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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (March 4, 2015)
10A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2015 Cannon Beach OKs Dog park:)RRWEDOO¿HOGZRXOGEHLQWHULP development, denies site while a permanent home is sought dune grading bid Continued from Page 1A Controversial issues attract huge crowd By ERICK BENGEL EO Media Group %HIRUH WKH FRXQFLO¶V ¿- QDO YRWH %HQH¿HOG PDGH D motion to deny Nicholson’s three requests: the planned development overlay zone, the four-house development plan and the slope-density variance. The room erupt- ed in applause and cries of “Yes!” “Bravo!” “Cour- age!” %XW %HQH¿HOG¶V PRWLRQ died for lack of a second. CANNON BEACH — The City Council tackled two complex and conten- tious issues at its Tuesday meeting, drawing a crowd Breakers Point of almost 60 community dune grading PHPEHUV WKDW ¿OOHG H[WUD Next up, the council vot- chairs and lined the back walls of the Council Cham- ed unanimously to deny the Breakers Point Homeown- bers. ers Association’s request for Laurel Street a conditional use permit that development would have allowed grading First, the council voted nearly 74,000 cubic yards 4-1 to approve, in one fell of sand from the dunes west motion, three related land and south of the condomini- use applications from Can- um complex over the next non Beach property owner few years. The vote upheld Jeff Nicholson. the Planning Commission’s Nicholson will now be Jan. 22 denial. able to build, and eventually Windblown sand, sell, three new family-sized trapped in the European homes on his 0.57-acre par- dune grass along the beach cel at 532 N. Laurel St. — a in front of the complex, has project that Nicholson has caused the dunes to grow said will allow him to tear as high at 40 feet in some down and rebuild a decrepit areas, according to Tom 100-year-old home on the Horning, a geologist work- property’s northwest corner. ing with the homeowners A Portland resident, association. The dunes have Nicholson bought the prop- begun to block the ocean- erty in summer 2014 for front views of some condo $895,000. owners and cause stray sand To work around a city to encroach on decks and rule preventing so many patios. structures on such steeply The dune grading proj- sloped land, he applied for a ect is meant to restore the planned development over- residents’ views and stave lay zone, which changes the off sand inundation. As site’s zoning restrictions to originally proposed, the permit greater housing den- project included dumping sity there. about 7,000 cubic yards of The council’s decision graded sand into the Ecola ² ZKLFK ¿QDOL]HG LWV WHQ- Creek Estuary to shore up tative Feb. 10 vote — goes the embankment beneath a against the Planning Com- condo whose foundation is mission’s January recom- steadily being compromised mendation that Nichol- by erosion, according to son’s planned development Bruce Francis, the Breakers should be denied. Point property manager. Late last year, both the However, between the council and the Planning Planning Commission’s Commission voted down December and January 1LFKROVRQ¶V¿UVWDWWHPSWWR meetings, the homeowners place additional structures association revised its pro- on the site. This involved posal in response to criti- Nicholson trying to per- cism from the commission suade the city to recognize and the public. four small lots for develop- Francis said that Break- ment purposes rather than ers Point would be willing one large lot, consolidated to avoid putting any sand because of its slope. in the estuary, to deposit Bundled with the coun- the graded sand above the cil’s decision on the planned high-tide line rather than development was the ap- along the shoreline to avoid proval of a variance to the smothering razor clams, city’s slope-density require- and to spread out the dune ments — the reason for the grading, at sixth-month in- lot consolidation — and the tervals, through 2017, while approval of Nicholson’s providing the city with en- four-house development vironmental monitoring re- plan. ports. Councilor Mike Bene- The Planning Commis- ¿HOG FDVW WKH VROH GLVVHQW- sion had decided that they ing vote, largely because were essentially looking at Nicholson’s property, he a new plan and voted down argued, doesn’t meet the the dune-grading request municipal code’s criteria for 4-2. On a motion to deny, a planned development. The Charles Bennett, Joe Ber- code states that the property nt, Hank Johnson and Lisa must be at least three acres, Kerr had voted yes, while or the land must have some member Ryan Dewey and natural features that make it Chairman Bob Lundy had uniquely suitable for devel- voted no. Member Janet RSPHQW%HQH¿HOGVDLGWKDW Patrick, a Breakers Point neither criteria applied. homeowner, recused her- He also said that ap- self. proving Nicholson’s three- At the City Council pronged application may meeting, several locals who “open the door” to other value the dunes spoke out property owners in similar- against the unprecedented ly restrictive areas applying size of the project, which for planned development is substantially larger than overlays and then looking anything undertaken before to the council’s decision in Cannon Beach. “Is it real- in the Nicholson case as a ly worth the views of a few precedent. for this monstrous project?” City Land Use Attorney Lisa Fraser, a north-end res- Bill Kabeiseman was skep- ident, asked. tical of this view, arguing Citing the proposal’s that future City Councils magnitude and questionable may decide that some de- compatibility with Cannon velopments proposed in Beach’s natural environ- the future are not “unique ment, the council denied the enough” to merit an overlay. Breakers Point request. Michelle Bisek, who is active with Astoria Dog Park Friends, which has raised more than $7,200 toward a dog park, said the football ¿HOG ZRXOG JLYH WKH FLW\ DQ interim site while looking for a permanent home. ³,WGH¿QLWHO\KDVJLYHQPH an appreciation for the people who are in public service,” Bisek, who works at Astoria Co-op Grocery and has two great Pyrenees, Chewbacca and Maggie, said of the chal- OHQJHRI¿QGLQJDORFDWLRQ “But it also gives me an appreciation for the people in our community, that they care so much to come out and JOSHUA BESSEX — The Daily Astorian speak their minds to the pub- Columbia Memorial hospital, which owns the land containing John Warren Field, has had lic servants.” It’s a trend Dog parks have become popular city accessories as pet owners increasingly integrate their animals into daily life. According to a city parks re- port last year from The Trust for Public Land, a San Fran- FLVFR EDVHG QRQSUR¿W 3RUW- land — which now has 33 off- leash recreation areas for dogs — had the highest per capita dog parks per 100,000 resi- dents of any city in the nation. :DUUHQWRQ RSHQHG WKH ¿UVW fenced-off, off-leash dog park on the North Coast at Car- ruthers Memorial Park in 2008. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has found that dog SDUNVJHQHUDOO\SURYLGHEHQH¿- cial socialization for both peo- ple and their pets, but there are potential health risks for dogs, along with the risk of injury IURPURXJKSOD\RU¿JKWLQJ 0RVWRIWKHFRQÀLFWVDV$V- toria has discovered, are with neighbors who complain about noise, smell and parking. The city’s Parks and Recre- ation Board supported seeking community input on a 4-acre dog park near Alderbrook La- goon and the Astoria River- walk. At a town hall meeting in January at Alderbrook Hall, however, neighbors pounced. A dog park, residents be- lieve, would be a regional destination that would bring XQZDQWHGWUDI¿FLQWRDQLVRODW- ed east side neighborhood with narrow streets and limited park- ing. Others question the poten- tial environmental impact. preliminary conversations with the city about using part of the land as a dog park. The city´s Parks and Recreation Department has called a town hall meeting for 6 p.m. Tuesday evening at City Hall to hear public feedback on a 1.4 acre dog park at John Warren Field. JOSHUA BESSEX — The Daily Astorian Michelle Bisek, Astoria, walks her dogs Chewbacca, left, and Maggie, right, Tuesday. Asked by the city to rate the idea on a scale of 1 to 5 — with 1 being “unsupportive” and 5 being “supportive” — attendees gave the dog park a 1.35. In raw numbers, 18 of the 20 people who responded to the survey were “very un- supportive.” “There’s a great deal of re- solve amongst the neighbor- hood to keep this neighbor- hood from being turned into a thoroughfare for dog park us- ers,” said Debi Curl, a retired KHDOWKFDUH¿QDQFLDOPDQDJHU who lives in Alderbrook. “Es- pecially in light of the fact that those users may have actually preferred a more centralized location to begin with.” Astoria Police Department responded and set up a pe- The teacher had all stu- rimeter around the area where dents return to the school Ladd was last seen running. building and reported the in- $QRI¿FHUZDVWROGVRPH- cident. The two school build- one possibly recognized ings on the campus were put Ladd, and gave his name. in lock out. 2I¿FHUV WKHQ ZHQW WR Warrenton Police, Clatsop Ladd’s residence. &RXQW\ 6KHULII¶V 2I¿FH DQG Sheriff Tom Bergin and that the local residents didn’t want it,” he said. Councilor Cindy Price had said that she, too, could not back Alderbrook. Now a dog park is being discussed for John Warren Field, which is in her downtown ward. “I think it’s up to the neighborhood,” Price said. “The value of John Warren Field is it’s not in a residen- tial neighborhood and there are plenty of places to park around there. And that’s been the big issue.” Price confessed, though, that “I don’t have a dog, so I don’t know what the issues really are for a dog park. I’m a cat person.” Zone: Skipanon Peninsula was not included in enterprise zone Continued from Page 1A that he’s done a good job, em- phasizing his personal con- Skipanon Peninsula duct and interaction with the The Skipanon Peninsula, community. which the Port leases from • Knight announced the the Oregon Department of Port will be closing its boat- State Lands and subleases yard on Pier 3 because of WR 2UHJRQ /LTXH¿HG 1DWXUDO concerns over stormwater Gas (LNG), was not included pollution, adding that it was in the enterprise zone. Oregon leaked before he was able to LNG is trying to develop an tell tenants. The Oregon De- import/export LNG terminal partment of Environmental at the site. Quality recently mandating Mushen and Raichl served the Port meet more stringent on the Clatsop County Board requirements to reduce cop- of Commissioners in 2010 per making it to the water- when it approved the LNG ways, after the Port tested pipeline, later denied by new- high for the metal at storm- ly elected commissioners. If water outfalls near the boat- the Skipanon Peninsula was yard and Pier 1. The Port’s included, Mushen said, there planning a centralized storm- might be a public outcry that water treatment facility in the Port devised the zone to response to the designation. help Oregon LNG. It might Knight said the Port should be appropriate to include the consider a boatyard at anoth- property in the future, Raichl er location in the future, but said, if there was a project that that it would take at least $5 had widespread community million to develop a modern support. facility, adding he’d prefer a “My concern is, is Oregon private operator. LNG ever going to show up • The Port will move for- there,” Fulton said. “I don’t ward with permitting for a IHHO YHU\ FRQ¿GHQW DERXW LW buildout of Suite 101 in its but that’s my opinion.” 3LHU RI¿FH EXLOGLQJ OLNHO\ If so, he said, the Port has to house mental health, drug an undeveloped piece of land and alcohol counselor Sara that needs the incentives. Wirkkala. Her arrival would leave three of about 25 suites In other news: in the building available. • Raichl said the Port • Knight said an ugly sit- Commission reached a con- uation formed on the cause- sensus during the evaluation way of the East End Moor- RI .QLJKW¶V ¿UVW IRXU PRQWKV ing Basin recently, in which Lock out: Ladd cited for second-degree disorderly conduct Continued from Page 1A Some Alderbrook resi- dents fumed that the Parks and Recreation Board would not formally reject the Al- derbook option at a meeting in late February. Cosby said the board will likely wait until they can recommend a location to the City Council, ZKLFKZLOOPDNHWKH¿QDOGH- cision. City Councilor Russ Warr, who represents Alderbrook, had said in February that he could not vote for a dog park at Alderbrook Lagoon given the negative community re- action and his own concerns about the relationship with the riverwalk. “It was just overwhelming Astoria Police Chief Brad Johnston, who had been part of the perimeter, found Ladd in possession of a pellet gun at Ninth Ave. and King Salmon Place. Ladd was detained. The VFKRROZDVQRWL¿HGDQGFDPH out of lock out. $:DUUHQWRQ3ROLFHRI¿FHU seized the pellet gun, which was full-sized and looked just OLNHDULÀH /DGG WROG RI¿FHU KH GLG not mean to cause any alarm. He was then cited for sec- ond-degree disorderly con- duct (a class B misdemeanor) and released to his grandfa- ther. Sea Lion Defense Brigade members showed pictures of injured sea lions to a 6-year- old. The child’s father, Knight said, became angered by the photos and threatened to grab a shotgun from his vehicle and shoot Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife employ- ees. The Port subsequently shut down the causeway when ODFW is doing its work, which includes branding sea lions. Dad keeps forgetting how to get home …Mom is beginning to get worried. IT’S NOT LIKE HIM. WE CAN HELP. Call us with questions about aging and Alzheimer’s. 1-855-ORE-ADRC HelpForAlz.org OREGON DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES PROGRAM