ODRB At Work

     Yesterday evening the Oysterville Design Review Board (ODRB) met at the schoolhouse to consider the building plans of one of our neighbors.  The meeting was well attended (by Oysterville standards) with about half of the village households represented.  I think most of us went with a bit of trepidation, as these meetings do not always proceed smoothly.  This one, however, could have served as a textbook model of community cooperation in action.
     The ODRB is a voluntary group of Oysterville residents appointed by the county commissioners.  It operates according to the provisions of Pacific County Ordinance No. 131 “to ensure renovation or rehabilitation of existing buildings, as well as new development, is consistent and harmonious with the existing architectural style and national historic significance if Oysterville.”   The ordinance sets out a series of design review guidelines which were developed by Oysterville residents soon after we became a National Historic District.  The intent and purpose of the guidelines is to preserve and enhance the heritage of Oysterville.
     The meetings are the closest we come to experiencing old fashioned ‘town meetings’ here in Oysterville.  Sometimes they are fractious in the extreme.  There have been angry words and tears and disappointments over the years and we all knew as we entered the schoolhouse last night that our relationships with our neighbors could change dramatically depending upon what happened during the next hour or two.  Yet, all of us were there with the common goal of preserving the character of Oysterville.  And, all of us wanted to be supportive of the process.
     The meeting was actually a pleasant and informative experience with none of the contentiousness of some of the past gatherings.  I tried to analyze why that was so.  What was different?  Perhaps it was the tone set by the chairman who began the proceedings with the statement, “We are here to help.”  Perhaps it was the fact that the applicant, himself, had sat on the ODRB years ago and came well prepared, anticipating the questions and concerns the board might have.  Perhaps it was that suggestions from the audience were meant to be helpful and were accepted in that spirit by both the applicant and the board.  Or perhaps we were just all in a great mood at the end of the first sunny day in several weeks.  Whatever the reason, it was a grass roots experience at its best.  Hooray for Oysterville!