Residents ask Newport to negotiate continued public access to waterfront ‘gas tank’ site

Laura Retel, a Toledo resident, told the Newport City Council that a large green gas-storage tank on the Yaquina Bay waterfront—locally called the gas tank—has been public access land for more than 50 years and is used for kayaking, birding and low-impact recreation.

“People fish, dig for clams, and catch crabs,” Retel said. “It is a sanctuary and a kind of town square where people meet and socialize.”

The council heard two additional public comments on the same site. Linda Melanoff, who said she is a frequent user of the shoreline, described the place as an important birding and educational site and said 55 people had signed a petition supporting a dialogue with property owners. Karen Murphy, who identified herself as a local resident, said the site is one of the few places she feels safe walking at night, noting employees at the tank used to monitor the area.

Council members acknowledged the remarks and said city administration has been asked to look into what, if anything, the city can do because the land is not city property. Mayor Jan Kaplan said staff have not completed follow-up because many city staff were at a conference this week, but he expects administration to report back at a future council meeting. Nina (last name not specified in the record) and other staff were identified as points of contact during the presentation.

Speakers asked the council to consider options such as easements, time-limited access, lighting, signage and trash removal to formalize the public use that has existed informally for decades. Retel also noted the area’s Indigenous history, saying the land was ancestral homeland to the Yacon people for “over 3,000 years.”

No formal motion or ordinance was made during the public-comment period. Councilors described the matter as an item for staff review rather than immediate city action. The council did not set a timeline for staff follow-up during the meeting; Mayor Kaplan said the administration would “look into this” and provide further information at a subsequent meeting.

The council’s acknowledgement and the request for a staff review mark the only official direction recorded in the meeting minutes regarding the gas tank shoreline. Any change to public access will require further staff analysis and, if necessary, future council action.

Provenance: The council heard the public comments during the public-comment portion of the meeting; council staff said they will investigate possible roles the city could play and report back at a later meeting.