Local News

In a split decision this morning, the Josephine County Board of Commissioners approved an ordinance that amends the Rural Land Development Code concerning farm and forest zoning.

Following a public hearing on the second reading of the ordinance, the Board voted 2-1 to make the necessary changes to exclusive farm use, farm resource, forest commercial and woodlot resource zones. Commission Vice Chair John West cast the dissenting vote.

James Black of the Planning Department testified that the ordinance is in response to statutory changes required by the Oregon Legislature and that local development codes concerning farm and forest zones had not been updated since 2005. He said changes to farm zones include agri-tourism while changes to forest zones include new rules on the building and replacement of residential structures.

Commission Chair Herman Baertschiger said he voted against the changes when he was a member of the Oregon Senate, but he was voting to approve them at the county level due to the state mandate. He said Oregon is one of a few states that has statewide planning, which he argued is the root of many housing problems.

In other business, the Board unanimously approved two requests for annexation into the Josephine Community Library District. The addition of 1.8 acres on Lone Mountain Road in O'Brien and 5.01 acres on Turner Road in Cave Junction to the local library district came by petition of the landowners.