Oregon Coast Alliance

IN 2022 OREGON COAST ALLIANCE (ORCA) CONTINUED TO WORK ON SHORT TERM RENTAL POLICIES (STRS). THIS INCLUDED ASSISTING CLATSOP COUNTY RESIDENTS IN DOING THE PAPERWORK AND GETTING BALLOT FORMS CORRECTLY DONE FOR PLACING A MEASURE ON THE BALLOT TO REPEAL BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS DECISION ALLOWING STRS IN ALL RURAL ZONES COUNTYWIDE; TESTIFIED AGAINST, AND ASSISTED CURRY COUNTY RESIDENTS IN TESTIFYING AGAINST AN STR LEGISLATIVE PROPOSAL TO OPEN ALL CURRY COUNTY RURAL ZONES TO STRS; WORKED WITH LINCOLN COUNTY RESIDENTS ON STRATEGIES DEALING WITH THE AFTERMATH OF A BALLOT MEASURE AND A COURT CASE ON STRS. ORCA ALSO COLLABORATED EXTENSIVELY WITH MANZANITA RESIDENTS CONCERNING A LARGE, MULTI-BUILDING HOTEL/STR COMPLEX PROPOSED IN THE MIDDLE OF A RESIDENTIAL AREA, HELPING RESIDENTS PREPARE TESTIMONY AND SUBMITTING TESTIMONY TO BOTH THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND CITY COUNCIL POINTING OUT THE MANY WAYS THE PROPOSAL DID NOT MEET THE LAND USE LAWS OR THE MANZANITA ORDINANCES. ORCA MONITORED THE ONGOING STATE WORKGROUP DRAFTING THE ADMINISTRATIVE RULES TO IMPLEMENT NEW STATE LAW REGULATING SUBMARINE CABLES, AND BEGAN COLLABORATING WITH LOCAL RESIDENTS ON A NEW CABLE PROPOSED TO LAND IN SOUTHERN TILLAMOOK COUNTY, THE WINEMA AMAZON CABLE, WHICH BEGAN HEARINGS BEFORE TILLAMOOK COUNTY IN DECEMBER. ORCA WROTE TESTIMONY AND BEGAN COLLABORATING WITH LOCAL RESIDENTS IN COOS COUNTY SOUTH OF BANDON TO OPPOSE THE NEW RIVER GOLF COURSE DESIRED BY THE OWNER OF THE BANDON DUNES GOLF RESORT: A 300-ACRE NEW GOLF COURSE DIRECTLY ADJACENT TO BANDON STATE PARK, SANDWICHED BETWEEN SAND DUNES AND CRANBERRY FARMS. ORCA TESTIFIED BEFORE THE COOS COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION IN DECEMBER, REMINDING DECISION-MAKERS THAT THE APPLICANT HAD TRIED BEFORE TO PLACE A GOLF COURSE AT THIS LOCATION, AND THERE WERE THEN MANY UNANSWERED QUESTIONS, ESPECIALLY ABOUT GROUNDWATER SUPPLY TO AREA FARMS. COLLABORATED WITH SEVERAL OTHER COMMUNITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS TO OPPOSE A PROPOSAL BY THE OREGON DEPT. OF TRANSPORTATION TO MINE 300,000 TONS OF ROCK FROM A PIECE OF FEDERAL LAND IN VERY RURAL CURRY COUNTY CONTAINING OLD GROWTH FOREST AND MUCH BOTANICAL DIVERSITY. TESTIMONY AND ASSISTANCE TO LOCAL RESIDENTS IN THEIR TESTIMONY RESULTED IN THE AGENCY CANCELING THE PROJECT FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE. ORCA CONTINUED ITS WORK IN WHEELER, OPPOSING PROJECTS BY A DEVELOPER ON OLD FILL LAND, NOW ZONED FOR INDUSTRIAL PURPOSES, THAT SITS ON NEHALEM BAY. WE PROVIDED TESTIMONY AND ASSISTED RESIDENTS WITH THEIRS AT SEVERAL HEARINGS ON BOTH A PROPOSED FISH PROCESSING PLANT AND A PROPOSED HOTEL PLUS COMMUNITY BUILDING/RESTAURANT ON THE PROPERTY. ORCA COLLABORATED FURTHER WITH THE RESIDENTS OF TIERRA DEL MAR, A TINY UNINCORPORATED COMMUNITY, TO CONTINUE OPPOSITION OF THE TREEHOUSE COMMERCIAL CAMPGROUND, WRITING TESTIMONY AND ASSISTING COMMUNITY MEMBERS, FOR HEARINGS BEFORE THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS.