To the editor:
This letter is a copy of one I sent to the Yachats city council in support of fast-tracked construction of the boardwalk and viewing deck (known as the Bay Boardwalk), to be sited facing the beautiful Yachats Bay along Ocean View Drive.
My involvement with this project began as an Oregon Parks and Recreation Department employee and doing research as to which state permits might be necessary, when I was the acting ocean shores coordinator in 2021. From my viewpoint the parcel in question sits solidly above, or right off, the state beach, officially called the Ocean Shore State Recreation Area.
My understanding that the delay in proceeding with this project lied in the transfer of Ocean View Drive from Lincoln County to the city of Yachats. Since that barrier has been resolved, the local planning jurisdiction would be the city of Yachats assigning its Public Works Department and council-assigned “work group” to immediately proceed with the detailed engineering, historic preservation requirements, and necessary grant applications to build this structure. Having the financial support of View the Future also adds to the feasibility and success of this project’s completion.
This project will shore up and vastly improve the safety for pedestrians and create an infrastructure that is already world-class in Yachats, protecting the road’s right of way for future visitors and residents alike.
Under my city council hat in Newport, I find many of our pedestrian safety improvements and sidewalk/trail/bike projects stymied by the Oregon Department of Transportation and state pre-emption, and it seems to me you have dodged this bullet.
I urge my south county neighbors to earnestly move towards completion with the Bay Boardwalk Project, and I offer you my unbridled support. The project shines of a perfect blend of citizen volunteerism and community vision. I look forward to enjoying it upon completion.
— Ryan Parker, councilor, city of Newport
“I find many of our pedestrian safety improvements and sidewalk/trail/bike projects stymied by the Oregon Department of Transportation and state pre-emption, and it seems to me you have dodged this bullet.” Have you seen our three-ring circus of sidewalks? Bullets were not dodged. The likelihood of the boardwalk being an equally if not worse project is nearly guaranteed.
Thank you for your input, but kindly leave Yachats alone.