City Council
City of Florence
P.O. Box 340
Florence, Oregon 97439

     RE:  Comprehensive Plan

Ladies and Gentlemen:

On behalf of Citizens For Florence, I would first and foremost request the City Council extend the comment period.  The following circumstances are the basis for this request:

1.   All during the Planning Commission public hearings period, requests were made for the various supporting documents (appendices) and information left blank in the comprehensive plan.  The Planning Commission apparently determined that the supporting documentation was unnecessary to complete their review, and forwarded the draft to the City Council in its incomplete form.  My point is this - the information you are reviewing is NOT exactly the same as that which the Planning Commission and the public previously reviewed. Therefore you should not assume that the public has already had ample time and opportunity to review the comprehensive plan.

2.   A complete (sans appendices) copy of the Comprehensive Plan was not available to the public until 5:00 pm, Friday, July 28 - only two working days before the hearing.

3.   Although many of the appendices were “ready” for the Council to review on Friday, July 28, no copies for the public were available until the morning of Monday, July 30.

4.   As of July 31, the Planning Department did not have the following appendices available for the public:

      a.  City of Florence CIP
      b.  City of Florence Stormwater Management Plan
      c.  City of Florence Transit Plan
      d.  Commercial Lands Inventory

5.   As of July 31, the Table of Contents which listed the necessary appendices was changed dramatically from that which was provided to the public on July 28.  The following documents were not on the original list of supporting documents:

           Industrial Lands Inventory - Update
           Commercial Lands Inventory
           Transportation Systems Plan
           City of Florence Transit Plan
           Draft Joint Agreement for Planning Coordination Between Lane County and the City

6.   As of this date, August 3, the commercial lands inventory is still not completed, and therefore is not available for public inspection.  I have been informed that the inventory is being still being compiled and the analysis is still being drafted.

Because of all the missing information, it is not possible for us to complete a meaningful review of the comprehensive plan before tonight’s hearing.  In an abundance of caution, however, we are including a copy of all comments previously submitted to the Planning Commission, and request that these be considered as part of our testimony before the City Council this evening.

I am aware that a combination of the City Councils mandated timetable and various unforseen, and unavoidable staffing problems have contributed to this situation.  However, State Land Use Goals are replete with requirements for adequate public review before hearings are held.  A simple solution to this problem exists - give the public at least 21 days from the date all appendices and supporting documents are available to the public before closing the public comment period.  We hereby request that the City Council do so.

Thank you,

Zane Ziemer
President

cc:  William Sherlock, Esq. (w/o attachments)
       Department of Land Conservation and Development (w/o attachments)

Attached:

6/1/00 - Letter to Florence Planning Commission (5 pages) w/attachments (13 pages)
6/6/00 - Letter to Florence Planning Commission (3 pages)
6/8/00 - Letter to Florence Planning Commission (7 pages) w/attachments  (3 pages)
6/15/00 - Letter to Florence Planning Commission (7 pages) w/attachments  (5 pages)
6/15/00 - Letter to Florence Planning Commission (2 pages) - Comprehensive Plan Update
6/15/00 - Letter to Florence Planning Commission (2 pages) - Comments and Request
6/19/00 - Letter to Florence Planning Commission (1 pages) w/attachments (40 pages)