Yachats Action Alliance opposes Agate Point development proposal

To the editor:

South of the Yachats River, on Yachats Ocean Road, a developer is seeking to build Agate Point resort.  To do so would require the city to ignore relevant code, bypass community goals established in the Yachats Comprehensive Plan, and would disregard the sentiments of both neighbors and the broader community. 

There is no compelling reason for the city to waive its codes and goals to approve this resort.  But there are many reasons to protect and conserve the wetland, state park, and natural beauty of Yachats Ocean Road.

First, here is a list of codes the city must waive to allow this project:

• Access to hotels in Yachats must be from U.S. Highway 101.  The developers propose access from Yachats Ocean Road to unpaved neighborhood dead-end Shellmidden Way.
• Setbacks must be 45 feet from the center of the street.  The resort buildings are less than this.  
• A hotel needs to be on a minimum of one acre.  This property is .56 of an acre.
• R4 lot coverage should be no more than 30%.  Agate Point lot coverage is far more than this standard. 
• Hotels are required to have someone on site 24 hours a day. 
• Yachats Ocean Road and Shellmidden Way are far less than the required width to allow for business access.

Now, note how the Yachats municipal code and goals of the comprehensive plan work together.

Goal 8 of the Yachats comprehensive plan says “The City shall support the preservation of open space on private land through such means as setback standards and limiting lot coverage and encourage the preservation of open space when new subdivisions and planned unit developments are considered for approval.”

The Yachats Yachats Municipal code says this about conditional uses: The Planning Commission’s action must be based on findings addressing the requirements of the comprehensive plan and zoning ordinance.

Yachats Ocean Road actually belongs to the Oregon State Parks and Recreation Department and it is our community’s backyard. It is 12 feet wide in spots, and it runs along undeveloped wetland where they propose to build the resort.  We use Yachats Ocean Road to ride bikes and walk our pets, to walk with our families, and to just stroll along the state park road. The road is also part of the Oregon Coast Trail.

 Increased traffic from this resort would place all those enjoying this narrow road/path at greater risk. Consider the hazards, especially during peak seasons, when cars are parked along the narrow road while traffic moves in both directions.  People are forced to find walking space on narrow sides.  

We are not anti-development.  We oppose this development.  Yachats has no compelling reason to permit this resort.  It would require the city to grant multiple conditional uses to build a resort that neighbors and the community neither want nor needs.  And it is contrary to our community goals.  We urge the city to deny all the conditional uses the developers request and to deny the permit to build Agate Point resort.   

— Richard Ponting/Yachats & Yachats Action Alliance