Notice of Administrative Action-Harrisburg School District

NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION-HARRISBURG SCHOOL DISTRICT-Notice of Decision Below

• HARRISBURG SCHOOL DISTRICT-MINOR MODIFICATION FOR CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT FOR READER BOARDS (LU 454-2023) : 

SITE LOCATION: 

The subject sites are located at:

• 642 Smith St.              15S04W15BB05300
• 400 S. 9^th St.               15S04W15BD00400
• 201 S. 6^th St.               15S04W15BB05300

Harrisburg School District received approval of a Conditional Use Permit on March 21, 2017, which allowed the placement of three electronic reader board signs, one each at each school site in Harrisburg.  Only one reader board was installed at the grade school, located at 642 Smith St.  Harrisburg School District wishes to modify the approved 2017 plan, in order to replace the sign located at the elementary school, and to add a sign to the high school, located at 400 S. 9^th St.  Both signs will be mono-poles and are proposed at 32 sq. ft. per side.  The bottom of each sign will start at 6’ up on the monopole, and neither will exceed 10’ in total height. The school district has the option to purchase smaller reader boards depending upon whether the proposed signs are cost prohibitive. A reader board will be added to the middle school in the future.  

A Minor Modification of an existing Conditional Use Permit is done through an Administrative Review with Notice, if the City Administrator feels that changes fall below the thresholds of HMC 19.30.030.  This is a Type II Procedure, requiring public notice.  The Conditions of Approval that were applied in 2016 are still applicable to this modification.  Those Conditions were arrived at by the Planning Commission, with feedback from citizens that submitted testimony. These same conditions will apply to the new reader boards proposed by the Harrisburg School District, with the addition of Special Use Standards.  If 10% of the testimony received in relation to this new request is in opposition of the application, then it shall be scheduled to the Planning Commission meeting scheduled on October 17, 2023.  Otherwise, the City Administrator will review the Minor Modification, and will submit approval, approval with modifications, or denial of the request by the School District within 7 days of the deadline to reply.

2017 CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL

• Consistency with Plans – Development shall comply with the plans and narrative in the applicant’s proposal, except where modified by the following conditions of approval.
• The electronic reader board signs shall not use any message effects or animations that rapidly flash, blink, flicker, or pulse.
• The reader board signs shall operate at the following brightness levels:
  1. 7:30 am – 4:30 pm: 80% capacity
  2. 4:30 pm – 9:00 pm: 40% capacity
  3. 9:00 pm – 7:30 am: 20% capacity                                         

Staff Contact:                          Michele Eldridge, City Administrator, Harrisburg City Hall, (541) 995-2200 or by email meldridge@ci.harrisburg.or.us. Mailing Address: City of Harrisburg, PO Box 378, Harrisburg, OR 97446; Office Location: City Hall, 120 Smith Street

OPTIONS FOR PROVIDING COMMENT:

• A Minor Modification of an existing Conditional Use Permit allows for a 14-day period for citizens to respond with comments.  If more than 10% of the comments received by citizens are in opposition of the proposed locations and reader board installation, then the approval will be deferred to the Planning Commission for review.
• If you wish to testify on the proposal, you may provide written testimony (letter or email) to the City Administrator by the deadline of October 9, 2023, at 5:00pm.
• If the Minor Modification is not scheduled to the Planning Commission meeting, the City Administrator shall render a decision by October 16, 2023.
• This procedure is not a ‘land use decision’ as defined by ORS 197.015, and does not encompass direction, and hence, is not subject to appeal to the State Land Use Board of Appeals.  Type II Decisions may be appealed to the City Planning Commission for review, and hence to the City Council, whose decision will be final.

DECISION:

The City Administrators decision will be final unless appealed to the Planning Commission.  Appeals to the Planning Commission must be submitted to the City Recorder, consistent with the provisions in HMC 19.10.030.  After the deadline, the City Administrator will issue the decision, and the decision will be mailed to the applicant and to anyone else who submitted written comments or who is otherwise legally entitled to notice.

DECISION-MAKING CRITERIA:

The City Administrator will evaluate this request based on specific review criteria from the Harrisburg Municipal Code (HMC) and other applicable requirements. The staff-identified criteria for this land use decision are found in HMC 18.50.190, 18.90, 19.10.030, 19.25.040(1), 19.30.040, and shall also be based on the original conditions of approval as applied in 2017.  

Citizens are encouraged to become familiar with the applications and applicable review criteria. The evidence relied upon by the City Administrator is in the public record and will be available for public review.  All documents may be reviewed at City Hall without charge; copies will be provided upon request at a reasonable charge. The Harrisburg Municipal Code is available on the City’s website (http://www.codepublishing.com/or/harrisburg/).  The City will mail the Notice of Decision to citizens who submit written comments, or who are otherwise legally entitled to notice.

The City of Harrisburg does not discriminate against individuals with disabilities, and is an Equal Opportunity Provider.  Persons with disabilities that wish accommodations, including assisted listening devices and sign language assistance, if applicable, are requested to contact City hall at 541-995-6655, at least 48 hours prior to the decision. 

THE CITY OF HARRISBURG ENCOURAGES YOU TO NOTIFY YOUR NEIGHBORS AND OTHER PERSONS YOU BELIEVE WOULD BE AFFECTED BY THIS MATTER.

City's Zoning Code

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