DeLaura Beach
When the idea of selling the County owned DeLaura Beach to the State Park system first came about, a County Commissioner at the time stated that the County shouldn’t be in the park business. I tend to disagree, since if this sentiment is to be taken at its face value then the County should be divesting in all of its parks to rid itself of the burden of maintaining anything in public recreation. Think of the condos that could be built in the heart of each of our parks and the tax revenue that could come in from it.
It is a stewardship issue. Commissioners in the past found it to be a good idea to procure lands for the County to be used by the public. Presently there are 15 areas in the county that are under control of the County Parks Department. Selling off one of them sets a dangerous president.
De Laura Beach Park is at the end of DeLaura Beach Road off Ridge Road in
Warrenton. It runs along the gated Burma Road, which is a drivable fire break from De Laura to the Peter Iredale. One of the problems is that some spendy homes have been built close to the park and the residents are very resistant to the use of park land any where near their homes. They feel that everything within their line of sight belongs to them and they want it all private.
The park at DeLaura Beach is not maintained by the County. It is maintained by a walking club, an equestrian club, a cycling club and a paint ball club. There are no bathroom facilities, parking areas (side of the road parking only) or utilities that are use to support visitors. This park is absolutely no burden to the county at all. The only burden I can see is potential money that is burning a hole in the pockets of some of the County Commissioners.
There is a link below the Clatsop County Parks Department flier on County owned parks. Please note that in the address of the link there is the word “Assets.” This and all County owned park land are assets to our community. The fact the County Commission is even considering selling any of it, even to the State is unconscionable.
I liken it to children plotting to kill their parents to hasten their inheritance. Any financial gain by the County will be short lived, while holding onto this land for future generations will in fact prevent yet more restriction on its use or worse yet development into another unnecessary golf course.
It saddens us all to see things like family farms that have been in a family for generations suddenly lost because the most recent owner can not manage the business or worse yet because of greed. The County Parks are meant to belong to all of us for generations as well and should not succumb to the greed or lack of future vision of the present County Commissioners.
http://www.co.clatsop.or.us/Assets/Dept_10000/PDF/parks.pdf
If you agree with my assessment of this situation, please let your County Commissioner know how you feel about County owned assets.
posted by The Guy Who Writes This at 5:24 AM
8 Comments:
What kind of examples do your county commissioners see when Bush tries everyday to unburden the public of their public lands?
I'm not sure I follow. If we sell this park off to the state parks system, won't it just become a state park? Or is the fear that State will sell it off to developers (golf course, etc.), and we lose control over it?
It seems like it would be better off and better protected from development by selling it to state parks, since our current commissioners seem to be happy to sell out to whoever comes along with some $$.
Ian, there are a lot of unknowns when dealing with State Parks, namely will the people who now use and maintain the park be allowed to continue if the State takes control. What happens to the groups of cyclist, horse back riders and paint ballers if or when the state restricts that area to foot traffic only.
The Oregon Equestrian Trails Assn has been actively wanting to put a horse camp there for years, the neighbors don't like that idea at all, however if you ever venture to the OET built camp at Northrup Creek you will see they can put together a heck of a good looking camp.
Lori, you still a Republican? I'm just sayin...
Um, yeah. Me. Republican. Heh.
Actually, I think ALL parks should be owned at the county level. IMO, it's the county residents who know how best to use county lands - not state bureacrats. And damned sure not federal bureacrats.
But I'm beginning to see more and more that the gov't is keeping parks/forests out of public access ... the same way European kings kept their lands from public access. Which leads to the question of: If the public can't readily access it, is it "public lands"?
Lori, I got the impression you were after you responded to my where do they come from article.
Walt I'm not sure I totally agree. The county couldn't handle ownership of Ft Stevens. I don't think the County could handle Ft. Clatsop.
I think the count can handle what it already has and doesn't maintain.
Too bad that an asset has to have a monetary value as in a market value, at all.
The county needs to stay in possession of DeLaura Beach, and the adjacent homeowners should feel lucky to live next door.
I know someone who'd trade them neighbors in a heartbeat...
Asset may be the wrong word for their land holdings. They don't treat them like assets. Simply put an asset is something that makes money for you and a liability is something that loses money for you.
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