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CFF
Annual Reports
1998 Report |
| Our Goal: To improve
the livability of Florence through public education and community involvement. |
| |
1998 Annual Report
This annual report is our way of letting you know what we’ve accomplished
this past year. We do not claim to represent all of Florence - it would be
impossible for one organization to represent all the various interests that
make up our community.
Despite the rumors, we’re not a “no growth” organization. Our goal is
to make sure that the decisions made about Florence’s future are sound, and
based on fact, not fantasy.
We make every effort to ensure the information we share with the community
is as accurate and timely as possible. If you see errors on any of our pages,
please let us know.
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In the last year, we have been very busy.
We:
- Researched and produced six newsletters for the public, Planning Commission
and City Council.
- Alerted the public to the amount of raw or partially treated sewage
being dumped in the Siuslaw River, and the need to support the City’s efforts
to build a new sewage treatment system.
- Hosted a public slide presentation to discuss issues we had researched
about the planning for Florence’s growth.
- Provided books on planning for a “livable” city to the City Council
members.
- Prepared press releases on upcoming public meetings of interest to
Florence residents.
- Provided speakers for various community organizations and radio debates.
- Provided copies of a video on community responses to strip development
in Bend and Sisters to the City Council members.
- Attended City Council, Planning Commission, Rural Development Initiative,
Budget Committee, and other meetings dealing with issues of interest to the
Florence community.
- Provided testimony on Comprehensive Plan update and other issues of
interest to residents of Florence.
- On numerous occasions, we have met with city, state and federal officials
on many of the issues facing our community, such as stormwater runoff, traffic
congestion, and planning for growth; and
- Gave testimony at City Council and Planning Commission meetings on
topics ranging from land use to videotaping City Council meetings.
- Co-sponsored a non-partisan Public Forum on an upcoming election ballot
measure (20-95) on voting on annexations. Other sponsors were Florence Democratic
Club and Lane County League of Women Voters.
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Florence Wastewater Facilities Plan
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In 1997, we reviewed and commented on the Wastewater Facilities Plan as it
was being developed, and participated in work sessions with the City’s engineering
consultants, Brown and Caldwell. Through this process, we became aware that
alternatives to the proposed $18 million conventional mechanical system had
not been thoroughly investigated. So we investigated.
We provided copies of an Environmental Protection Agency video to each
City Council Member and City staff. The video was about other communities
that use constructed wetlands to treat sewage. We also hosted a public Night
at the Movies at the library and showed a League of Women Voters video on
wetlands rehabilitation in Eugene along with the EPA video on constructed
wetlands for sewage treatment. (We also showed a video produced by local
residents about flooding experienced in parts of the Florentine Estates area.)
We produced and distributed a newsletter, Wastewater Treatment Plant Newsletter
, on the past and expected costs of the proposed mechanical system. We obtained
and distributed information from a report by Eben Fodor, a community planning
consultant. Mr. Fodor’s report indicated the possible costs to each taxpayer
and homeowner for the mechanical system.
- The end result of all this effort was the City’s recognition that
an alternative (a combination of ponds and mechanical) sewage system would
most likely be cheaper to build and maintain. One unexpected benefit was
the possibility that the ponds will process sludge from the mechanical part
of the system, the end result being NO sewage sludge. Sewage sludge disposal
has become a huge problem for cities all across America, including Florence.
Other
Communities Solutions contains examples of other cities who have come
up with innovative, and cheaper, alternatives to traditional mechanical systems.
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We reviewed the background documents submitted
to the Planning Commission for the design of the Fred Meyer complex. In addition
to our concerns about the overall design, we are particularly concerned about
the stormwater runoff, our infrastructure, the traffic, and the sand dune
(See Dune Article )
- We appealed the Planning Commission approval to the City Council.
The City Council agreed with many of our objections, and returned the matter
to the Planning Commission for a more thorough review. The Planning Commission
will held more public hearings in March, and the City Council approved the
proposed development in May. Our position on the Fred Meyer complex is set
out in our Letter to the Editor
, dated March 30, 1998.
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Public Access to Cannery Dune
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We became aware that the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) was contemplating
disposing of 40 acres of open dunes at the north end of town. These are the
dunes that are visible as you drive north on Highway 101. The developer for
Fred Meyer is asking BLM to let them “stabilize” a strip 1/4 mile long and
150 feet wide. The City is asking BLM to give the whole 40 acres to the City
for the purpose of, among other things, extending Oak Street north through
the dune area and because they are considering putting in wells on the land
(right next to the City’s planned 15+ acre sewage treatment ponds).
We were concerned about both the Fred Meyer and the City proposals because
they would require stabilization (planting of European beach grass) and effectively
destroy the only living dune visible inside the City limits. We think this
dune, and the view of the dune, is of great importance, not only to the residents
of Florence, but to the tourists who visit the area every year.
- We have asked the BLM to not transfer the property to anyone, and
to keep the dunes as they are, open and alive. If, and only if, they decide
they must dispose of the land, then we have asked them to let Citizens for
Florence buy the property. If we buy the property, there will be a number
of deed restrictions, such as requirements that the property not be resold,
leased, given or in any way transferred to any private party. The property
could not be used in any “for profit” manner. The property could not be developed
in any way, other than the construction of a 4’ x 6’ interpretive sign. We
would purchase the property through grants and donations from other nonprofit
organizations and local residents. Our goal would be to purchase an access
right-of-way for the public from an adjacent private property owner so that
the public would no longer have to trespass on private property to gain access
to the dunes. We would, of course, prefer that the BLM just keep the land
as it is. An article which appeared in the April 1998 Oregon Shores Conservation
Coalition, Is Your Dune For Sale? ,
illustrates one local resident's point of view.
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Videotaping Public Meetings
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We researched the feasibility of the City providing videotapes of City Council
meetings for rebroadcast on the local cable station. We presented our request
and financial and technical information to the Council, and they agreed to
fund the project for a six-month trial period.
Council meetings, which are normally held on the first and third Monday
of each month, are aired on Falcon Cable’s channel 61. Tapes can also be borrowed
from the Siuslaw Public Library:
Channel 61, Falcon Cable Rebroadcast of Council Meetings
- Thursday 6:00 p.m.
- Friday 9:00 a.m.
- Saturday 9:00 a.m.
- Sunday 6:00 p.m.
- Other Public Meetings: Other organizations are sponsoring videotaping
of City public hearings and other special meetings through donations to the
City. If you are interested in sponsoring a particular videotaping, contact
City Hall.
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We were initially concerned about the size and location of the proposed outlet
mall. We researched a myriad of issues including possible effects a 40-store
regional retail center would have on traffic, city services (water, sewer,
etc.), stormwater runoff, existing businesses, and jobs. We gathered information
from informal phone surveys of communities where existing outlet malls are
operating, state and federal government agencies, and local and national
experts in the fields of hydrology, wetlands, municipal finance, land use
law, and city water and sewer systems.
The original outlet mall proposal was changed, due, in part, to the information
we provided to the public and the Planning Commission. However, after reviewing
the conditions the Planning Commission imposed, we saw that they did not
go far enough in addressing concerns we had raised. The Oregon Department
of Land Conservation and Development agreed. We appealed the approval to
the City Council.
After lengthy and involved testimony and hearings, the City Council approved
the proposal. Again, we saw that the approval did not address many of the
concerns raised by the public or state agencies involved, and we filed an
appeal to the Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA). We are confident that LUBA
will confirm our assessment of the fatal flaws in the City Council’s land
use and zone change decision, and will require the City to reverse its findings.
Our goal in this process is to make sure of two things:
1. City planning changes are based on law and fact, not salesmanship
and empty promises, and
- 2. The full financial and lifestyle impact on the existing residents
of Florence of any large scale development receives proper attention and
concern.
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