Last summer, Oregon Shores filed an appeal of the Rockaway Beach Planning Commission’s approval of a 30 unit-housing development in sensitive wetlands with the Rockaway Beach City Council. After a hearing on the matter where Oregon Shores and a large number of community members turned out to express their concerns with the project, the City Council denied Oregon Shores’ Appeal. Now, Oregon Shores has filed an appeal of that decision with the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals.
The development, which the developer expects will primarily serve as short-term rentals, poses serious harm to the local environment and public safety. Neighbors and community members are concerned that the development would destroy wildlife habitat, increase flooding and drinking water pollution risks, and make the area less safe in a tsunami.
Before the City Council, Oregon Shores argued that the development would violate state land use laws and Rockaway Beach’s own zoning ordinances. Despite getting approval to develop the land in 2008 and completing the first 8 lots, construction of phase two of the project never began. Now, 16 years later, the developer has added 2 more houses to the plan and wants to get started without seeking re-approval of the development plan under current standards. Rockaway Beach’s zoning ordinances also prohibit residential construction in the special wetland zone in which the development site is located, and require mitigation for development that abuts McMillan Creek, which runs through the property.
Oregon Shores is represented in its appeal by Crag Law Center, a non-profit environmental law center serving Pacific Northwest communities. The Land Use Board of Appeals will likely issue a decision on the appeal in several months.
**NCCWP wants no more logging and pesticide use in community water sources across all land ownership, and wants an end to pesticide applications near where people live, work and recreate. Safe drinking water and clean air are part of the public trust that we all are entitled to have. Please help North Coast Communities for Watershed Protection safeguard and restore our drinking watersheds.
Visit www.healthywatershed.org | www.facebook.com/NCCWATERSHEDPROTECTION Contact: rockawaycitizen.water@gmail.com
