A group of dedicated Cape Meares residents has been working diligently since early October to prepare a response to the proposed eco-resort on the Bayocean Spit. A document containing approximately 150 pages was handed over to Sarah Absher on November 4th so it could be reviewed by the Planning Commission before the hearing on November 13, 2014.
With apologies to Woody Guthrie.
This sand is your sand
this sand is my sand
from the jetty downward
and west of townward
from the ocean inland
it’s my next of kin land
This sand was saved for you and me.
To refresh your memory, this summer a Conditional Use Permit was sought from Tillamook County by the owner of a 53-acre parcel located just south of the second gate at the northern end of the Bayocean spit. As part of the approval process Tillamook County determined the eco-resort application was “complete.” This means that all of the Review Criteria were addressed for a Conditional Use permit. It does not, however, mean that the permit was approved or likely to be approved.
E. Vallianatos worked at the EPA for 25 years and has written a book entitled Poison Spring in which he details the methods used by that agency in setting safety standards under the Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act. He will be speaking at the Bay City Arts Center, on October 14, 7 PM.
Not all Cape Meares residents are able to hike up to the location where the water tank for the community was formerly located. In case you are curious as to what the area now looks like, take a look at the recent picture that was taken.
The demolition of the Cape Meares 100,000 gallon, Cor-Ten reservoir began on Monday, 9/23/14, when the crew moved in to the location of the tank and, by the end of the day, completely removed the steel top of the reservoir. On Tuesday, 9/24/14, the sides of the reservoir came down in sheets 6 feet wide by 12 foot in length. By the end of the day the tank demolition project was one-third complete. With all the oxy/acetylene torch cutting going on, the damp weather has been beneficial in creating a safe environment for the project.
At about 4:30 PM on Wednesday, August 6, the re-siding project of our beloved Cape Meares Community Center was completed. Mostly. Only a few odds and ends remain to completely wrap up the project that began about two years ago with a fund-raising effort.
This renovation was achieved because of the volunteer efforts of many individuals. The dollars contributed were significant and necessary for purchasing the materials needed, but the volunteer efforts were equally important. The effort was primarily “do it yourself.” DIY projects don’t always turn our as we would like, but if you take a look at the finished project you will have to agree that it looks like it was completed by professionals. That’s because two professionals, Chris Spence and Randy Klobas, were the ones who guided the volunteers throughout the process.
We now have a refurbished community center we can all be proud of and one that will continue to be an important hub of activities for many years to come.
Well done Cape Meares residents!
For more pictures of the community project and a picture of Randy Klobas attaching the proverbial “golden staple” into the final shingle on the community center see the album that has completed below.
