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November 20, 2008 Opinion |
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—Editorial—
EID — A Worthwhile Program — HBC Helps Provide The Downtown Experience
As downtown property and business owners consider approving a five-year renewal of the Economic Improvement District, we would like to add our support for this very worthwhile program.
In considering this renewal proposal, let’s turn back the clock 20 years. Those of you who have been here long enough to remember what the downtown district looked liked then, know how much progress has been made. Those of you who arrived in the last five years would be amazed to see how far we’ve come.
The two tallest buildings on Main Street, the Baker Tower and the Geiser Grand were, less than two decades ago, dilapidated eye sores not too far away from needing a close encounter with the wrecking ball. Now they are stately buildings, rich in history as well as architectural eye candy.
Twenty years ago a good share of the downtown business buildings, although usually well kept on the inside, were suffering from age, weather and neglect on the outside. Layers of peeling paint, ripped or missing awnings and marred plaster were commonplace. Most of the buildings have since undergone renovation and have been transformed from a tired old structure to a lively edifice similar to what its original designer intended.
Today, Baker City's Historic Downtown District has become a unique blending of old and new — historic charm with all of the modern day perks. High speed internet and lattes with 100-year-old bricks and mortar.
Going downtown now is truly an experience. It's not solely about shopping or eating — it's also about a beautiful stroll on a summer morning or a snow-kissed face on a wintery afternoon. It's a vibrant and fun place to be — the heart and soul of Baker City.
By supporting the EID, you support Historic Baker City, Inc., (HBC) the entity that pulls this Historic District all together and helps provide that downtown experience. HBC brings the downtown business owners into a cooperative partnership for the good of everyone, and for the good of the individual business owners. In other words, HBC allows them to work separately together.
Although the building owners certainly deserve credit for this nothing short of miraculous Main Street revitalization, HBC is the backbone and instigator - the overseeing parent that guides and protects this economic development project.
HBC helps fund many of the building renovations through matching grants, including a recently announced $30,000 grant from the Leo Adler Community Fund for the Destination Downtown Historic Building Facade Renovation Program. HBC was instrumental in securing Baker City's Oregon Main Street designation, which provides access to grants and technical services, state-wide promotion and networking, and a national designation with the National Trust for Historic Preservation. It also qualified Baker City for a $1.5 million ODOT grant for Resort Street improvements.
HBC addresses parking issues, initiates downtown activities such as Fall Festival and the Christmas Parade, hires inmates from Powder River Correctional Facilities to keep the downtown area clean, helps secure funding for various projects and offers grants to help with renovation projects. The HBC Director also attends workshops in marketing, downtown and historic preservation and retail development to help further economic development and downtown revitalization. Initiating campaigns to encourage local shopping and promoting tourism to the area also falls under the direction of HBC.
HBC has been instrumental in maintaining the uniform historic store front theme as well as the downtown trees and benches that help make Baker City an attractive and inviting place to live, work and visit.
We urge downtown property and business owners to continue to support the EID. When we all pool our resources together much more can be accomplished. Those who pay into the EID fund are, not coincidently, also the ones who benefit from it.
—Letters To The Editor—
Support BID/EID
To The Record-Courier:
Regarding Historic Baker City’s efforts to renew the BID/EID for downtown revitalization, I fully support the organization’s efforts. In the 25 years that the Main Street Program has been used by communities in Oregon, BID/EID funding has been critical to the success of many of these programs.
When Oregon did not fund the state-coordinating program, the need for downtown revitalization did not go away. We were very pleased in this first year of the new Oregon Main Street Program, to see that Baker City, Corvallis, and McMinnville had continued to follow the Main Street Approach™. With over 1,800 communities nation-wide following this approach, the documented community and economic benefits include new investment, job creation, new business, and increased commerce. In this time of economic challenges, communities need to focus their efforts on downtowns, particularly to retain business and develop competitive economic strategies.
The Main Street Approach™ is a very collaborative and comprehensive process that requires local commitments and partnerships. Based on over 30 years of national experience, funding is necessary to support downtown revitalization, including a full-time paid program manager. National criteria for “certified” Main Street programs require meeting these criteria.
We were pleased on Sept. 26 to announce the selection of Baker City as one of four Oregon Performing Main Street cities. The selection is recognition for meeting the national criteria and confirmation that the Baker City program is following this proven approach. Baker City is an outstanding example, if not the best, for historic preservation and economic revitalization in Oregon. I continue to use Baker City’s experience to inspire other communities beginning the revitalization process.
As the Oregon Main Street Coordinator I believe that EID/BIDs are one of the fairest funding mechanisms for downtown revitalization, because those who pay into the fund are the primary recipients of the benefits and services of the program. Indirectly, the community and other business benefit from these downtown efforts, which contributes to a sustainable local economy. Programs need to adapt to changing conditions and be responsive to the needs of business and property owners, but the need does not go away.
Gary Van Huffel, Oregon Main Street Coordinator- Salem, Ore.
Addressing The Transmission Line
To The Record-Courier:
Residents of Baker County are opposed to siting the proposed B2H-IP 500 kV transmission line through our county. We have addressed the following issues in our argument against the construction of the line.
1. Issue: Effects on wildlife habitat, fisheries, plants and animals including threatened
• The proposed B2H-IP line will disrupt 300 miles of site specific and connective wildlife habitat; 45 miles of which is located in Baker County. The line will impact elk, antelope, mule deer, sage rabbits, native grasses and forbs and many other species including the threatened Western Sage Grouse. And, most regrettably, the project is not necessary for the greater human good, see #9 below.
2. Issue: Effects on visual resources
• The proposed B2H-IP line will destroy hundreds of miles of the valuable, veritably pristine visual resources of the beautiful mountain and intermountain sagebrush steppes of Baker County. Local residents will be forced to look at this project, a blight upon their landscape, from which they derive no benefit and which does not include a plan to ever issue benefit to the citizens of this county. Tourism is a valuable industry to Baker County and people come to view the majestic and sweeping scenery from the roads, the valleys and remote points of interest. How do you camouflage a line of 198’ derricks supporting huge electric wires?
3. Issue: Effects on National Historic Trails and viewsheds
• The proposed B2H-IP line will highly impact the Oregon Trail National Interpretive Center and its viewshed. Other routes are being considered but these alternates will be at greater economic, social, geographical, hydrological and ecological costs than the originally proposed route.
4. Issue: Effects on Native American traditional cultural properties and respected places
• We protest that Idaho Power has proposed numerous routes of this line without performing the cultural surveys necessary for solid decision-making.
5. Issue: Effects on soils and water quality
• We do not know the harmful effects of stray voltage from these 500 kV lines as of yet. IP is assuring us that there is “nothing to worry about” but is not distributing the scientific evidence to back up their claims. When one studies their informational material, it becomes evident that the “studies” done do not address 500 kV lines; rather they cite research on the effects of normal household electricity. There are many alternative health professionals who claim deleterious effects on human, animal and plant, soil and water health.
• We protest that Idaho Power has not performed the necessary soil and geological surveys to ensure that the proposed routes can geologically sustain the construction and the infrastructure necessary for the maintenance of the B2H-IP transmission line. We only have to look at “Hole in the Wall” on Oregon Highway 83 to evidence the fragility of this environment.
6. Issue: Land use conflicts and consistency with land use plans
• Most of the private lands crossed by the proposed routes are designated farm use (EFU) zones and farm land stewardship should NOT include living and working around and under 500 kV transmission lines.
• Organic, local production of food is a valuable expanding niche market. Oregon Tilth Certified Organic (OTCO), an international certifying agency that is the sole inspection and certifying agency in Oregon, has reservations regarding certification of crop lands within the possible influence of stray voltage. OTCO is currently beginning to investigate this matter.
7. Issue: Effects on public health and safety
• If concerns are being raised regarding effects on threatened species, e.g. Sage grouse, why are we considering the construction of a 500 kV transmission line over crop land and people’s homes? Many persons are concerned regarding the possible negative effects of stray voltage on humans but especially, children. As stated previously, the informational material being distributed by BLM and Idaho Power does not provide evidence that stray voltage from 500 kV transmission lines can be compared to that of ordinary household electricity.
• The informational material on health, furthermore, does not mention the study which found that dairy cattle operations impacted by 500 kV lines witnessed a significant drop in milk production in their cows. It is evident that these lines do affect domestic animal production and the end food products that we eat and drink!
8. Issue: Effects on public access and recreation
• Unknown by this party. We do not have much time to recreate; we are farmers.
9. Issue: Effect of the project on local and regional socioeconomic conditions
• Baker County has nothing to gain from allowing construction of the B2H-IP transmission line except for a pittance in property tax income. Will our commissioners sell our natural and visual resources for an increase insufficient to sustain county income?
• Many of the private businesses in Baker County are dependent on the tourism industry. Our part of Oregon is relatively untouched by the hard visual realities of human progress, so evident in Moro County, i.e. west of Boardman, as you travel to Portland. The sight of those power lines is a sad indictment to a society that chooses to generate energy far from the end consumer and spend scarce financial resources to deliver it. Must Baker County be pushed into allowing these transmission lines at the price of losing part of the visual and natural resources which we cherish and protect?
• The B2H-IP transmission line is not a safe, reliable source of electrical service for either consumers in western Oregon and California or for consumers in Boise and the greater Treasure Valley area. The Oregon Public Utilities Commission should NOT approve of this line. Period. In these days we are beginning to recognize that local alternative energy development is necessary to provide safe, economical and dependable energy. As our state and federal governments promise to commit resources to alternative sources of energy, why would we consider building a 300 mile, 500 kV transmission line to transverse all of eastern Oregon? The billions of dollars invested in this short-sighted energy plan can be used more wisely by investing in alternative energy options with local consumers where the electricity will be consumed.
• We are being told that the Treasure Valley residents need the energy being generated in the Boardman area in the summer time to power their air conditioning systems. Yes it does get hot in the Treasure Valley in the summer time and we do appreciate the comforts of air conditioning. Investment in solar energy for houses and businesses would:
- Generate local dependable clean and SAFE energy for the Boise area
- Cause no intrusive dangerous transmission lines to be built through areas that will not benefit from them and do not want them
- NOT be an attractive magnet for terrorist sabotage of American infrastructure.
• It is not clear who needs the electricity in the western part of Oregon, i.e. the winter energy that will be transmitted to Boardman. Some say it will become part of the grid transport to California, thereby garnering more profitable returns to Idaho Power because it can be labeled as “clean and green.” It is evident, however, that in this time of CHANGE, what has worked for us in the past will not work for us in the future. The B2H-IP transmission line will serve to work against us because it is just more of the thinking and lack-of-planning that has created our current problems and generated the impression that lines like this one are needed. Energy should be generated locally, as near as possible to the place of consumption. One trip down the Columbia speaks volumes for the possibilities of wind and water power to sustain the populations in western Oregon. The B2H-IP transmission line is taking us in the wrong direction, as has the permit for a coal- fired energy plant in a state that has to import the coal fuel!
10. Issue: Noxious and invasive species
• This issue is BIG for eastern Oregon. Construction of the towers will cause massive disturbance sites along 300 miles. Of course, this issue can be resolved by preparatory planning, construction oversight and continuous post-construction seeding, monitoring, spraying and weeding. This economic consideration should be weighed carefully into the feasibility of building and maintaining the B2H-IP transmission line.
11. Issue: Areas of special designation
• This issue has not been clearly explained in the public informational meetings conducted in our area. Does this mean Idaho Power has not researched and addressed it?
• As noted previously, every person/farmer/landowner living and working within 1.5 miles of the line will be at risk for his income/health practices. The verdict has not come in on this issue yet.
Vicki Wares
Baker City
Ordinance Is Trojan Horse
To The Record-Courier:
In reading the notice in The Record-Courier of Oct. 16, 2008, about the Revision of Baker County Ordinance it would appear that this “planning” and measure #49 of ’08 elections are in essence to be “incorporated” via the State’s DEQ?
It has the appearance to local control, but legally it’s central control and the measure #49 mandates, by the voters approval to the creation of what is called a “Trojan Horse.” We all know what that means, don’t we? In case some don’t, the dictionary does help.
It’s a classical legend, a large, hollow, wooden horse, filled with Greek soldiers was built and left at the Trojan gates. When it was brought within the walls, the soldiers emerged at night, and admitted the Greek army, who burned the city.
In measure #49 the real Trojan Horse, the DEQ, is the soldiers, and Baker County is the Trojan gates.
The local chapters (towns) will be the gate opener to let all the LVCS in from the DEQ. What the heck is LVCS anyway?
It’s the DEQ’s “Land Use Compatibility Statements” by/thru proxy local chapters or towns. The devices are the “eco” permits instead of soldiers’ spears. Permits, as “permission,” or not, will be the will of the DEQ’s beast.
Don’t “fret” we have the local D.A.’s office and the friendly courts that we all know will back our U.S. Constitutional Bill of Rights to put people first and big government in check. Maybe you might have to do a little hoop jumping first. The liberals have done it again? Shot themselves in the foot?
Bruce Parke
Sumpter, Ore.
Distressed With ‘D’ Street
To The Record-Courier:
As a residents in the area of the “D” Street project, we are concerned about how this may affect us as well as those who live there. The ones who do live on “D” Street seem quite distressed of all they have been told about the new section. Their properties will be affected because of what they’ve been told will take place.
Namely, the acquisition of part of their property frontage to accommodate the size of the street (40 ft.) plus 6 ft. wide sidewalks, plus a 4 ft. bicycle lane on one side that, by the way is level with and side by side to the sidewalk, plus a planting strip in the opposite side of the street, which we believe another 4 ft. width. All this and no streetlights?? Is it really necessary to have such an elaborate plan to pave a residential street? The newer streets east of Cedar such as “F” Street are attractive and adequate simply with pavement and curbing.
We’ve been told it’s to help alleviate Campbell street traffic. Does this mean truck traffic also? It’s our understanding that trucks aren’t allowed on Cedar St. If it will be changed that is going to affect the many people on Cedar as well.
It is our opinion that the “D” Street residents have been ill-informed, taken advantage of, and have had no say in this whole process, as though they just don’t matter.
Barbara Burton
Baker City
No Wind Turbines
To The Record-Courier:
If the citizens of Baker County want to live in a rural environment unmarred by gargantuan wind towers they will have to fight for their legal right to do so. The erection of permanent wind turbines at the base of the Eagle Cap Wilderness and on the hillsides of the Columbia River Gorge has despoiled these scenic sanctuaries forever. There is currently a proposal to install wind turbines near the geological wonder, Steens Mountain, in southeastern Oregon.
The energy companies claim that wind farms increase the local tax base. Extensive research indicates that this is more than offset by the loss of open land, a decrease in tourism, a depression of property values over a wide area, and increases in corporate tax credits. The dream of environmentally friendly wind energy is actually a highly subsidized destruction of the landscape because it takes acres of wind turbines to generate a small amount of unreliable electricity.
In 1998, Norway, the world’s leader in wind technology, commissioned a study of wind power and concluded that it has “serious environmental effects, insufficient production, and high production costs.” The British conservation group, Country Guardian, calculated that wind farms do not reduce conventional power use and their manufacture, transport, and construction actually increase the use of dirty, not green, energy. Read the scientific study, “The Case Against Windfarms,” at www.countryguardian.net to find out the truth behind this global, ecological nightmare.
In his 1968 book “Desert Solitaire,” Edward Abbey predicted that energy companies and land developers would eventually lay waste to much of the American landscape. We must protect our rural heritage by standing up to the greedy corporations and individuals who, without regret, will desecrate the land and exploit the citizens of Oregon.
Richard Heriza
Baker City
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