility for regulating the trucking industry. In Washington, it’s Washington State Patrol. Both agencies follow the same federal regulations and guidelines for inspecting commercial drivers and their vehicles.
For updated information on highway work and current travel information throughout Oregon, visit www.tripcheck.com or call the toll-free Oregon road report at 511 or (800) 977-6368
More than 782 violations were found during the inspections which focused primarily on commercial vehicle drivers’ logbooks and qualifications. Under federal and state regulations, drivers must take mandatory rest breaks after driving a specified number of hours. These regulations seek to prevent driver fatigue by controlling the number of consecutive hours drivers can spend behind the wheel without stopping for rest.
During the event, 145 drivers (or 19 percent) were placed out of service for safety violations. That rate is consistent with inspection events at other locations in Oregon and Washington over the last few years. The national driver out of service rate is about seven percent.
In Oregon, the Oregon Department of Transportation Motor Carrier Division has primary responsibility for regulating the trucking industry. In Washington, it’s Washington State Patrol. Both agencies follow the same federal regulations and guidelines for inspecting commercial drivers and their vehicles.
For updated information on highway work and current travel information throughout Oregon, visit www.tripcheck.com or call the toll-free Oregon road report at 511 or (800) 977-6368
PERMIT ISSUED FOR WARREN SLOUGH RAIL LINE REPAIR
After a lengthy delay, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has given the green light for repair work to the washed-out railroad line at Warren Slough north of Knappa, Clatsop County officials learned Wednesday.
The county, along with Portland & Western Railroad, the Oregon Department of Transportation, local landowners and other parties, has been attempting to untangle a snarl of regulatory and ownership issues surrounding the site since the grade was breached in a storm in November 2006.
The damage washed out a section of the Portland-to-Astoria rail line and exposed several acres of adjacent pastureland to daily flooding during high tides. That high water in turn has jeopardized the nearby Ziak-Gnat Creek county road.
The Corps notified Portland & Western Railroad by letter Wednesday that it is issuing a permit authorizing the repair work. Portland & Western leases the rail line from the ODOT Rail Division, which owns the railroad grade itself ? the two entities will share the cost of the repair project. Representatives of the company and the state agency met Wednesday afternoon to finalize plans for the work, which may begin within the next two weeks.
The work will include repair of the grade and rail line, and the installation of a 72-inch-wide culvert and tidegate to better control water flow into the adjacent pastureland. Two other existing pipe/culverts with tidegates located near the wash-out site will also be repaired.
The goal of the culvert/tidegate work will be to return the area to the same amount of tidal water flow that existing before the wash-out. This allowed some flooding of the pastureland in the winter and lesser amounts of water in drier months, but protected adjacent roads.
The rail line was first washed out at Warren Slough during a winter storm in December 2005. The resulting flooding also destroyed the bridge over Ziak-Gnat Creek Road, which lies approximately a quarter-mile south of the rail line. Because the wash-out of the bridge cut off access to several nearby residences, the Clatsop County Board of Commissioners declared an emergency and authorized the county Road Department to launch immediate repairs to the railroad grade to prevent further flooding.
Because the 2006 event, which took out a section of railroad grade immediately east of the 2005 wash-out site, did not pose as great an immediate threat to the Ziak-Gnat Creek Road, the county did not declare an emergency. But efforts to obtain the necessary permit from the Corps of Engineers for the repair work became bogged down by questions over the ownership of the grade, including the discovery of a long-dormant diking district that owned a levee near the railroad grade.
The Corps has jurisdiction over all in-water work in the Columbia River system.
While it has no authority over the railroad line or grade, Clatsop County took the lead in coordinating the permitting process in make sure nearby county assets like Ziak-Gnat Creek Road are protected, said Ed Wegner, Transportation and Development Services Director. During very high tides, the inflowing water often rises up to the edge of the roadway.
“We facilitated it to preserve our roads and protect our citizens,” he said.
The county, along with Portland & Western Railroad, the Oregon Department of Transportation, local landowners and other parties, has been attempting to untangle a snarl of regulatory and ownership issues surrounding the site since the grade was breached in a storm in November 2006.
The damage washed out a section of the Portland-to-Astoria rail line and exposed several acres of adjacent pastureland to daily flooding during high tides. That high water in turn has jeopardized the nearby Ziak-Gnat Creek county road.
The Corps notified Portland & Western Railroad by letter Wednesday that it is issuing a permit authorizing the repair work. Portland & Western leases the rail line from the ODOT Rail Division, which owns the railroad grade itself ? the two entities will share the cost of the repair project. Representatives of the company and the state agency met Wednesday afternoon to finalize plans for the work, which may begin within the next two weeks.
The work will include repair of the grade and rail line, and the installation of a 72-inch-wide culvert and tidegate to better control water flow into the adjacent pastureland. Two other existing pipe/culverts with tidegates located near the wash-out site will also be repaired.
The goal of the culvert/tidegate work will be to return the area to the same amount of tidal water flow that existing before the wash-out. This allowed some flooding of the pastureland in the winter and lesser amounts of water in drier months, but protected adjacent roads.
The rail line was first washed out at Warren Slough during a winter storm in December 2005. The resulting flooding also destroyed the bridge over Ziak-Gnat Creek Road, which lies approximately a quarter-mile south of the rail line. Because the wash-out of the bridge cut off access to several nearby residences, the Clatsop County Board of Commissioners declared an emergency and authorized the county Road Department to launch immediate repairs to the railroad grade to prevent further flooding.
Because the 2006 event, which took out a section of railroad grade immediately east of the 2005 wash-out site, did not pose as great an immediate threat to the Ziak-Gnat Creek Road, the county did not declare an emergency. But efforts to obtain the necessary permit from the Corps of Engineers for the repair work became bogged down by questions over the ownership of the grade, including the discovery of a long-dormant diking district that owned a levee near the railroad grade.
The Corps has jurisdiction over all in-water work in the Columbia River system.
While it has no authority over the railroad line or grade, Clatsop County took the lead in coordinating the permitting process in make sure nearby county assets like Ziak-Gnat Creek Road are protected, said Ed Wegner, Transportation and Development Services Director. During very high tides, the inflowing water often rises up to the edge of the roadway.
“We facilitated it to preserve our roads and protect our citizens,” he said.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Clatsop County Dist. Atty runs again....
Joshua Marquis has just started his 17th year as Clatsop County's top prosecutor and has filed to run for his fifth full term.
Appointed by then-Governor Barbara Roberts in 1994, Marquis won a contested race later that year. He was re-elected without opposition in 1998, 2002, 2006 and now in the 2010 election of May 18.
"I have never taken the job for granted," Marquis said after learning that he is un-opposed again. "I hope that means my constituents have high regard for the job the people in the DA's office are doing to make Clatsop County a safer place, which according to the latest state health benchmarks is true.
In anticipation of the election, Marquis purchased space in the State voter's pamphlet. He received endorsements from Oregon Attorney General John Kroger, Sheriff Tom Bergin, and Pat Burness, director of Clatsop County's Women's Resource Center.
The Clatsop County DA's office files hundreds of felony and misdemeanor cases each year. Most trials are handled by his six deputies, but Marquis enjoys the practice of law and appears for the State at jury trials on a fairly regular basis. Most days he takes the "one-fifteens," the hearings that begin at 1:15 p.m. each afternoon to address new cases, setting initial trial dates and conditions of bail. "It's a great opportunity to stay closely in touch with the office's workload and with community challenges."
Marquis also enjoys policy-making and considers it an important role, one that he claims a "luxury" because of his "outstanding staff," lead by Chief Deputy Ron Brown and Office Manager Lori Johnson. "The criminal justice system is almost continually under attack, from pop culture stereotypes to legislative impediments against sentencing, victims' rights and inadequate funding of public safety at the state level. There's always room for improving the system itself and also a great need to educate about the realities of law and order. Justice is a work in progress," Marquis said.
Marquis has a leadership role on the Executive Committee of the National District Attorneys Association (NDAA) , was appointed last year to the Criminal Law Section of the American Bar Association, and serves on the board of directors of the Animal Legal Defense Fund. He is frequently asked to speak to prosecutors and law students, and to engage in debates with criminal defense colleagues. The NDAA just appointed Marquis as the United States delegate to the International Association of Prosecutors although
Marquis stressed that none of his out-of-state travel is paid for by county taxpayers.
Marquis maintains a website, coastda.com, at his own expense and with his wife's expertise. It includes commentaries on justice, the media, pop culture and the law, and an extensive archive of his published writings. One section, Ask The DA, gives people a chance to ask questions, anonymously if they wish, with the caveat that he can't and won't comment on pending cases or give specific legal advice. He's gotten questions from Seaside and from South Africa. His best advice: "Do as Chris Rock says and 'O-bey the law!'"
Monday, March 8, 2010
Corps seeks comments on Lincoln City permit application
PORTLAND, ORE. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is seekking comments on an application for a permit to conduct work in waters of the United States.
Public Notice NWP-2008-728 is a proposal by the city of Lincoln City, Ore. to conduct maintenance dredging and associated side casting of accumulated sediments in the D-River. The project is located in Lincoln City, Ore. and its purpose is to restore fish passage and maintain an open, flowing channel.
The Corps is soliciting comments on this proposal from the public; federal, state and local agencies; Indian Tribes; and other interested parties. The public notice with more information is available at http://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/op/g/public.asp. Comments must be received by April 2.
The Corps will issue or deny this permit under authority of Section 404 of the Clean Water Act for discharge or fill material into waters of the United States, and/or under authority of Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 for work in or affecting navigable waters of the United States.
Public Notice NWP-2008-728 is a proposal by the city of Lincoln City, Ore. to conduct maintenance dredging and associated side casting of accumulated sediments in the D-River. The project is located in Lincoln City, Ore. and its purpose is to restore fish passage and maintain an open, flowing channel.
The Corps is soliciting comments on this proposal from the public; federal, state and local agencies; Indian Tribes; and other interested parties. The public notice with more information is available at http://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/op/g/public.asp. Comments must be received by April 2.
The Corps will issue or deny this permit under authority of Section 404 of the Clean Water Act for discharge or fill material into waters of the United States, and/or under authority of Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 for work in or affecting navigable waters of the United States.
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