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Siuslaw News Florence, Oregon Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Number 11 • 133 years

Council adopts amended ordinance for transitional housing By TONY REED Siuslaw News

March starts with weird weather SIUSLAW NEWS STAFF

A cold snap over the first weekend of March brought a variety of weather anomalies to Florence, ranging from rain to snow to hail, to wind, to frost and even some lightning and thunder over just a few days. Monday Morning, March 4, residents woke to see large snowflakes piling up. In Florence, crews

immediately went to work clearing snow from local roads. On 36th Street, off Highway 101, a tree was uprooted and fell across the entire street. No damages were caused and the tree was cleared soon afterward. Motorists driving on Highway 126 in the 18 to 14 mile marker range, saw several vehicles had skidded off the road or were stuck. Highway 126 was closed for

some time to allow snow clearing. Remaining clouds produced some awesome sunsets over Florence that evening. Snow melted by the afternoon, but the following evening, residents were awakened to the sound of hail piling up on rooftops. By morning, hail and frost remained piled up on cars and rooftops.

While skies cleared somewhat Monday and Tuesday, temperatures remained mostly in the 40s into the week. Traffic had to be diverted to one lane of Heceta Beach Road Tuesday while crews worked to pump and clear floodwaters over the roadway. Residents set their clocks forward an hour on March 10 and the first official day of Spring is March 19.

Commission continues trail design hearing Highway 126 with trailheads on both Redwood and Quince streets.” Showing an aerial map of the site, The Florence Planning Farley Campbell said the trail would Commission chose to continue a run between what was the old midConditional Use Permit application dle school property, but has come for the City of Florence to construct to be known as the hotel property a woodland trail to connect Highway across the street from the Florence 126 to Quince Street, across event center. As proposed, the trail from the Florence Events Center. would be just over a quarter mile Commissioners spent 2.5 hours long. hearing and considering the 90-page “The trail is proposed to use report from City staff. the Highway 126 sidewalk and Community Development Director go down to Redwood for a new Wendy Farley Campbell gave a hissidewalk would be put in starting tory of the proposed Trail going back along the base of the hill and then to 2013 when the Siuslaw Estuary outfall down at the bottom to Quince Trail vision was approved. it’s gone Street,” she said. Saying that a numthrough several public meetings ber of small trees would be removed before reaching the February 27th as a part of the project, Farleypublic hearing and we’ll go before Campbell said the path would be 8 the City Council on April 15th. feet wide, made up of crushed com“There are multiple segments, pact gravel. this one originates at Highway 126 Assistant City Planner Clare Kurth and continues South to Quince Street said the trail would contain several and sometime in the future it will amenities, including a trailhead, sigcontinue on around the port propIf built as proposed, the Siuslaw Estuary Trail will connect nage, a pet waste station, possible erty and this particular project does Quince Street south of the Events Center with a trailhead include a parking lot at the southSee TRAIL, page A6 and parking lot off Highway 126. west corner of Spruce Street and By TONY REED Siuslaw News

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The Florence City Council adopted, as amended, a first-ofits-kind Housing Code update that defines where and how transitional housing, emergency shelter and mission facilities can be cited in the City of Florence. On Feb. 5, the council held a public hearing and after receiving the presentation and having a discussion on the matter, the Council decided to move the ordinance reading and deliberation of this item to the March 4th City Council meeting. Asked Feb 6. to boil the information down, City Manager Erin Reynolds said “this is very new code,” and is not a revision or update of previous city code. “It is in response to requirements to have the opportunity to meet the needs of all housing types for all kinds of people.” The approved ordinance adopts legislative amendments to the Florence City Code to support missions, emergency shelters, and transitional housing, associated with phase 2 of the Housing Implementation Plan project and reduce lot dimensions for medium density single unit detached dwellings.

What it is

Transitional Housing is “residential shelter provided for an extended but definite period that is integrated with other social services and counseling programs to assist in the transition to self-sufficiency through the acquisition of permanent housing.” It defines Emergency Shelter as “a facility that has the primary purpose of providing shelter for those individuals and families experiencing homelessness in general or specialized populations of homeless and the use does not require occupants to sign a lease or occupancy agreements.” Mission is defined as a facility that provides on-site shelter, basic needs and comprehensive services for individuals and families who are impoverished or experiencing homelessness.” According to a release issued Feb. 7, “The emergency shelter and mission criteria are intended for a similar population as the transitional housing. They are not intended for natural disasters or similar. That See COUNCIL, page A2

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