Heceta Beach Road Flooding
The underlying cause of flooding on Heceta Beach Road near Rhododendron Drive has not been officially noted, but Public Works Director Mike Miller says they believe it was possibly a beaver dam or some restricting dike that gave way. What he did say is that we have had a significant amount of rain this season with more than 83 inches during the winter of 23-24. It is not the highest level of rain the coast has recorded, yet significant enough to cause the flooding and even some roadway damage near the intersection of Heceta Beach road and 4th street. Water along the roadway on Heceta Beach Road has been high during several periods this season. Heavy rain seasons tends to be cyclical yet Miller says this has been the 4th heaviest rain since 1957. During the 1973/74 season Florence saw more than 100 inches. High water signs are currently posted along portions of Heceta Beach Road.
Wildfire Awareness Month
May is wildfire awareness month and the Oregon State Fire Marshall is encouraging all oregonians to get prepared. A list of things that homeowners can do to create a defensible space around their property was created and includes removing leaves, needles, wood, bark mulch and other debris more than 100 feet from buildings. They also recommend keeping firewood more than 30 feet from any structure and avoid growing plants directly under eaves. A complete guide is found at oregondefensiblespace.org.
Coronation
It is unofficially the beginning of the Rhododendron Festival, but every year people look forward to the crowning of Queen Rhododendron and King of the Coast, but it is more than just a pagent, it is a tradition that goes back to the beginning of the festival. Students that have been involved in the process over the years have touted the additional education they have received that provide more life lessons than classroom ones. Lessons in Public speaking has been one of the resounding benefits students say has helped them expand their comfort zone. This Saturday the culmination of the process will take stage at the Florence Events Center. The event will begin at 7pm and tickets are still available at the box office.
Land Sale Approved
The proposed sale of a portion of city property at last night’s city council meeting was on the agenda and the city council heard from two proponents of the sale that have background in child care. Testimony was heard from Holly Mar-Conte the child care strategist for Lane county and also Charlene Strouch the executive director of Head Start Lane County on the limited child care for the Florence area. Both favored the sale as the planned unit development also comes with a facility for early child care for the ages of 1-5 year olds. The sale of the property was approved unanimously by the council.
Reimbursement District Approved
The council also approved a reimbursement district for properties adjacent to Rhododendron drive and 35th street. A proposed Planned Unit Development for the properties was to be assessed fees to cover some of the improvement costs, but that project is currently on hold and the city council wanted to ensure that the costs would be covered when and if the project moved forward. The reimbursement costs would be in the area of $170,000 dollars, however the reimbursement district has a 15 year shelf life.