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Allegany boat ramp closes
By Jolene Guzman, Staff Writer
Wednesday, August 06, 2008 | 1 comment(s)
ALLEGANY — The Rooke Higgins County Park Boat Ramp needs a new owner. While the land’s owner and Coos County work out the details, the facility popular with salmon fishermen is closed.
The county had leased the 2.1-acre launch facility on the Millicoma River between Coos Bay and Allegany for 20 years. The lease originally was established with Weyerhaeuser Co., but since then, Allegany residents Reece and Tresa Stacey bought the land. As of June 22, the county’s lease is up and the Staceys decided to close the park until the county makes good on its intentions to buy the property.
“We never intended to close the park, but because we are liable, we have to,” Reece Stacey said.
Closing the park is not the best solution, but Stacey said he fears he may be sued if someone has an accident while on the property.
The closure does not include the county-owned Rooke Higgins campground just across the highway.
About two years ago, Stacey said, he approached the county about what would happen once the lease expired. Coos County Parks and Recreation Department Director Larry Robison said Monday until that time he had been unaware that the Staceys owned the land.
Robison said he had hoped to have the deal done before the lease expired, but the department wasn’t able to put all the pieces together. In the meantime, he said, the county has submitted a draft lease extension request, but has not heard back from the owners on a contract. Robison said the Staceys do not have to extend the lease, but that may be a way of covering liability and have the launch open during negotiations.
The county needs grant money to buy the park and the department’s staff bumped into a time crunch trying to complete applications. In April, the Oregon State Marine Board awarded Coos County a $50,000 grant to purchase the boat launch. Robison said there was too little time to apply for all the funding and settle on a purchase price before the lease expired.
Negotiations hinge on the results of an appraisal. The Coos County Board of Commissioners approved an appraisal on July 16 by Coos Bay-based Marineau and Associates on the property. Robison said that paperwork should be completed this week or the next.
“We’re just waiting for the official appraisal,” he said.
The appraised value of the property will guide negotiations and should help the county determine if it has enough money to buy the land. Since establishing the lease, the county improved or updated the facility’s restrooms, boat launch and parking lot, Robison said.
Coos County Commissioner John Griffith said he sympathizes with the owners’ concerns about the amount of time it is taking to establish a deal.
“It is private property and the Staceys have every right to do this,” he said.
Robison said that if an extension is established, the boat launch may reopen while negotiations continue. If not, Robison is aiming for steelhead season in November.
“We want to have it open long before then,” he said.
The county had leased the 2.1-acre launch facility on the Millicoma River between Coos Bay and Allegany for 20 years. The lease originally was established with Weyerhaeuser Co., but since then, Allegany residents Reece and Tresa Stacey bought the land. As of June 22, the county’s lease is up and the Staceys decided to close the park until the county makes good on its intentions to buy the property.
“We never intended to close the park, but because we are liable, we have to,” Reece Stacey said.
Closing the park is not the best solution, but Stacey said he fears he may be sued if someone has an accident while on the property.
The closure does not include the county-owned Rooke Higgins campground just across the highway.
About two years ago, Stacey said, he approached the county about what would happen once the lease expired. Coos County Parks and Recreation Department Director Larry Robison said Monday until that time he had been unaware that the Staceys owned the land.
Robison said he had hoped to have the deal done before the lease expired, but the department wasn’t able to put all the pieces together. In the meantime, he said, the county has submitted a draft lease extension request, but has not heard back from the owners on a contract. Robison said the Staceys do not have to extend the lease, but that may be a way of covering liability and have the launch open during negotiations.
The county needs grant money to buy the park and the department’s staff bumped into a time crunch trying to complete applications. In April, the Oregon State Marine Board awarded Coos County a $50,000 grant to purchase the boat launch. Robison said there was too little time to apply for all the funding and settle on a purchase price before the lease expired.
Negotiations hinge on the results of an appraisal. The Coos County Board of Commissioners approved an appraisal on July 16 by Coos Bay-based Marineau and Associates on the property. Robison said that paperwork should be completed this week or the next.
“We’re just waiting for the official appraisal,” he said.
The appraised value of the property will guide negotiations and should help the county determine if it has enough money to buy the land. Since establishing the lease, the county improved or updated the facility’s restrooms, boat launch and parking lot, Robison said.
Coos County Commissioner John Griffith said he sympathizes with the owners’ concerns about the amount of time it is taking to establish a deal.
“It is private property and the Staceys have every right to do this,” he said.
Robison said that if an extension is established, the boat launch may reopen while negotiations continue. If not, Robison is aiming for steelhead season in November.
“We want to have it open long before then,” he said.
In short
What: The property owner has closed the Rooke Higgins Boat Ramp on the Coos River Highway on the way to Allegany.
Why: The Coos County Parks and Recreation Department’s lease on the land expired and the property owner feared liability should someone become injured on the property.
Solution: Coos County wants to extend the lease or buy the property. It has $50,000 to buy the 2.1 acres, but isn’t clear yet what the land is worth.
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