A perspective from Oregon’s mid-Willamette Valley

This is the section of Elm south of 24th the council is considering vacating to ease development of the parcel on the right.

Portable toilets and magic mushrooms — what a combination. Both were among the topics that occupied the Albany City Council during its Monday work session.

There was also the matter of giving up or vacating a short stub of the right-of-way of Elm Street, from 24th Avenue south to Pacific Boulevard, a distance of some 300 feet.

Let’s  take them in order:

Toilets: The council reviewed a draft of an ordinance that would allow the placement of portable toilets under some circumstances if the city issues a permit for them. Among other things the proposal would accommodate the portable placed by the First Christian Church for the benefit of homeless people. It would also allow the placement of a porta-potty by a nursery in northeast Albany where outdoor work has to be done far from facilities.

The ordinance will come up for action when the council meets Wednesday night. The measure was prompted by the discovery that the municipal code did not permit the church’s portable even though the council majority wanted to allow it — and did for another year.

Mushrooms: The council seemed to lean in favor of asking Albany voters in November to approve a two-year moratorium during which the city would not allow the use of psilocybin-containing mushrooms in the treatment of some mental problems such depression and anxiety.

The two-year pause is an option provided by Oregon Ballot Measure 109, passed in 2020, which authorizes state health authorities to license mental health practitioners to use psilocybin mushrooms in their treatments.  The measure takes effect next year, but cities and counties can ask their voters to ban the practice or delay it for two years within their borders.

Albany voters narrowly voted in favor of the state ballot measure inn 2020, the council was told, which raises the question of why the council wants another vote.

Council action to put the moratorium on the ballot is expected in early August.

Elm Street — This long north-south throughfare in west Albany used to serve as Highway 99 back in the day. But when the Highway Department built the new 99E through Albany in the late 1939s and ’40s, it took a different route.  This left Elm south of 24th as a remnant used mainly as a driveway.

The council heard from Ken Marshall, who is planning to buy and develop the vacant southwest corner of Elm and 24th with a 9,000-square foot office building plus parking. Vacating the right-of-way would help the project, and he asked the city to initiate the vacation.

The council did not object. Public hearings will come later.

The only other property served by the stub street as a driveway is one occupied by Schoen’s Motors. Marshall told the council that property has been bought by a Utah company that intends to improve it. The street vacation would leave a driveway for access to that second property.

If any of this interests you, you may want to watch the video of the council discussion on YouTube or Facebook. This will give you details of what everybody said, including a gem from Councilwoman Bessie Johnson.

She referred to claims that psilocybin mushroom treatments help certain patients. Well, she observed, so does fresh air and exercise.

Who said council meetings can’t be fun? (hh)

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