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County outlines timeline of code and fire inspections at Harbor vendor market; officials urge compliance
Summary
County staff presented a detailed timeline of permits, fire inspections and a dangerous‑building tag at a Harbor vendor venue described in public postings as a farmers market, and urged property owners to complete permitting and corrections before reopening.
Curry County building and planning staff outlined a timeline on Sept. 3 describing inspections, permit requests and a posted dangerous‑building tag at a Harbor property currently operating as a vendor market that some in the community call a farmers market.
Director of County Operations Ted Fitzgerald and building staff said the Oregon State Fire Marshal first inspected the site in August 2024 and documented life‑safety violations that led to an order of correction. County building staff attempted to work with the property owner, Richard Yock, and in October 2024 and several times thereafter asked for contact and a permit application. Building staff said they held on‑site meetings with the owner, the state fire marshal and county planning and building staff in February 2025 and again in August 2025 to agree minimum steps to make the structure acceptable for occupancy. Staff said a dangerous‑building tag was posted after repeated, unresolved safety concerns and that a July–August pre‑application meeting with the owner and his attorney laid out the path to compliance.
Fitzgerald said commissioners have not intervened in the building division or state fire marshal enforcement actions and warned that the board must avoid actions that would create legal liability by overruling building inspectors or the State Fire Marshal. “If the county commission intervenes in the lawful activities of a...state appointed building inspector, that will create liability for the county and also for the individual commissioners,” he said.
Why it matters: The county said the building must meet life‑safety standards before reopening as a public market; county staff described the planning and building divisions’ record of outreach and inspections and said further public conversation may be appropriate but must avoid creating legal conflict with enforcement staff.
Next steps: Director Fitzgerald said he would convert the timeline and staff report into a public news release to provide the factual record and urged stakeholders to pursue the permit and corrections process or a lawful planning path if the property owner seeks a different use.
