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The
important role that open space plays in defining Cannon Beach is reflected
in several elements of the Vision Statement of the Comprehensive Plan. The
fundamental principle of the plan is to foster a community with a strong
sense of place which provides its resident the quality of life that
they desire. The protection and enhancement of the following unique
community characteristics form the basis for achieving this principle:
- Proximity
to and interaction with the surrounding natural environment as defined
by the ocean and its beach, the Ecola Creek estuary and surrounding
forested hillsides.
- A city
that is physically small in size and has well defined edges as the
result of its location adjacent to the ocean and forest land.
The elements
of the town’s physical form which the plan will foster are:
- Development
that honors the city’s’ physical setting.
- A distinct
edge to the town which defines the separation of urban uses from
rural and natural resource uses.
The broad
categories which define open space within the City are specific natural
resource areas such as the beach and associated dunes, wetlands and
streams and their associated riparian areas, scenic resources and natural
hazard areas such as flood plains and geologic hazard areas. City policies
with regard to these and other open spaces resources are generally
contained in the “Recreation, Open Space, Natural, Visual and
Historic Resources” section of the Comprehensive Plan. The Zoning
Code contains specific standards intended to protect beach and dune
areas, estuarine areas, and wetlands and stream corridors.
The following
is a brief list of some of the more significant open space areas in
public ownership in the City:
- Chapman
Point An undeveloped 12-acre tract that is part
of Ecola State Park.
- Haystack
Hill State Park An 8.8 acre forested parcel located
south of Arbor Lane and north of Chena Avenue, between US Highway
101 and Hemlock Street.
- Les
Shirley Park A fine sample of estuarine wetland
located in the north end of town along the Ecola Creek estuary.
- Haystack
Rock, part of the Oregon Islands National
Wildlife Refuge.
- The
IMPACT site A city-owned 7.5 acre forested area
located between Spruce Street and Highway 101 and Jefferson Street
and Monroe Street.
- Inspiration
Point A city-owned .6 acre parcel abutting the
ocean shore adjacent to the S-curve area of S. Hemlock Street.
- "Parcel
A" While
not a public open space area, Parcel A is a 40-acre tract that
is located immediately adjacent to the City’s springs, which
are the City’s primary source of water. The purchase of Parcel
A in 2003 from Weyerhaeuser Corporation has provided the City with
a 660-foot buffer on the east and south side of the springs.
- "Parcel
B" The Friends
of Ecola Creek Forest Reserve assisted the City through a fund
raising campaign to purchase a 120-acre parcel of land adjacent to
the City’s
municipal watershed from the Weyerhaeuser Company. The property contains
three-quarters
of a mile of Ecola creek frontage, important coho salmon habitat and
remnant old-growth rainforest.
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