Commission urges city follow-up after woman fell at county-owned cliffside swath

A Depoe Bay commissioner reported that a woman fell into an embankment at a narrow county-owned swath of land near Harney Street and urged the city to encourage the county to add danger signage or barriers.

The speaker described the scene and said first responders required ropes to rescue the person; she said she revised and will resend the original email she wrote after the incident and will copy City staff Brady and Kim. “I want the county…to put up danger and no trespassing signs on that swath of land,” she said.

City staff (Kim) told the commission the assessor’s map confirms the parcel is county property and that there is no official public access to that exact property; Kim planned to include the incident in her report to the city council. Staff and commissioners discussed private-property lines and easements that can make access to the cliff confusing for visitors who approach from adjoining streets or parcels.

Commissioners agreed the appropriate next steps are (1) the resident or witness send a documented complaint to Brady and Kim, copying the commission liaison; (2) staff will share the information with the county and include the incident in a city council report; and (3) commissioners or other residents may follow up directly with the county. The transcript shows no formal council action at the meeting, only direction to staff to forward information and put the issue on council’s radar.

Commissioners said they are concerned that without signs, fences or other mitigations, someone could again be injured on that stretch of county land. Staff advised that adding signage on county property would be a county decision but that the city can request and convey resident concerns to county property management.