Work Session Continues to Sort Out City Codes
A special work session for the City of Florence Council and Planning Commission will take place Monday evening at the Florence Event Center. They will be continuing their discussions from February on the changes that will need to happen with the city codes in order to comply with new Oregon laws that go into effect in July. The laws deal with the allowing of Accessory Dwelling Units on residential property. The changes to the law come at a time when the Housing and Economic Opportunities Project are looking at ways to provide affordable housing in Florence. The new laws will allow current residential parcels to add a second adjacent, free standing or incorporated dwelling to a zone that is currently only for single family occupancy. This is crucial for bringing in more affordable housing options for the employment force in Florence. The Council and Planning Commission will meet at 5:30 pm at the Florence event center on Monday evening.
Florence Fest ’18
Music from some of notable Jazz musicians on the national scene will be coming to Florence as part of the Florence Fest 18. The second annual Jazz and wine fest will offer a mix of wine and jazz along with a juried art show. Friday night will feature the Tony Glausi Quartet as the headliner, tony was touted as a great writer and a terrific trumpet player by legendary Songwriter Burt Bacharach. On Saturday night the George Colligan Quartet will perform. Colligan is an award winning player and composer and a former member of the Julliard School faculty. Colligan is currently an assistant professor at Portland State University. Music performances by jazz groups will begin at 2 pm on Friday, April 27th at the Florence Event Center. Featured wineries include Hanson Vineyards, Cathedral Ridge Winery, J Scott Cellars, Sineann, Campbell Lane Winery, Lady Hill Winery, Noble Estate Vineyard and Winery, HV Cellars, Abbey Creek, Emerson Winery, Cardwell Hill Cellars, and Troon Vineyard.
The juried art show will feature 60 finalists from over 100 entries received with cash prizes awarded to the top entries. Tickets for the event can be ordered at the Florence Area Chamber of Commerce Website Florencechamber.com.
ODFW Town Hall Meetings
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife will be holding special town hall meeting across the state in April to get input from the public on their 2019-2020 annual budget. The closest meeting for Florence will be held in North Bend on April 9th at the public library on 1800 Sherman Avenue. The meeting will begin at 7 pm. ODFW says they are not making any significant changes to the budget, but would like to look at a possible fee freeze on a proposed increase that would go into effect in 2020. ODFW Director Curt Melcher says this is a great opportunity for residents to interact with staff and share ideas and concerns for the agency. If you would like to attend the meeting but cannot you can email questions and concerns to ODFW at ODFW.townhallcomments@state.or.us.
Travel Carefully
Light snow has been reported in the Swiss home, Sweet Creek and areas around Mapleton as the area is under a winter weather advisory. While the expectations are up to a foot of snow in some areas the area around Mapleton is not expected to see as much accumulation as the more eastern part of Lane County. Drivers are encouraged to be prepared for slick roads and slower travel eastbound. The weather advisory is expected to last until 11 pm this evening.
101 Accident
At about 4:30 this morning Lane County Sheriffs, Oregon State police and fire and rescue, responded to a vehicle in a ditch on highway 101 at milepost 170. Details are still coming in at this hour and reports of injuries and closings have been updated on the Coast Radio Facebook page.
