The Marion County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday unanimously approved an order removing public access restrictions that the county set after wildfire devastated the Santiam Canyon in 2020.
The order reopened Southeast North Fork Road, Southeast Gates Hill Road and Southeast Pioneer Road to drivers, cyclists and pedestrians. It also allowed public access to the Little North Fork of the Santiam River from those roads, according to the agenda item.
The board also unanimously approved a plan to reuse sediment excavated from underneath the two commercial marinas of the Detroit Lake Reservoir. The plan is part of a construction project intended to extend the lake’s recreational use season and help boost Detroit’s economy as it continues to recover from 2020 wildfires.
A 2016 study by the North Santiam Watershed Council estimated that the project would generate $1.2 million annually throughout the north Santiam Canyon, said Lari Rupp, an economic development specialist for Marion County, at the meeting.
The county hired consulting firm Maul Foster & Alongi Inc. to develop three potential reuse options and seek community feedback through an online questionnaire and online open houses, according to an economic development report for the project prepared by the county’s Community Services Department.
The lake in recent years has seen largely shallow water during the summer, which has led to a decline in tourist visits, according to the report.
Rupp said at the meeting that the excavated material could be used for recreational purposes such as building new parks, trails or habitat for fish and wildlife.
The board unanimously approved or advanced other agenda items, including amending the county code related to homes permitted to run events as “home occupations,” accepting funding from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management for police services on their land, and appointing Mike Berger to the Marion County Ambulance Service Area Advisory Committee
Commissioner Danielle Bethell was absent.
Original story below:
The Marion County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday will consider an order to remove public access restrictions that the county set after wildfire devastated the Santiam Canyon in 2020.
READ IT: AGENDA
The order would reopen access for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians to Southeast North Fork Road, Southeast Gates Hill Road and Southeast Pioneer Road. It will also allow public access to the Little North Fork of the Santiam River from those roads, according to the agenda item.
To participate
The commissioners meet at 9 a.m. Wednesday in the Senator Hearing Room at 555 Court Street N.E. Anyone can attend or sign up to give public comment in-person at the meeting. The meeting is streamed live on YouTube.
Excavation project
The board will also consider a plan to reuse sediment excavated from the Detroit Lake Reservoir, part of a construction project intended to extend the lake’s recreational use season.
The county hired consulting firm Maul Foster & Alongi Inc. to develop three potential reuse options and seek community feedback through an online questionnaire and online open houses, according to an economic development report for the project prepared by the county’s Community Services Department.
The lake in recent years “has routinely failed to reach and maintain full pool depth during the summer,” according to the report. “Two private marinas, cornerstones of recreational activities that draw vacationers to the area, lie on shallow shelves that prevent water from reaching the docks most of the year. Without water at the marina docks, the lake has not been able to draw the number of tourists that have visited in the past.”
Around 60 community members provided comments. Respondents raised concerns about increased traffic, a need for more parking space, and said they wanted to see improved access and activities for pedestrians. They also wanted to know how each option would improve boaters’ experience and safety at the marianas, according to the report.
Most respondents said they preferred a plan to build a curved peninsula extending southwest of the Detroit Flats Day Use Area that would create more fishing space, allow pedestrian access to an island when water is low and keep existing boat channels, the report said.
The project is being paid for with a combination of federal, state and local funding. Engineering and construction for the reuse plan was estimated to cost $5.89 million, according to the agenda item.
Proclamations
Commissioners will also consider separate proclamations designating the month of September as both National Recovery Month and Suicide Prevention Awareness Month in Marion County
All other items on the agenda are on the board’s consent calendar, meaning commissioners can vote on them with no discussion or presentation.
Land use
Commissioners will consider adopting an ordinance to amend a county code that limited gatherings to 750 people at homes permitted to run events as “home occupations.” That limit applied to home businesses on agricultural or timber land that host gatherings such as weddings, reunions, company picnics and memorials, according to an Aug. 9 meeting agenda.
Conservationist nonprofit 1000 Friends of Oregon appealed the state Land Use Board of Appeals in September 2022, arguing that home occupations could employ no more than five workers, which wouldn’t be enough for such a large gathering. The land use board in February agreed that the county had not considered that employee limit when deciding the 750-person cap and remanded the decision back to commissioners.
The new code requires that the maximum number of participants be decided by a county building inspection official and local fire district. The board also amended the language to apply the five-employee cap only to those onsite at an event, meaning more people can be employed who are not there in person.
The board will consider accepting an additional $25,250 from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management for the Marion County Sheriff’s Office to continue providing law enforcement services on their land through December 2023. The new contract will total about $249,000.
They will also consider appointing Mike Berger to the Marion County Ambulance Service Area Advisory Committee through January 2024. The group advises commissioners and the service area administrator in coordinating ambulance services in the county.
Ardeshir Tabrizian has covered criminal justice and housing for Salem Reporter since September 2021. As an Oregon native, his award-winning watchdog journalism has traversed the state. He has done reporting for The Oregonian, Eugene Weekly and Malheur Enterprise.
