In the ongoing issues between planned housing development Siskiyou Pines owners David and Nancy Garcia and the city of Cave Junction, the development was declared a nuisance property during the July 11 council meeting at City Hall. Siskiyou Pines and the city are currently at odds over a locked gate located at the intersection of North Sawyer and Siskiyou Drive that prevents citizens from freely traveling on the city-owned public street.
The street in question was taken over by the city after the Garcias sued the city and were orderd to accept the development. The most recent issues other than the locked gate are illegal usage of the easement on Ollis Rd. and extra RVs parked on the housing development at Cascade Loop. The council passed the nuisance resolution 5-0, after councilors stated that it was made clear numerous times to the development owners, David and Nancy Garcia, that the gate needed to be removed as it was on city property and not a privately owned street.
Additionally, the nuisance order states that Garcia had filed the proper permit paperwork to allow one RV on-site and that had expired. The order continues that Garcia has shown awareness of the process as it had been followed once, and was now being ignored.
After the nuisance resolution was passed Commissioner Darin Fowler who was in attendance, abruptly left the meeting. In a follow-up by the Illinois Valley News, he said, “xxxx.”
The Garcias have another lawsuit with the city claiming “it’s the motivation of city employees and elected officials’ improper goal to cause the project, and thereby the plaintiff, to fail economically. Upon further information and belief, the motivation of defendant Patton and others is based on personal enmity toward plaintiff’s principal David Garcia,” the summons states. The Garcias are seeking $8,490,000 in damages. The city declined comment due to ongoing litigation.
Emily Ring, JoCo director of emergency management was in attendance at the meeting to discuss Resolution 955. This resolution was designed to include Cave Junction in the Josephine County Hazard Mitigation plan, and it passed unanimously.
Furthermore, the council was set to vote upon Measure 109, a ballot measure that would give voters the ability to pass or prohibit the establishment of psilocybin product manufacturers and service centers.
The councilors and mayor came well-prepared on the issue and after a bit of debate, the council decided to table the vote. The discussion involved wondering if it would be best to allow voters to decide upon the service centers, but that they did not want to run the risk of the product manufacturers being allowed within the city of Cave Junction. Their concern stemmed from the large-scale marijuana grows that have cropped up, and the subsequent busts, since cannabis was legalized. The council seemed to agree that it would be best to avoid the possibility of the same thing happening with psilocybin.
The council will host a meeting Monday, July 25 at City Hall at 7 p.m. to discuss if they are for ballot proposal by the county to opt out of psilocybin manufacturing and service centers in the county. They need to vote on whether the city of Cave Junction wants to opt in to one or both of those options.
Terry Taylor, board member of the Illinois Valley Country Club, was also in attendance to seek renewal of the I.V. Golf Course contract and made some new suggestions for the city. Further discussion about the proposal will also be held July 25.
