Yachats council asks Lincoln County to put two lots along 804 Trail up for sale

December 19, 2019

The city of Yachats is asking Lincoln County to try to sell two small residential lots along the 804 Trail bordering Aqua Vista Loop and Marine Drive. The county used money from the 804 Trail settlement agreement to purchase the lots decades ago in order to link two sections of the popular trail along Yachats’ oceanfront. They have sat

In granting Drift Inn variance, Yachats commission laments lack of overall parking plan for downtown

December 19, 2019

By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews.com The Yachats Planning Commission approved a request Tuesday by the owner of the popular Drift Inn restaurant and hotel to allow it to have eight less parking spaces than required, but not before wrestling with lots of questions it hopes the city will soon tackle. Such as: When will the city address the chronic lack of

City of Yachats pulls in $170,000 in street and water grants for 2020 projects

December 12, 2019

Rick McClung is on a roll. In the past few months, the city of Yachats’ water plant supervisor has written and received grants totaling $170,000 to help reconstruct streets or study water issues. McClung said the four grants from state agencies are part of a larger plan by City Manager Shannon Beaucaire “to go after this money.” “She’s given

Auditor tells Yachats council that city has greatly improved its finances

December 5, 2019

By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews.com The city of Yachats significantly improved its financial position during the 2018-19 fiscal year ending June 30, an outside auditor told the City Council on Thursday. Auditor Teresa Hanford of West Richland, Wash. walked through her state-required examination of one year of the city’s finances and for two years of the Yachats urban renewal district. “Overall

A very dry November and big water leak creates some worries for city of Yachats

December 3, 2019

November rain in Yachats was the lowest recorded in the last 10 years, resulting in an 11-month total rainfall amount for the area just 71 percent of normal. There were just 2.38 inches of rain recorded at the city of Yachats’ wastewater treatment plant in November. The previous low November rainfall amount was more than double that – 4.92

Yachats council votes to allow unlimited vacation rentals in commercial and motel zones, lowers cap in residential areas

November 26, 2019

The Yachats City Council has made a dramatic change in the city’s vacation rental ordinance, deciding to allow an unlimited number of rentals in areas of the town zoned for businesses and motels. In doing so, however, the council last week dropped the cap on the number of licenses from 125 citywide to 100 in areas zoned for single-

Yachats council backs off big increase in vacation rental fees, opens discussion on unlimited licenses in commercial, motel zones

November 7, 2019

By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews.com The Yachats City Council changed directions on two significant vacation rental regulation issues Thursday, backing off a major increase in fees and then launching a discussion to allow an unlimited number of short-term rentals in areas zoned for businesses and motels. Decisions on re-licensing fees and several other regulations brings to a near close six months

Criticism and lack of data forces Yachats council to put off increase in vacation rental fees

October 21, 2019

Faced with a barrage of criticism and unable to explain how the money might be spent, the Yachats City Council has backed off a proposed doubling of fees for 2020 vacation rental licenses. Instead, it will discuss them again – and other vacation rental details it could not resolve Wednesday, Oct. 16 — at its Thursday, Nov. 7 meeting.

City halts Yachats Library expansion, seeks to leverage new $150,000 donation

October 17, 2019

By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews.com The Yachats Library Commission wants to step back from an immediate expansion of the city library after the pledge of a $150,000 donation by longtime resident Marguerite Petersen. On Wednesday, the City Council agreed, barely. After months of study and preparing plans for the expansion, the commission and council were prepared to go ahead with a

Yachats’ fake cop car and ‘Officer Creepy’ do their job in slowing Highway 101 traffic

October 17, 2019

By QUINTON SMITH/YachatsNews.com The 14-year-old black and white Ford Crown Victoria sporting a big city of Yachats logo sits at a slight angle along U.S. Highway 101 on the south side of town. Inside is a battered mannequin, a castoff from two other coastal cities. It sports a bright orange vest, hat and dark sunglasses. Yes, the seatbelt is