1. Proposal: Stormwater Management Plan must be implemented before end of year 2002

Rationale: The City is beginning an aggressive wellhead development plan. Protection of the
City’s well fields must be concurrent with development of the well field.  See Document
11-4.

Suggested Language: Page 47, Policies - 1. The City shall implement, through adoption of
ordinances, the recommendations of the Stormwater Management Plan regarding protection of the aquifer for the City’s wellfields(s) before the end of year 2002.

2.   Proposal: Adoption of Wellhead Protection Zone before end of year 2002

Rationale:  Rapid infiltration rates into the sand cover combined with a shallow water table make the North Florence Dunal Aquifer highly susceptible to contamination from surface activity. The new wells and new wellfield must be provided the highest level of protection from contamination. See Document 11-1.

Suggested Language: Page 47, Policies - 2. The City shall review, revise [prepare and] adopt [a] the Wellhead Protection [Program] Ordinance, attached as Appendix   , to protect the aquifer[s] for the existing and potential wellfields, which supply drinking water for the residents of the City by the end of year 2002.

D.  Beaches and Dunes
Page 49

1. Proposal: Protect existing public lands open dunes

Rationale: The easily accessible Cannery Dune, located due west of the Fred Meyer retail complex, presents an excellent opportunity to develop an educational element for the public about dunal ecology.  The 1988 Comprehensive Plan, Policy 3.  language should be retained to protect this valuable community resource.  See Document 5-2.

Suggested Language: Page 50, Policies - 6. The  public lands on the large dune between 35th Street and Heceta Beach Road, shall be preserved as open space to provide wetland habitat and to preserve dune area within the urban area.  Adjacent private lands shall be required to take account of projected sand movement, drainage patterns and adjacent habitat in any development proposal. (Note: this is existing language in 1988 Comprehensive Plan)

2.   Proposal: Develop Dune Transition Plan to maximize life span of Cannery Dune

Rationale: The Cannery Dune area needs protection from encroaching development, and neighboring development needs protection from encroaching sand.  This situation will become even more contentious as the city grows northward along Hwy 101. Development of a plan to protect both interests must be begun now, while there are still options available for a solution which will benefit all.  For example, such a plan could involve stabilization of the leading edge of the dune area with non-spreading vegetation, development of an interpretive center and perhaps trail around the edges of the dune, public access from 46th Street, etc.

Suggested Language: Page 50, Policies - 7.  The City shall develop and adopt a Dune Transition Plan to maximize the life span of the open sand dune area on the large dune between 35th Street and Heceta Beach Road.  The plan shall contain the following components:
    1.  Protection of the open sand area from encroachment by development, vegetation, etc.;
    2.  Protection to adjacent private property from blowing and/or moving sand;
    3.  Coordination with governmental agencies, private landowners, and community groups to provide educational opportunities to the public for exploration of dunal ecology in the Cannery Dune area.

Suggested Language: Page 50, Policies - 8.  Construction of the section of Oak Street that abuts the BLM parcel directly west of the Fred Meyer retail complex (Cannery Dune) will not take place until a Dune Transition Plan is developed and adopted.

G.  Mineral and Aggregate Uses
Page 59

1. Proposal: Policy 3. Must have implementing language, “shall”

Rationale: There is no policy statement in this section.  It should either be re-worded, or placed in the Background section.

Suggested Language: Page 60, [Policies 3.] Background - move Policy 3. to Background section.

2.   Proposal: Spot Zoning Should Not be Included in Plan

Rationale: There is no evidence that aggregate (sand and gravel) cannot be obtained from
other sources outside the city limits.  In fact, Hockema Rock and Gravel in Mapleton is
only about 15 minutes from downtown Florence.  There are numerous retail businesses
inside the city limits which somehow manage to find sufficient sources of “aggregate”
to meet Florence’s needs. The real purpose of this section is to ensure that one sand
mining operation can continue business as usual.  This is poorly disguised  Spot Zoning,
and should not be included in the plan.  The property owner has recently requested that
the parcel, currently zoned residential, be annexed into the city and re-zoned as Limited
Industrial/Commercial.  A recent newspaper interview with the property owner indicates
he intends to sell “ bagged sand, decorative gravels, boulders, flagstone, multiple barks
and soil blends” for landscaping uses, and currently rents sand boards.  (See Documents
5-1, 5-2.) This parcel should either be zoned Commercial, Industrial or Residential, not
as some conglomeration of “Service Industrial” with special conditions attached which
would apply to this parcel only.

Suggested Language: Page 60, Recommendations - Delete Recommendation 2. [2. The City
should research ordinances of other jurisdictions, and draft an amendment to City Code
to allow sand mining as a conditional use subject to special conditions regarding noise, dust, hours of operation, traffic movement, site reclamation and other conditions as appropriate.]

Document List