| The
Latest News News From CFF News Releases - 2002 |
| Our Goal: To improve the livability of Florence through public education and community involvement. |
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subject, CFF agrees that an appeal to the State Land Use Board of Appeals at this level of the process is not appropriate. The city provided no public notice of the approval, and CFF had to file the Notice of Intent to Appeal before completing our research in order to preserve appeal rights. Usually, appeals of land use decisions must be initiated within 21 days of the decision. However, unlike other City Council actions, annexation decisions are ultimately made by the Lane County Boundary Commission, not individual city. CFF intends to request a public hearing at such time as the City actually submits the annexation to the Commission for approval - something they have not yet done. The annexation does not take effect until approved by the Boundary Commission. There are also a number of other Florence annexation requests which are awaiting City Council approval - and which do not require the city to give any public notice before proceeding. CFFs previous comments about this annexation: http://www.citizensforflorence.com/City/city-com-comdev1.html
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Citizens For Florence Files Objection
to Proposed Changes to Florence Comprehensive Plan
Citizens For Florence, a local community group, filed objections to proposed changes in the Florence Comprehensive Plan on February 28. The objection, filed with the Department of Land Conservation and Development, contends the changes to the comprehensive plan proposed by the City violate statewide land use laws.
Zane Ziemer, CFF president, said, “Some of the changes made by the City
show an increased awareness of the value this community places on livability.
And enhancing the livability of Florence is what CFF is all about.
Unfortunately, there are also many changes which would negatively effect
the livability of Florence by increasing taxes, water rates, development
fees, traffic and pollution, and decreasing the very quality of life that
brought most of our residents
here in the first place.”
According to Ziemer, CFF’s objections stem primarily from the City’s efforts to increase sprawl along Hwy. 101 and expand the Urban Growth Boundary without sufficient legal basis.CFF also wants the city to adopt a wellhead protection ordinance, conduct a needs analysis before expanding the UGB, create four Neighborhood Nodes for small-scale commercial development, prevent more traffic near the community’s schools, adopt a Dune Transition Plan to deal with the open sand dune behind Fred Meyer retail complex, stop the northward sprawl along Hwy. 101, encourage infill of vacant and underutilized commercial and industrial lands before expanding city boundaries, delay annexations until the community has sufficient water to serve the properties, creation of a Living Wage Ordinance, and smaller-scale commercial development near residential areas.
“As with all modern families who are wisely limiting the size of their family,” says Ziemer, “the City needs to recognize that ‘bigger is not always better’, and change the way it views growth.” According to Ziemer, “Florence employs what I would term, ‘market-driven planning’ - in other words, decisions based not on long-range planning for the existing community, but on reaction to profit-driven development pressures which are often not in the community’s best interest.”
The public has 21 days after the date the City mails notices out to file objections with DLCD. The City of Florence mailed its notice out on January 18, 2002. The Director of DLCD will issue a report which will focus on the issues raised in valid objections or DLCD concerns. The Director’s decision can be appealed to the Land Conservation and Development Commission.
The full text of CFF’s objections can be found on their web page at CFF Objections.
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