By Christy Solo & Wayne Lee – Editor and Sports Editor
Eagle Point
This month saw the city council begin the process of expanding the city’s Urban Growth Boundary thanks to a one-time opportunity presented by SB 1937 which allows a 50-acre expansion. The offer comes with restrictions that the expansion will be primarily for affordable housing for seniors and first-time home buyers.
Three developers made presentations to the council. The most aggressive proposal came from Skycrest Development, the company currently building townhomes along the Eagle Point Golf Course as well as the proposed development of the Old Fire House property downtown.
The Skycrest proposal included 120 low-density homes, 130 medium-density homes and 294 high-density homes. The state also requires a small commercial area (15%) that could include a convenience store and a handful of local businesses. Skycrest’s Tim Wyatt noted his company has spent $26 million already on land acquisition and offered to set aside land for a police and/or fire substation if the city feels the need.
Part of the plan includes a 50 and older community with its own HOA as well as a facility to care for those with memory problems. Wyatt estimated the project could be completed in five to six years.
The meeting also included three appointments to the planning commission. Millie Wewerka was reappointed while Richard Romick and Ryan Hutchinson were first-time members.
Later in the month, Wyatt went before the council to explain the delays in getting plans to the city for the Old Fire House project. The council had already granted three extensions because the project had to be redesigned and reengineered three times due to unforeseen circumstances.
There was also a flurry of appointments of various council members to represent the city on a wide variety of area boards and commissions. The month closed out with the Eagle Point and Central Point police departments presenting a seminar at the Ashpole Center on how to recognize and avoid scams.
Shady Cove
February brought snow to Shady Cove instead of rain, fortunately the demolition and cleanup work on the new city park was all completed just before the snow hit.
Shady Cove City Council had their first reading of the controversial changes to the STR ordinance during their Feb. 6 meeting – with some more controversy thrown in.
During public comment citizens spoke against the compromise of prospective STRs needing 100% agreement from neighbors. Residents felt this would cause bad feelings.
Councilor Paige Winfrey agreed saying “after some thought” she no longer supported the compromise. While still not in favor of limiting zones, Winfrey felt it was “worse forcing people to confront their neighbors.”
Councilor Kathy Nuckles addressed Winfrey saying, “I’m very frustrated with you” because Winfrey had twice voted “yes” on the compromise and now had changed her mind.
The motion for the first reading carried 3/1 with Winfrey as the no vote.
The Feb. 6 meeting also brought the end of written meeting minutes as Mayor Jon Ball announced that per Oregon State Law written minutes were not required if meetings were recorded and the recordings were posted online. One less task for staff to do.
During council comment Councilor Steve Mitchell made a plea for citizens to submit applications for the open council seat vacated by Jim Hubbard in December 2024.
No one applied.
The Feb. 13 planning meeting was the beginning of a rough several months for planning.
It began with the agenda item of finalizing changes to the ordinance definitions of “livestock, pets and bees.”
Commissioner Art Stirling said they had already finalized those changes. Chair John Edwards and Commissioner Bob Collier both said they were unaware they had done so.
The commissioners then made a couple of minor changes. The key change was defining honeybees as livestock which aligns with the federal definition.
The meeting ended on a sad note as Stirling resigned after serving 10 plus years on planning and other city commissions.
Collier would subsequently resign quietly following the Feb. 27 meeting (the March planning meeting and both April planning meetings were cancelled).
The Feb. 20 council meeting showed the beginning signs of problems with other committees as the Emergency Management Committee asked for a joint workshop with council and Fire District 4.
Recreation and Tourism Chair Mary Pulcini advised council that it was becoming difficult to find volunteers for events.
Council itself was making progress on the new park. They began seeking grants for the park and recounted a successful park town hall held Feb. 11. The town hall was attended by 38 citizens giving their very best ideas for what they’d like to see in the new park.
The second reading of the STR ordinance happened without further discourse.
The Feb. 27 planning meeting centered on two discussions. The first was about the possibility of the city limiting the number of “similar type” businesses near “youth facilities” (i.e. smoke shops). Commissioners had no clear, agreed upon definition of “youth facilities” nor were they familiar with Oregon State Law regarding smoke shops.
They further discussed limiting other types of businesses with Edwards saying, “How many beauty parlors can the city sustain? Or secondhand stores?”
Commissioners then discussed the city’s limited parking. Edwards said he brought the topic up as an “FYI” so commissioners could “study up” in case a proposal to look into solutions came from council to planning.
In other February Oregon news, the state increased rewards for reporting poachers and bird flu continued to be a problem for cats as the raw cat food from a local pet food distributor became tainted with bird flu and several cats had to be euthanized.
