To the editor:
A public meeting was held in Waldport on Thursday to discuss the fate of Don Lindly Park along Oregon Highway 34 on the south side of the Alsea River, across from Canal Creek Road. It is an unpretentious, low impact public space. The public entities involved are the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Oregon Marine Board, and Lincoln County. Over a decade ago, a stated plan was outlined and only now is being unwrapped … over a decade later.
This meeting was momentous. Standing room only. People from the area. People familiar with the area. People with passion. Their vision was not the vision of over a decade ago. They know the water and they know the river otter. They do not support paving over the area to support excessive parking. Many expressed a user-friendly kayaking area but not the infrastructure to lure motorized boats “to come.” In the information available, over a million dollars was bandied about. How best to use it?
You can make a difference. Contact the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife at ODFWinfo@odfw.oregon.gov, the Marine Board at Janine.belleque@boat.oregon.gov, the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners at Forms@app.smartsheet.co, and the county parks director Kelly Perry at Kperry@co.lincoln.or.us . Identify your comments as Don Lindley Park and request your comments be entered into the public record. Make note of the agencies contacted. Lincoln County may be prepared to buy this property. We would have a greater voice.
I am a 50-year resident of Five Rivers. Thank you Oregon Wild for getting the word out. And thank you, the neighbors of Don Lindley Park.
— Mona Linstromberg, Tidewater
A structure with bathrooms like at Mike Bauer on Hwy 34 would be nice, no docks but maybe a small boat launch site only, and limited off road parking.