Building ban lifted for area served by Sallal

Published 1:53 pm Thursday, October 2, 2008

NORTH BEND – The North Bend City Council passed an amended ordinance at its Oct. 30 meeting that will allow some development to occur in the eastern edges of the city.

The ordinance still prohibits all new construction in the city of North Bend for another six months because of a lack of water rights, but will allow development on property neighboring the Sallal Water District, which serves some eastern reaches of the city.

The 4-0 approval by the council was made in light of a collaborative effort between the city, the Sallal Water District and Seattle-based AF Evans to allow the company to build more than 200 apartment units on the land behind the Napa Auto Parts store, near the intersection of East North Bend Way and Mount Si Road.

Ewing Stringfellow, who owns the Middle Fork S Ranch that lies directly north of the AF Evans site, said the ordinance would bring development too close to his farm. Since the city stands to gain increased revenue from fees and taxes from the development, Stringfellow said his farm had been sacrificed in order to pay for the Tollgate Farm “central meadow,” which was recently purchased with the help of city money.

“They just saved one farm and wrecked another,” Stringfellow said.

Stringfellow added that the ordinance would bring the operations of his farm too close to the apartments. He said the proposed development, a 227-unit complex, would sit about 150 feet from the farm behind a line of trees, and potential residents might witness some of the less pleasant aspects of a cattle farm, such as slaughtering and the noise of calves being weaned.

Stringfellow said he is convinced the development will drive him out of business.

Council members, however, disagreed with the impact the development would have on the farm.

“It was a tough decision,” said Councilman Ed Carlson, who personally apologized to Stringfellow for passing the ordinance. “But he does have the buffers to protect him.”

Councilman Fred Rappin, who was a farmer in rural Nebraska, said it was his experience that farming and development could live in harmony.

“I do share his concern,” Rappin said, “but I learned back in Nebraska that both can exist.”

Robert Ketterlin, director of acquisitions for AF Evans, said he does not believe the farm would upset residents of the apartment complex.

“We see his farm as an amenity, not as a nuisance,” Ketterlin said.

Rich Peterson, a lawyer with Hillis, Clark, Martin and Peterson representing Stringfellow, said that although the city would have no jurisdiction to shut down the farm if complaints did come, neighbors could sue the cattle farm owner, which he said is costly to fight.

“They [complaints] could tighten the use of his farm,” Peterson said.

Stringfellow has not decided whether he wants to pursue legal action against the proposal, but Peterson said he hopes the development can be fought with county and state environmental and development laws.

Ketterlin said no date has been set for when AF Evans plans to submit its application for the development, or when the company would like to begin construction.