WHAT WE’RE ALSO HEARING ABOUT

Farm Implement Store on Ehlen Road

The Marion County Planning Department has granted Conditional Use Approval to an application filed by Fisher Implement to build a farm implement and repair facility on Ehlen Road, west of I-5.

The property is located on the north side of Ehlen Road NE, 1,900 feet west of the intersection with Interstate 5, and is being sold by the Haener family. Approval is predicated on subdividing a present 89 acre parcel into two pieces: an 80 acre parcel to continue as farm land, and a 9 acre parcel on which the facility is to be built.

The CUP approval has significant conditions and restrictions:

• The primary purpose is the sale and repair of farm equipment, and sale of other products (such as landscaping equipment) cannot exceed 10% of total sales.
• Water and sewage……
• The facility must provide adequate right of way, set back and off-street parking using a single drive way.
• The applicant’s Traffic Impact Analysis estimates the facility will generate an additional 328 trips per day on Ehlen Road.

Download the entire Conditional Use Permit Notice of Decision in PDF

Donald UBG Expansion

A developer is working with the City of Donald and Marion County to purchase and develop a 35 acre piece on the north side of Donald, located on Butteville Road for the purpose of constructing a warehouse-industrial park. Approval would require the expansion of the City of Donald UGB to include this property, and traffic mitigation to handle the greatly increased traffic. At present this project appears to be in discussion stages related to traffic mitigation and expansion of the City of Donald UGB.

Willamette National Cemetery Expansion on French Prairie
 
In a recent Oregonian article, the expansion needs of Willamette National Cemetery were described.  Expansion property adjoining the current cemetery is limited, an alternative Federal property used to be a firing range near Vancouver and would be expensive to clean up, but a third alternative being considered is flat farm land in French Prairie, on the east side of Exit 278.

Cemetery looks for nearby expansion…
Apri 14, 2008
[Download PDF here]

Big, out-of-state money pushing development in Umatilla County

On June 20, The Capital Press reported on Robert Klein’s lawsuit against the Seven Hills vineyard group who have succeeded in getting zoning and land use laws changed in Umatilla County to divide 160 acre EFU parcels into 40 acre parcels favoring vineyards.  According to Klein, the problem is the impact on wheat farming and the aquifer, but potentially worst of all, how it will change the economy and cultural complexion of Umatilla County.
[Download PDF here]

On the other hand, as is often the case, there is more to the story than meets the eye.  According to a spokesman for Friends of Umatilla County, the fight is about “what happens when big out-of-state money comes to town and selfishly pushes its weight around for financial gain.”  He raises interesting questions about how this happened, directed at the Governor’s office, state and local economic development agencies, water resources departments, local city councils and the County Board of Commissioners.
[Download PDF here]

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