Posted on 01/04/2005 9:18:39 PM PST by B Knotts
CORBETT -- David Annus didn't think twice about size when he decided to build a two-story house in his Columbia River Gorge hometown.
After living in a tiny place on his parents' property with his wife and two children, he knew he wanted some breathing room when he designed a home more than eight times bigger at 5,700 square feet, including an attached three-car garage.
Looking around the neighborhood, the scale blended right in with the other homes.
"It's a four-bedroom house, but I don't think you could make a case for it being a McMansion," he said.
But size has definitely started to matter in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, the 85-mile stretch of river, cliffs, waterfalls and wooded hillsides along the Oregon-Washington border protected by federal law 18 years ago.
The issue has vaulted onto the agenda of gorge regulators who concede that they have virtually ignored the spread of large homes in the scenic area while concentrating on other potential complications, such as a home's visibility.
That changed this fall, when the staff of the Columbia River Gorge Commission -- for the first time in the agency's history -- filed appeals to reduce the size of Annus' house and two others.
"Politically we have heard from people that we were asleep at the wheel," said Martha Bennett, the commission's executive director. "I have been told by the Gorge Commission not to let developments go sliding through anymore."
(Excerpt) Read more at oregonlive.com ...
NO REGULATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION!
It seems like he should have a Measure 37 claim.
Anyhow, this is another reason why Dino Rossi must claim the office to which he was rightfully elected. He could appoint some normal people to this commission, in place of the goofy hippies that currently infest it.
The commission needs to be revisited by Congress, and the area should be divided into districts, and the commissioners should be elected by the people who live here.
Also, if this goes to the Oregon Supreme Court, they may well rule in favor of Mr. Annus and Multnomah County, as the Washington Supreme Court ruled that ultimately, it's up to the counties.
I hope that President Bush and Congress, being controlled by Republicans, will finally reform the Scenic Act, to provide some protection and representation for property owners and residents.
FYI PING
BTW, the 5700 sq. ft. includes the garage and the porches! That's how the goofs on the Gorge Commission are calculating the "mass" of the structure.
Like "counties", you mean...???
Incidentally, the "people" she's been hearing from are no doubt the Fiends of the Gorge, a bunch of hippie urban-dwellers who are advocates of rural cleansing.
Works for me! As long as people outside of the scenic area within those counties are not the ones voting. In other words, leave the Portland residents out of it; they don't live here.
But Gorge Commission member Walt Loerke said the bigger houses are "morally disgusting." They have wasted space and consume huge amounts of raw materials, said Loerke, a builder from Skamania County.
I don't know who this Loerke guy is, but the fact is, Skamania County is economically depressed, and could use the economic activity from homebuilding.
Lourke, the builder from Skamania county, is probably one of the builders who could profit from "certain eco-concious" developers being favored for developments...
I bet his name is on a bid somewhere.
Correction: Loerke
You're probably right. BTW, the actual square footage of this guy's proposed house, as measured by the standards used anywhere else in the country, is about 3600 sq. ft.
Yup, "morally disgusting" tells us everything we need to know about this worn out old hippie.
MM
That's right, but they prefer to have other people bear the brunt of the cost of their desires.
yep. Best put up the money or shut up.
Ah..Ah..Ah.....but, the Gorge Commission even tells owners what COLORS they can paint their houses....they really are a bunch of greenie commies full of themselves......
and lookie here...
http://www.odot.state.or.us/otc/acts/minutes/NWACTminutes2004jun03.htm
A Rosemary Loerke is on the Commission for the NW Oregon ACT (as the "Columbia River Private Sector") But she has two spellings for her name - one as "Loerke", the other "Lohrke". I'm not sure there are that many "Loerkes" in the area - so why does she feel the need to have two different spellings of her last name?
Perhaps it's because she ran for political office, and she doesn't want to be connected to Mr. Loerke somehow - but why?
http://www.tdn.com/articles/2004/05/03/area_news/news01.txt
This guy was on AM 860 tonight, and he said that out of the 700 or so colors the paint manufacturer offers, Multnomah County approved five.
And Multnomah County in this case are the "good guys!"
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