Planning commission approves Knox Ocean six‑lot subdivision with staff conditions

The Curry County Planning Commission on Tuesday approved the six‑lot Knox Ocean Subdivision at 30472 Old Coast Road (file S‑2502) with staff‑recommended amendments that require additional technical reviews and plat clarifications before lots can be developed.

The commission voted to approve the subdivision “as amended with staff’s recommendations,” a motion moved by a commissioner and seconded by the chair that passed with recorded ayes from the two commissioners present. The approval authorizes only the division of land on paper; no construction or private roads are proposed at this stage.

Zach Moody, contract planner for Curry County, told commissioners the proposal is a tentative subdivision that places lot lines on a property that lies partially in coastal flood and VE zones and includes a 40‑foot strip of proposed common open space. Moody said staff revised the final order to require that the revised tentative plat be prepared by an Oregon‑licensed surveyor and that the applicant complete geologic hazard and floodplain reviews prior to final plat. “There’s another administrative process for that,” Moody said, describing how geotechnical and floodplain decisions are reviewed administratively and noticed, with appeal rights preserved.

Applicant representative Justin Rhodes, an engineer for the project, described site plans and utilities and said the team expects to design homes outside the most hazardous beach zones and to run sewer main connections to a nearby pump station. “This is a pretty straightforward application with the existing roads, long lots,” Rhodes said, adding that geotechnical and foundation design work will be completed before final plat and building permits.

The county surveyor, Scott Fine, offered a neutral comment during public testimony, praising the application packet and noting that consolidating the common open space into Lot 6 would be an applicant option that would not necessarily prevent future subdivisions through separate processes. A late, written comment from Katrina Thompson, executive director of the Northwest American Indian Coalition, raised concerns about natural hazards, coastal cultural resources and the need for clear tribal notification protocols; staff read the letter into the record and responded that the administrative geologic and floodplain reviews will be noticed and subject to comment.

Key conditions in the approved order include requiring the revised tentative plat to show existing and proposed easements, requiring a licensed surveyor to prepare the revised tentative, and requiring any necessary geotechnical and floodplain mitigation and documentation before the county surveyor will sign a final plat. Moody said staff will add the easement requirement as a general condition in the final order and provide a completed draft for the chair to sign before transmittal to the Board of County Commissioners and the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development for any required notice.

The planning commission’s action applies to plat approval only; future permits for building, septic systems or road improvements will be handled administratively and must demonstrate compliance with geotechnical and floodplain standards before building permits can be issued. Moody also noted that Gold Beach has previously indicated it does not require road improvements now and that any curb, gutter or sidewalk work would be addressed at annexation and by the city when applicable.

The commission closed the hearing and asked staff to finalize the order with the agreed amendments. The decision will be recorded and the file transmitted consistent with county procedures.