”
The cemetery at 300 Spring Ave. is a mess. It used to look nice,
but ever since the city took ownership, the overall look has
plummeted. It sure would be nice if the city could keep up
maintenance of the cemetery. Thanks.
”
“The cemetery at 300 Spring Ave. is a mess. It used to look nice, but ever since the city took ownership, the overall look has plummeted. It sure would be nice if the city could keep up maintenance of the cemetery. Thanks.”
Dear it’s a Mess,Red Phone contacted city Planning Manager Jim Rowe, who said the Mt. Hood Cemetery is not owned by the city.
“The caller is referring to a time when the city owned it, and it looked nicer,” Rowe said. When the city owned Mt. Hope, it was maintained by Johnson Funeral Homes.
The city sold it in 1998 to the Lowing Group and it was subsequently sold to current owner Habing Family Funeral Home, Rowe added.
The city’s planning department is crafting a conditional use permit application to allow expansion of the cemetery, as requested by Habing.
“As part of this entitlement, we will be addressing the lack of maintenance,” Rowe said.
The cemetery has two general sections: an endowment area, of which the maintenance is paid for through an endowment fund; and a mostly unmaintained nonendowment section.
Rowe said one of the conditions for the use permit will be that the entire cemetery, nonendowment section included, “receive an acceptable level of maintenance.
“We’re not looking at manicured lawns, but something that abates the weeds and creates a dignified environment so people who come there aren’t appalled by what they see,” Rowe said. “Something that would be very low maintenance, and maybe not even require watering.”
Hope that helps, good caller.
Hedges need to be trimmed regularly
“Red Phone, why is it that the city never trims these hedges? They’re on Hale Avenue right next to Crossroads Christian School it’s the back side of an apartment complex, (the ones that had a fire that burned five condos). They used to be trimmed, I don’t know, three to four years ago, but since then no one has trimmed them and now they’re blocking the sidewalk. I guess these hedges are on city property because the apartment complex has landscaping services and if they were part of the apartments then they would trim them.”
Dear Hedged, Red Phone contacted Anne Beale, the city’s maintenance supervisor, who said the hedge in question is the responsibility of the adjacent apartment complex.
“I have contacted the city’s Code Enforcement Officer, John Amos, who will contact the apartment complex’s property manager to have the hedge trimmed back from the sidewalk,” she said “Many thanks to the caller for bringing the overgrown hedge to the city’s attention.”
There you have it, good caller. Problem solved.
More parking for downtown
“Hey Red Phone, there’s work being done at Depot Street near the railroad tracks. Just wondering what is planned for the area. Can you help answer my question?”
Dear Wondering, Red Phone reported this a few months ago. A new parking lot with about 90 spaces will soon be built there. That should help with some of the limited downtown parking on nights and weekends.
Good caller, hope that answers your question.
