April 2024
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Workforce Housing. The City of Bandon ("City") is working in partnership with the Bandon School District ("District") and Dormy House, LLC ("Developer") to produce workforce housing on a subject site located along 11th Street, south of the high school and adjacent to the existing baseball/softball fields. The subject site comprises multiple parcels owned by both the City and District, which are being made available to the Developer to offset the cost of construction. Financial subsidies provided by the City and District in the form of land value enable the housing units to be affordable. These deal points will be stipulated in a Disposition and Development Agreement (DDA). The DDA is a three-party agreement that establishes the responsibilities and obligations of each party. The DDA also includes a schedule of performance and affordability provisions to ensure that the units are constructed in a timely manner and maintained as workforce housing, respectively. A geologist, land surveyor, and civil engineer have been retained for the purpose of establishing the project's boundaries and existing wetland area. The project architect and civil engineer will use this information to develop conceptual site plans for preliminary review and consideration. Upon selecting the preferred site plan, the project architect will develop conceptual floor plans and architectural elevations for the residential buildings that will be constructed on the site. The City, District, and Developer are working diligently to produce the plans and related information that will be subject to City approval. Additionally, the development team is currently finalizing the deal terms that will be included in the final DDA. The development proposal and related entitlements will be scheduled for consideration by the Planning Commission and City Council in the coming months. South Coast Housing Development Funding Forum. On Thursday, March 21, I was invited to sit on a panel with my colleagues from the Bandon School District and Dormy Housing, LLC, to discuss the joint workforce housing project. The program was hosted by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Oregon Field Office and the Southern Oregon Coast Regional Housing Group. The discussion focused on the challenges of constructing affordable housing along the Oregon Coast and emphasized the necessity of providing funding to cities to subsidize construction costs. The four-hour event also included presentations by The Salvation Army and Northwest Housing Alternatives, showcasing the following projects:
Recreational Immunity. A bill likely to help reopen a number of hiking trails on the coast unanimously passed the Oregon House on Tuesday, March 5. Senate Bill 1576 (SB 1576) includes an amendment that would temporarily restore the legal power of recreational immunity — a law that protects cities for making publicly-owned property available for recreation purposes. |
This protection was thrown into question last July when Oregon’s Court of Appeals ruled the City of Newport could not use recreational immunity to dismiss a lawsuit. A woman sued the City after slipping and breaking her leg while crossing a trail bridge. The ruling sparked a wave of trail closures by government agencies. Approximately 22 trails along the coast were closed, and several trail projects that were in the process of being planned were suspended. Fortunately, the Bandon City Council refrained from closing City-owned trails and instead chose to maintain public access to Bandon's majestic coastline. SB 1576 is designed to serve as a temporary solution and will expire in 2026. Nevertheless, a working group has been assembled to develop permanent legislation to address recreational immunity in the upcoming year. Grant Funding Award. The Bandon Library was selected to receive the Oregon Humanities Mini-Grant for Rural Libraries, providing $3,000 towards library programs. The grant will be used to facilitate community conversations and connections through storytelling. The library was selected as the recipient of a Coos County Cultural Coalition grant to facilitate art programming, receiving $750 in funding for art supplies. Grants like these are essential components for providing engaging opportunities and experiences. Thank you to these organizations for their contributions to our community! Sprague Community Theater. The City Council authorized the replacement of the deteriorated exterior wood siding of the Sprague Community Theater. Work commenced during the first part of March, and the new siding will be installed in time for the summer programming. The siding is engineered and made of fiber-cement, which will better withstand the harsh coastal environment. Stainless steel screws will be used to adhere the siding to the structure, preventing rust and deterioration over time. The Theater will also receive a new coat of paint, with the color palette yet to be determined. Unfortunately, this capital project does not include improvements to the "front of house" at this time. Upcoming Library Events. The following events will be held at the Bandon Library this April:
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