Land Use Planning

Nehalem Bay by the numbers: CDPs and UGBs explained.

December 2021

In our November 8 issue, we discussed the characteristics of regional housing stock. We warned readers that census jargon can be arcane and provided a glossary of terms. Some readers called our geographical census groupings into question. So, at the risk of getting too nerdy, we will dig a little deeper into the census terminology as it applies to our region.

Read the article starting on page 4 here

Nehalem Bay Life: Land use planning and control - a primer.

April 2023

On February 27 this year, Oregon’s Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA) remanded a Manzanita City Council decision that denied an application to site a hotel. In May 2022, LUBA remanded a Wheeler City Council decision to deny an application to site a fish processing, wholesale, and retail business.

Read the article starting on page 6 here

Analysis of Manzanita Comprehensive Plan’s

compliance with statewide goals

March 2023

The original Manzanita Comprehensive Plan (CP or Comp Plan) dates to 1975. The city revised the plan in 1986, 1987, 1990, and 1995, and the city adopted the current plan in 1996, and added amendments through 2014. Under ORS 197.629 only cities with a population higher than 2,500 are required to conduct a periodic review every seven years, but such cities may request a Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC) periodic review. The current (1995) Comp Plan used the year 2010 as the planning horizon. For that year the current plan forecasts a “permanent” population of 1,725 and a part-time population of 2,520. The actual 2020 census counted a full-time population of 603. The Comp Plan “overrides other city ordinances, such as zoning, subdivision, or other ordinances when there is a conflict.” The plan was prepared under an LCDC grant.

Read the analysis here