Arch Cape speculative roads appealed

[From the Oregon Coast Alliance’s May 2021 newsletter.]

Arch Cape, the small community nestled at the very southern end of Clatsop County, has a large amount of land east of Highway 101 platted decades ago, without concern for wetlands, rocky areas or other landforms. Most of these old lots are not even buildable; but nevertheless over time some have been purchased.

Recently Clatsop County has seen a “road rush” of applications by some property owners to build speculative roads to their properties on the county’s right-of-way, even though the owners have no plans to develop the properties as of now, and no applications before the county.

Clatsop County has granted permission for several of these speculative roads, erroneously assuming that “access” to property means giving the landowner the right to build a road.

But property access is not the same as a road.

Oregon Coast Alliance and the Arch Cape Falcon Cove Beach Community Club are both concerned about the recent rash of speculative road approvals, because access roads under county ordinance are considered part of a development — not an activity preceding the building of the house.

Both groups are also worried about the increasing number of “roads to nowhere” as these applications are approved. ORCA and the Club have appealed three of the county administrative approvals, and the appeal hearings are scheduled for early June.

For more information on the Oregon Coast Alliance (ORCA), visit https://oregoncoastalliance.org/ .