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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 28, 2015)
10A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2015 JOSHUA BESSEX — The Daily Astorian JOSHUA BESSEX — The Daily Astorian Jan Gregor, of Astoria, stands outside the Warrenton Community Center during a DEQ meeting about LNG Tuesday. A schematic of the proposed LNG terminal is seen be- hind Corps Regulatory Project Manager Richard Chong as he speaks during the DEQ’s meeting about Oregon LNG Tuesday. Protest: LNG project would construct a pipeline through multiple counties ¿OLQJV IRU WKH HDVHPHQW LVVXH that went undetected since Au- were not serious about taking gust. your information and trying to 7KH&RUSV¿OHGDPRWLRQWR answer questions.” dismiss the lawsuit in Novem- ber. No easement update Richard Chong, project With the Army Corps in manager for the Corps, told the attendance, the public hoped crowd the Corps cannot com- to hear an update on a law- ment on any litigation. Later, VXLW¿OHGLQ$XJXVWE\2UHJRQ WKH&RUSVRI¿FLDOVKLQWHGDWWKH LNG for access to an easement importance of real estate issues over the proposed terminal when considering a permit. A site, controlled by the Corps permit will not be issued with- since 1957. The Corps uses out real estate considerations, the land for disposing dredge they said. spoils. Along with possibly not Last month, Columbia Riv- having rights to the federally erkeepers discovered the court RZQHGODQG2UHJRQ/1*ZDV Continued from Page 1A recently denied a permit at the county level. 7KH 2UHJRQ &RXUW RI $S- peals ruled last month in favor of Clatsop County, upholding its decision to deny a permit for the pipeline to the terminal. 2UHJRQ /1* FKDOOHQJHG WKH FRXQW\¶V GHFLVLRQ 2FW 2013, to deny the permit on the grounds of bias, but the Court of Appeals ultimately sided with the county. 2UHJRQ /1* FRQWLQXHV WR push forward by seeking per- mits from the agencies at the meeting Tuesday under the Clean Water Act and the Coast- al Zone Management Act. Its project would construct a terminal on the Skipanon Pen- LQVXODDQGDQPLOHSLSHOLQH in Clatsop, Tillamook and Co- lumbia counties. The project started as import only in 2004, but the scope changed in 2012 to an import/export project, re- quiring more permitting. At the meeting, the agencies said they plan to review the re- sults of FERC’s draft environ- mental statement while work- ing independently on their own permitting processes. 1RW ¿UP WLPHOLQHV KDYH been set. DEQ scheduled another public meeting from 6 p.m. to JOSHUA BESSEX — The Daily Astorian More than 35 people gathered outside of the Warrenton Community Center to protest the LNG process before the DEQ’s public meeting about Oregon LNG Tuesday. SP 7KXUVGD\ LQ 9HUQRQLD where locals have concerns about impacts of the pipeline. All levels of permitting from the county to the federal govern- ment are important to the pro- cess, Concini told the crowd. “It’s more of a sequence as opposed to one gets more weight. Hopefully everything will get the same amount of weight,” Concini said. Bridge Vista: Public feedback has called for ‘extremely limited development’ could be 35 feet up from the riverbank. Commission in March. Building width would be The city hopes to complete limited to 150 feet, and spac- WKH%ULGJH9LVWDSKDVHZKLFK ing between buildings would runs from the Port of Astoria be no closer than 40 feet to to Second Street, by June. preserve view corridors. 7KH 5LYHUIURQW 9LVLRQ 2QVKRUHEXLOGLQJKHLJKWV Plan presumes there will be would be up to 35 feet, or 45 new development along and feet with stepbacks to help over the Columbia River in protect views. WKH %ULGJH 9LVWD EOXHSULQW Commissioners are also but much of the public feed- supportive of a new pedes- back so far has been strongly trian-friendly zone near the against encouraging devel- bridge that could include re- opment projects that might tail, hotels and commercial obstruct views or spoil the re- projects but would exclude gion’s distinct character. auto-dependent uses, like gas “I think we’ve found a stations, along with drive- balanced compromise that through facilities and manu- allows us to go forward and facturing. the community to continue to 2IIVWUHHWSDUNLQJUHTXLUH- develop,” said Dave Pearson, ments would likely be reduced the deputy director of the Co- in the pedestrian-friendly lumbia River Maritime Muse- zone. um, who was chosen Tuesday Commissioners are inter- night as the new president of ested in an expanded com- the Planning Commission, mercial zone along the river replacing Zetty Nemlowill, with a broader range of retail, who was elected to the City commercial and residential Council. options but restrictions on au- “We’ve preserved the tomotive sales or services and views. We keep what’s im- light manufacturing. portant for the riverfront and Development outcry the pedestrians.” While Matt Hastie, the Getting closer city’s planning consultant, Commissioners have ap- and others have stressed that proached consensus on lim- the land-use changes would iting development over the impose development restric- river near the bridge and west tions that do not exist today, of Second Street near the the public reaction — like Ship Inn and the old White it was during the Civic Gre- Star Cannery boiler. Building enway phase of the four-leg heights would be restricted 5LYHUIURQW9LVLRQ3ODQ²KDV to the top of the riverbank in been mostly critical. these areas. In other sections, City Councilor Drew building heights over the river Herzig questioned whether Continued from Page 1A the Planning Commission had heard the public outcry against development at a town KDOO PHHWLQJ RQ %ULGJH 9LV- ta in Uniontown earlier this month. He said the preponderance of the public feedback has called for “extremely limited development.” David Carter, who said he and his wife bought a home on Franklin Avenue last spring, told the commission he is concerned his spectacu- lar views of the river might be obstructed. “My primary concern is that I paid a premium and I feel like I’m going to lose that value of my property by what’s occurring here,” he said. Commissioner McLaren Innes said she was looking for a middle ground between “development versus no de- velopment.” “We are hearing from, so often now, groups of people who’d want no development,” she said. “And yet I don’t know how to reconcile that with all the people that told us vis-a-vis the Riverfront 9LVLRQ 3ODQ WKDW LW VKRXOG EH balanced.” Commissioner Kent Ea- som said views change at different spots along the river and the city. “And buildings are part of the view,” he said. “If you don’t want any buildings to look at, then go get an ocean view. But along the river, along a town, it may have buildings.” Commissioner Sean Fitz- patrick said he hoped Bridge 9LVWD ZRXOG QRW EH DV FRQ- tentious as the debate over the Civic Greenway, which covered land use along the river from 16th Street to 41st Street. ³2XUMRELVWRUHGXFHZKDW is currently allowed and make LW SDODWDEOH PDNH LW ¿W LQWR this document here,” he said RIWKH5LYHUIURQW9LVLRQ3ODQ “So we’re not a group up here proposing something and try- ing to ruin people’s views. “And I hope that all of the dialogue from the public from here on, that they can under- stand that everybody here loves the riverfront. We all love the views. We love this town. “And we appreciate the character that it has and we have no intention of trying to destroy that.” Join us! FREE! Fun for the whole family! Community Health Fair February 14, 9am-2pm Clatsop County Fairgrounds 92937 Walluski Loop, Astoria, OR Join the CMH/OHSU Cardiology Clinic on Valentine’s Day for a fun and informative, heart-friendly Community Health Fair. < Get basic health screenings. < Get advice from experts on heart health, medication interactions, orthopedic surgery and more. < Learn about local health & fitness programs. < Talk with local medical specialists. < Test your strength and balance. < Win prizes hourly! Fun for the whole family!! Daily Astorian file The Astoria Planning Commission is discussing proposals to change zoning in a thin strip of Uniontown waterfront area north of Marine Drive, south of the Astoria Riverfront Trolley line and between the Dunes Motel and the Holiday Inn. The land lies within the Bridge Vista area, part of the Astoria Riverfront Vision Plan. &YDIBOHF4USFFU"TUPSJB0SFHPOt XXXDPMVNCJBNFNPSJBMPSHt"1MBOFUSFF%FTJHOBUFE)PTQJUBM