The Curry County Planning Commission meets on October 19 to consider further the question of the proposed effluent pipeline to Pacific Gales Golf Course. At its September 21 meeting, the commission learned that Elk River Property Development had failed to apply for an extension of its Conditional User Permit. The question before the commission now is, can (and should!) the pipeline be approved when there exists no valid permit for the golf course? Based on the staff report and a memo from County Counsel, the answer seems to be yes.

The agenda and packet for the meeting is here:

Click to access ENTIRE%2010.19.2017%20PLANNING%20COMMISSION%20PACKET.pdf

Is approving a new pipeline permit based on an expired CUP legal? It’s not yet clear. It certainly fails the common sense test, since the pipeline is proposed to follow a specific route to a golf course — but that golf course no longer has a permit.

To those of us who’ve been observing this process for more than three years now, such a decision only reinforces our feeling that Curry County is bending over backward (and now bending a basic rule) to oblige ERPD.

Curry County residents deserve better.

Post-Hearing Update

Testimony presented by Oregon Coast Alliance for the hearing is here:

ORCA to Planning, Oct. 17, 2017

Here is testimony from ERPD:

ERPD to Planning, Oct. 18, 2017

The hearing was closed to further testimony on October 19. The com-missioners will continue their discussion on November 7 at 5 p.m. At that time, they are expected to vote on the matter.