LUBA REMAND HEARING SEPT 12, 2025

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION NEEDED

A remand hearing on Ordinance 24-14, the LAWDUC Housing Amendments, is being held before the Clatsop County Commissioners on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, at 6 pm. Written comments and testimony from the public are needed, as well as community members at the hearing. Attendance is via zoom or in person.

As many will recall, Clatsop County in November 2024 adopted a set of zoning ordinance changes known as the Housing Amendments. There was substantial opposition within our community to some of the changes, most significantly the reduction in minimum buildable lot size from 7500 sq’ to 5000 sq’ in Arch Cape and other rural residential communities. 

Oregon Coast Alliance (ORCA) filed an appeal from this legislative action, asserting that the County had failed to perform a cumulative impact analysis as required by Oregon’s statewide land use planning laws. A county seeking to re-zone its unincorporated areas must show that increasing density will not result in public safety hazards, adverse environmental impacts, or exceeding the carrying capacity of the soil or existing water supply resources and sewer services. The County argued this requirement was satisfied by requiring sign-offs by the water, sanitary and fire districts at the time a property owner applies for a new development permit.

In May 2025 LUBA remanded the case to Clatsop County for further proceedings. LUBA held that the County could not increase density and make determinations about public health and safety and environmental carrying capacity through individual lot-by-lot determinations. Instead, the County must undertake a legitimate study of the environmental vulnerabilities and health and safety problems before it can increase density in any of the communities.

Following the remand, ORCA sent a letter to the County addressing the issue: 

Clatsop County needs to undertake several kinds of studies across the unincorporated communities to make the necessary determinations that will lead to ordinance changes that would effectively encourage density in appropriate locations. These include a buildable lot inventory; accurate forecasts for local residential population change; storm water drainage and capacity studies; and independent traffic studies. In addition, the County needs to collaborate with the various special districts supplying water and sanitary services to establish and monitor capacity. As the county’s four unincorporated communities are each quite different from one another, these studies must look at the situation in each unincorporated community.

In Supplemental Findings which the Commissioners will consider at the remand hearing, the County reiterates its position that a lot-by-lot assessment should suffice and includes hundreds of pages of decades-old agreements with the Special Districts, The County’s Supplemental Findings can be viewed here at pages 711-719:

https://mccmeetings.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net/clatsopco-pubu/MEET-Agenda-d387398ffba045028956fdc42eacbb7e.pdf 

The zoom link for the meeting is embedded in the link above.

Written comments should be sent via email to commissioners@clatsopcounty.gov. Include a request that the comments be entered into the official record. Comments will be accepted until the close of the public hearings.

Please Note: Individuals wishing to provide oral comments at the designated meeting time must register in advance by calling (503) 325-1000 or by emailing the Clerk of the Board at commissioners@clatsopcounty.gov by 3:00 PM on the day of the meeting. 

What does it take to run a city?

Webinar with League of Oregon Cities and city managers from comparable communities.

https://econw.zoom.us/j/83177159108

Fire season will begin in Clatsop County on Monday, June 23rd.  This affects all lands, both public and private, in Northwest Oregon.   Open debris burning will not be allowed and burn barrels require a permit through Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) or your local fire department.

What: Casual social event with friends, cookies, and beverages.

Topic: Be 6 Weeks Ready.

Panel Discussion: Arch Cape and Falcon Cove are isolated in emergency events like storms, flooding, fires and potentially earthquake and tsunami, making YOU the first responder, especially in a region wide event. Come meet some of the people helping to lessen the effects of an emergency.
- Lila Wickham and Diane Matson, Medical Reserve Corps (MRC)
- Carl Matson, Sunset Empire Amateur Radio Club (SEARC)
- Dale Mosby, Arch Cape Emergency Committee (ACEC)
- Jeff Davis, CONEX Box Siting
- Mary Beth Cottle, Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)

Sponsor: ACFCBCC Emergency Preparedness Committee

RESPOND: Please send email by 6/9/2025 to ACFCBCC@gmail.com to let us know you will join us and how many will be in your party.

Presentation on Arch Cape Incorporation

Bring your own favorite dish and join us for an evening with friends and neighbors and an opportunity to meet the Fire Chief.

ALL are encouraged to attend - children are welcome.

See you there!

Please Help Keep Our Community Beautiful!

Meet at St. Peter the Fisherman Church, 79441 US Highway 101

The Arch Cape Falcon Cove Community Club organizes a trash pickup on Highway 101 on the day of each regular meeting. Each time we do this, the volume of trash collected is large. Your participation in this regular event makes an important contribution to the beauty of our community.

·       Reflective vests and trash grabbers are provided

·       Please bring gloves

All Volunteers Are Welcome!

VARIANCE APPLICATION #186-25-000096-PLNG
VARIANCE - Profitt Setbacks | Clatsop County OR can be viewed here.
Public Hearing Notice with ZOOM Link can be viewed here.

Presentation and Q&A Session with Cannon Beach Fire Chief Marc Reckman

Bring your own favorite dish and join us for an evening with friends and neighbors and an opportunity to meet the Fire Chief.

ALL are encouraged to attend - children are welcome.

See you there!

Please Help Keep Our Community Beautiful!

Meet at St. Peter the Fisherman Church, 79441 US Highway 101

The Arch Cape Falcon Cove Community Club organizes a trash pickup on Highway 101 on the day of each regular meeting. Each time we do this, the volume of trash collected is large. Your participation in this regular event makes an important contribution to the beauty of our community.

·       Reflective vests and trash grabbers are provided

·       Please bring gloves

All Volunteers Are Welcome!

View and download the flyer here.

• NO RESCUE PERSONNEL OR LIFE GUARDS WILL BE ON DUTY AT THE SITE!

• SWIM OR WADE IN THE OCEAN AT YOUR OWN RISK!

• Start time of the event is determined by Tide and Wave conditions.

• Annual UNOFFICIAL and INFORMAL gathering in Arch Cape

• This is NOT a Community Club Event

• Most people have fun and many dogs are usually present.

Organized by the Cannon Beach Fire & Rescue Association
We need your help to spread the holiday cheer to all in our dear community.

Gather your goods and place them in a bag. Santa and his elves will be driving around picking up nonperishable foods, winter clothes and personal hygiene products for those in need.

Santa will ride by your house in Arch Cape or Falcon Cove in his special rig on Dec. 10.

Listen for the sounds of music to make your way out with your bags or boxes of goods

Elves will be handing out candy canes to all donors!

Click Here to view and download the Poster!

The Neah-Kah-Nie High School Choir will perform at our annual holiday potluck dinner and will join us for dinner following their performance.
At this event, we will also be collecting canned goods for a local food bank.

• When: Saturday, November 16, 2024 6pm

• Where: Arch Cape Fire Station

• What to bring:

• Please bring your favorite holiday dish and celebrate the season with your friends and neighbors. Since we will be having guests for dinner (the students and their families), please consider making your favorite holiday dish in larger-than-usual container.

• Please bring a few canned goods for our contribution to local food bank

Please Help Keep Our Community Beautiful!

Meet at St. Peter the Fisherman Church, 79441 US Highway 101

The Arch Cape Falcon Cove Community Club organizes a trash pickup on Highway 101 on the day of each regular meeting. Each time we do this, the volume of trash collected is large. Your participation in this regular event makes an important contribution to the beauty of our community.

·       Reflective vests and trash grabbers are provided

·       Please bring gloves

All Volunteers Are Welcome!

This forum will be moderated by the club president, Bob Boehmer.

Casey Short, Sanitary District board president, will make a brief presentation about this bond measure followed by questions and comments from attendees. The community club is not taking a position on the bond measure - the idea is simply to provide a forum to enable the community to learn and to express their opinions.

Please refer to pages 22 - 23 in the Voter’s Pamphlet that can be viewed here.

The Cannon Beach Fire & Rescue Association has scheduled their 77th annual Ham Dinner  October 12th from 5- 8 pm at the Cannon Beach Conference Center.  The event flyer can be viewed and downloaded here.

If a natural disaster hits your area, we want you and your family to be prepared.
Join us, Saturday, September 28, 2024 for an event that will help you GET READY!

• Talk with local experts to learn about preparedness for various kinds of emergencies.

• The first 300 people will receive a FREE LUNCH!

• Enter to win prizes.

• The first 100 families will also receive a free preparedness item.

DIRECTIONS: From HWY 101, turn into Camp Rilea near milepost 7. Proceed on Patriot Way. Be ready to show ID at the gate.

The event flyer can be viewed and downloaded here.

Potluck Dinner and Presentation about Oregon State University Extension Master Gardener™ Program

Advice from our Master Gardeners

·       Learn about the Master Gardener Program.

·       Hear which ACFCB plants are suggested by the master gardeners for people and wildlife.

·       Your chance to ask questions about what will work best at your property.

Bring your favorite dish and join us for an evening with friends and neighbors and an opportunity to learn about the community we all love. See you there!

ALL ARE ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND.

CHILDREN ARE WELCOME!

Please Help Keep Our Community Beautiful!

Meet at St. Peter the Fisherman Church, 79441 US Highway 101

The Arch Cape Falcon Cove Community Club organizes a trash pickup on Highway 101 on the day of each regular meeting. Each time we do this, the volume of trash collected is large. Your participation in this regular event makes an important contribution to the beauty of our community.

·       Reflective vests and trash grabbers are provided

·       Please bring gloves

All Volunteers Are Welcome!

What: Casual social event with friends, food, and beverages.

Topic: DOGAMI’s Tsunami Program: Improving community resilience through science and collaboration

Speaker: Laura (Stimely) Gabel, MS, RG, Coastal Field Geologist, Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI)

Background: The prospect of tsunami striking Arch Cape and Falcon Cove is real. Where should we go if a tsunami strikes and how fast do we need to get there? How will our community respond? What can we do to build the resiliency of this community we love? Families and Visitors having to shelter in place for up to 2 weeks is real. Join us to learn what the needs are and how you can become part of the solution.

Sponsor: ACFCBCC Emergency Preparedness Committee

RESPOND: Please send email by 9/1/2024 to ACFCBCC@gmail.com to let us know you will join us and how many will be in your party.

CLATSOP COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS WORK SESSION VIRTUAL MEETING

Clatsop County has scheduled a Work Session for the Commissioners to consider the public comments on the Housing Amendments. The agenda, materials (including all public comments received), and zoom link can be found below.  Members of the public are NOT allowed to speak at work sessions, but being on the call will let the County know the community has concerns.

The Meeting Packet can be viewed here.

NEW (7/20/2024): Oregon Coast Alliance comments on proposed housing amendments can be viewed here.

NEW (7/18/2024): Community Club public comments on proposed housing amendments can be viewed here.

The  time has come for submission of written public comments for Clatsop County’s proposed zoning changes discussed at the Community Forum back in December 2023 and January 2024 (previously referred to as Ord 23-14).. If you’ve already sent in comments, please re-submit them now or send in additional comments to be sure they are included in the official record. All comments due by JULY 21, 2024.

The changes most relevant to Arch Cape include: 

1. Reduce minimum buildable lot size to 5,000 sq ft (currently 7500 sq ft).

2. Allow triplexes and quadplexes as permitted uses (currently not allowed).

3. Allow multi-family dwellings (5 units or more) in commercial zone (currently not allowed).

4. Allow manufactured home parks in commercial zone (currently not allowed).

5. Allow new public or private road construction as outright use (currently permitted as conditional use with public notice, public comment and right to appeal).

Article 4 - Housing Amendments “red-lined changes” can be viewed here.

Clatsop County response to request for supporting data can be viewed here.

Comments may be mailed to:
Clatsop County Community Development Department
Land Use Planning Division
800 Exchange Street, Suite 100
Astoria, OR 97103

Comments may be submitted via email at:
comdev@clatsopcounty.gov

Clatsop County Website page:
LAWDUC Amendments to Facilitate Housing Construction | Clatsop County OR

Our regular UPS delivery driver, Dave Brady, is retiring.
Dave’s Celebration Poster can be viewed here.
Cannon Beach Gazette article can be viewed here.

Come see the “NEW” Cannon Beach Fire Station
Hotdogs, Chips, and Tours!
See the poster here.

What: Arch Cape - Falcon Cove Beach Community Club annual membership meeting and pot-luck dinner

When: Saturday, May 18, 6:00 PM

Where: St. Peter the Fisherman Church, 79441 US-101, Arch Cape, OR

Topic: The CONEX Box at St. Peter the Fisherman Church and beyond.

Topic: Preparing to protect your pets during a natural disaster

What: Casual social event with hotdogs and beverages provided.

Sponsor: ACFCBCC Emergency Preparedness Committee

Details: The event flyer can be viewed at this link.

Please send email to ACFCBCC@gmail.com to let us know you will join us on March 16 and how many will be in your party.

ARCH CAPE WATER & SANITARY DISTRICTS’ RATE PAYER FORUM

Presidents of the Arch Cape Water and Sanitary Districts are hosting a community forum for rate payers of the Districts.  The two topics are:

1.    An assessment of the State of the Districts and its financial impact 

2.    Further refinement of the options for paying for the ongoing operations costs of the Forest-Watershed, e.g., logging, rate increases, a local option levy or a combination, and a recommended process deciding which option will be used.

What: Arch Cape - Falcon Cove Beach Community Club potluck dinner and presentation

When: Saturday, February 17, 6:00 PM

Where: Arch Cape Fire Station

Presentation: “US-101 at Asbury Creek Project”. The project manager and the resident engineer readily accepted our invitation and are anxious to inform our community about the project and to hear input about the project.

Oregon Department of Transportation : Project-Details : Projects : State of Oregon