Grand Island
Am forwarding this email to each of you because you have some connection to Grand Island. You can write letters to the County Commissioners, 525 N.E. 5th Street, McMinnville, OR 97128. I am also going to forward an e-mail from Ken Clow which outlines what Baker Rock is trying to do on Grand Island. If you’re familiar with where the “Noble Peach Orchard” was, this parcel is only about 1/2 mile down along the river road (The Wild Way, as us kids used to call it). If you’ve got any questions, let me know. I bet Grandpa Clark & Dad are madder than hops. Judy Bennett
Grand Island Update
We are pleased to announce that we had a victory in the first step to protect Grand Island. Last night the Planning Commissioners voted against approval of the Baker Rock application (5/2). It is important to note that the Planning Department recommended that it be approved. They are likely to make the same recommendation to the County Commissioners.
The next step is to reopen the comment period and the application will be considered by the County Commissioners. Their decision is the final word for this application unless one of the parties chooses to file an appeal with the Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA.) We do not want to have to take our position to LUBA. We need the County Commissioners to vote against this quarry now! The next hearing will be within the next month, if not sooner.
It is important that we act now, visibly! We have some good plans to discuss. There is much more than we can do. We will hold an important planning meeting at 7:00 PM this Wednesday, July 7th at the Unionvale Church. Please come and bring others with you! Come and learn how easy it is for you to continue to make a big difference in this fight. Tell everyone you know: your neighbors, former Grand Island folks, school mates, church friends, family, other farmers, your buyers, the family dog:) Just talk about it, all of the time:) If you know someone who would like to be added to this list have them email: kris@bledsoes.net Also send everyone to our fabulous website:
http://protectgrandisland.wordpress.com/
Everyone who has participated so far has already made a big difference. Thanks! After last night we are reenergized and reorganized!
Kris Bledsoe
Ron Schindler
Sam Sweeney
Here is Ken’s email which outlines what is trying to be done. Any questions, you can email me or him. Please get on the band wagon with this group and write some letters to the County Commissioners. Thanks
Judy
From: Ken Clow [mailto:2ksathome@onlinemac.com]
Sent: Thursday, July 01, 2010 12:27 PM
Subject: Grand Island
You are receiving this email because you have a connection to the Grand Island, Dayton, Unionvale area either in the past, present or both. (And you are in my email address book) You may or may not have heard that a gravel company (Baker Rock) is applying with the Yamhill County planning board and commissioners to mine 225 acres for aggregate (sand and gravel) on the South end of Grand Island. A small group of impacted people from the community have been meeting to oppose the approval of the conditional use permit. Approval of the application not only jeopardizes the island itself because of the history of flooding and process they propose for the actual mining, but also the farms and livelihoods of those now located there. In addition the loss of farmland, the company states they will be making 75 trips per day from the mining site to Baker Rock in Dayton, 6 days a week, from 7am to 6pm. While this does not impact the loss of farm land directly as the mining does, it definitely impacts the quality of life and safety for residents living between Grand Island and Dayton. By my estimates, 75 trips per day would mean a truck would pass in front of my house on Wallace Road every 15 minutes, along with all the farm machinery, farm workers, commuters, school buses, etc. and we that live and work here. These estimates are for the one mine being proposed, but 2 others have already been approved in other parts of the island. If all 3 mines are working at the same time, God knows how much traffic will increase and land will be lost on the island. And, that is not to speak of the negative impact on air quality, potential impact on domestic and irrigation wells, impact on county and state roads and bridges and the loss of private property values in addition to what the current economy has already demonstrated.
The group could use your help combating the approval of this additional site. If you are interested in helping you can go to this website protectgrandisland.wordpress.com/ or contact me by responding to this email or calling 503-949-0358 and I will put you in touch with the people leading the group. The website is still in development, but it will give you a flavor for what is about to happen.
Also, if you don’t have the time to give to this project, please forward this email to other people you know who have a connection and feelings for Grand Island and look back fondly on the quality of life in this farming community. Letters in opposition to the newspaper, county commissioners and elected officials are great and support the mission of the group.
Thanks for listening,
Ken Clow
Here is Ken’s email which outlines what is trying to be done. Any questions, you can email me or him. Please get on the band wagon with this group and write some letters to the County Commissioners. Thanks
Judy
