Sean C. Morgan
Of The New Era
The Sweet Home Planning Commission approved a 66-lot subdivision, part of the Santiam Master Plan, Monday night.
The commission held a public hearing on the subdivision, the first for the Santiam River Development Company on the east side of the master plan approved two years ago.
Santiam River Development Company owns and is developing land east of Clark Mill between the railroad tracks and the river. This part of the master plan is called Santiam River Club. Western States Land Reliance Trust is developing land west of Clark Mill between the tracks and the river.
The entire master plan includes some 1,575 lots on about 750 acres. Santiam River Development is projecting 400 to 450 units with a maximum of 633 units permitted. WSLRT can develop about 900 units.
The Santiam River Club subdivision includes about 69 of 311 acres total.
WSLRT received approval on more than 400 lots last year.
Monday’s approval can be appealed to the City Council within 21 days.
Santiam River Development plans to begin marketing lots in September with construction of infrastructure to follow in the spring. A plan to build a lodge, general store and related buildings will probably come before the Planning Commission in the fall with developers hoping to finish the buildings by summer 2008.
Santiam River Club will be a private subdivision with private streets with an average lot size of 12,669 square feet. Lots and homes will run between $600,000 and $800,000, with some higher or lower.
Improvements to Clark Mill Road will be included on the north end on the west side, at the railroad tracks and at the intersection with Highway 20. Improvements to the rest of the road will come later on in the development of the master plan.
About 20 percent of buyers will come from Oregon, Managing Partner Phil Ordway told the Planning Commission. Most of those buyers will be from the Willamette Valley. About 80 percent will come from California and the desert Southwest.
The development is using the tag line “the nature of inspired living” on its marketing materials, and it is planned to develop in harmony with the nature around it, with ponds, open spaces and woods. Structures will be built with an Oregon theme.
Initially, buyers are already interested in coming to Oregon, Ordway said.
Al Grove, a neighbor of the project living on Green River Drive, testified in support of the project. In previous hearings, he has raised concerns.
“I have been involved in the process from the beginning,” Grove said. “Phil and Troy (Cummins, managing partner) have been very good to work with. They have worked out differences with neighbors.… I am happy to have them as neighbors. I know I’m going to give up some things, but I’m pleased to have them as neighbors.”
Kerrie Skinner of Cedar Street testified in opposition to the subdivision.
He asked the Planning Commission what the benefit of allowing a private club in the middle of Sweet Home would be, “a private club, which does nothing for the infrastructure of Sweet Home.”
“I hear you want to open a general store to take business away from people trying to make a living,” Skinner said.
He complained that the developers do not live in Oregon.
“If everyone loves Oregon so much, move here,” he said.
“I live here,” Cummins said.
“Instead of thinking of what we can take from Sweet Home, think about what you can do for Sweet Home,” Skinner siad. “Don’t get your mind set on building houses and making a private club.”
Referring to a pharmacist who, he said, is having difficulty, “this man’s going to lose his business, and they’re going to build a private club,” Skinner said. The city doesn’t need the land Santiam River Development is offering the city to build a water treatment plant. “We’ve got land all over Sweet Home we can put a water tank on.”
The development doesn’t bring in businesses nor does it offer jobs, he said. The private club is something only a handful of people in Sweet Home can afford.
“But they’re probably smart enough to know I don’t need to buy this,” Skinner said. “I can walk out my front door” to see nature.”
He accused the developers of not using local contractors and told the commission that Santiam River Development is hoodwinking the commission “so these people from out of the state can make a buck.”
In rebuttal, Ordway quoted figures from the master plan hearings two years ago. The figures were from an economic study of the project. He estimated that Santiam River Development would represent one-quarter to one-third of the figures, while WSLRT would represent the remainder.
The study said that the project would bring $143 million in payroll to the local community in its first 10 years. It would add another 226 permanent jobs with an annual payroll of about $15 million. Property tax revenues would reach $10 million a year after the build out, projected to be year 10.
The projects would increase the costs for the city and School District 55 by about $3.8 million, leaving a net increase of $6.2 million to the schools and local government. About two-thirds would go to local government, approximately $4 million.
The city of Sweet Home receives approximately $1.7 million in taxes per year, including the general fund and police and library levies.
Ordway explained that Santiam River Development has and will use local contractors, who know the local subcontractors and sources for supplies. The company has so far interviewed contractors from Eugene, Corvallis and Sweet Home only. Grove corroborated Ordway’s claim.
“Instead of just throwing out numbers, why don’t we get an actual number to work with (on taxes),” Skinner said.
“This is the applicant’s risk,” Chairman Dick Meyers said. “If he puts streets in and infrastructure and doesn’t sell a lot, he’s out the money he put in. It doesn’t hurt the city.”
Fifteen years ago, a developer came in and put infrastructure in, but the housing market tumbled and broke the developer, Meyers said. He went bankript. Guess what. They’re all fiulled now, and it didn’t cost the city a red cent.”
“I’ll have these for you every meeting,” an angry Skinner told the commission. “I’m not going to stop.”
“It’s a personal property right to develop your property,” Planning Commissioner Mike Adams said. City, state and federal laws spell out how to do that.
“Once the applicant has jumped through the hoops, it’s his right to develop the property. I think it’s very clear he’s met the requirements of the master plan approved in (2004). I think it’s very clear he’s met the review criteria for subdivisions. I don’t feel there’s any reason to deny the application.”
“I support the idea completely,” Planning Commissioner Scott McKee Jr. said. “I think it’s great for our community.”
The commission approved the subdivision tentative plan 6-0. Present were Kim Lawrence, Al Culver, Meyers, Dr. Henry Wolthuis, McKee and Adams. Frank Javersak was absent.