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THE DAILY ASTORIAN • WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015
Convention center’s expansion
committee considering next step
By KATHERINE LACAZE
EO Media Group
ALEX PAJUNAS — The Daily Astorian
A female coho salmon, sporting a worn and battered
tail from scouring a redd in the gravel, rests along the
bottom of the north fork of Ecola Creek Nov. 12, 2014.
Environmentalists
threaten to sue
over salmon
recovery plan
PORTLAND.
(AP)
— Two environmental
groups are threatening to
sue a federal agency over
what they deem its fail-
ure to develop a recovery
plan for the Oregon coast
coho salmon.
The formal notice of
intent to sue was filed
Tuesday by the Center
for Biological Diversity
and Oregon Wild.
The Oregon coast
coho has been protected
as a threatened species
under the Endangered
Species Act since 2008.
Despite this, the two
groups say, the National
Marine Fisheries Service
has failed to develop a
recovery plan for the
fish.
The plan would en-
tail reforming logging
and other land-manage-
ment practices, which the
groups say contribute to
the decline of the salmon.
The Fisheries Service
says the lawsuit is un-
necessary. The agency is
working on the plan and
will release a draft some-
time this fall.
SEASIDE — A recent survey of Seaside
Downtown District Association and Cham-
ber of Commerce members regarding the po-
tential Seaside Civic and Convention Center
expansion as proposed raised concerns, not
only as to how it will be funded, but also is-
sues that exist external of the project, such as
downtown parking.
Finding a viable funding resource has
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the proposed expansion, but parking is even
more important and must be addressed at
some point, regardless if the project is halted,
said Jeff Kilday, chairman of the Convention
Center Commission and a member of the
subcommittee on the expansion.
The proposed expansion, which is esti-
mated to cost $25 million, would increase the
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Several studies on the expansion have recom-
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and Necanicum Room into a multi-purpose
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out space; along with storage space and re-
strooms.
There is space to host a large group of
people for their meeting or to feed them, but
not to do both seamlessly, and it’s costing the
center customers, Kilday said. Additionally,
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downtown area to feed 400 plus people with-
in an hour, which is usually what groups allot
for lunch.
“It’s about logistics,” Kilday added.
Seaside Civic and Convention Center
No one is optimistic an agreement could
be reached with Cannon Beach and Astoria,
and the community response to the other op-
tions has been overwhelmingly negative.
“We don’t believe the (sales) tax is a vi-
able solution,” Kilday said. “Quite frankly, I
don’t think anyone on the committee thought
is was good idea.”
Additionally, if municipal lodging tax is
increased by 6 percent, or to 14 percent, it
will put Seaside’s tax far above other near-
by jurisdictions. Cannon Beach’s municipal
lodging tax is 7 percent, Astoria’s is 9 percent
and Warrenton’s is 12 percent. Portland’s mu-
nicipal tax is 6 percent, but guests also have to
pay a 5.5 percent tax that goes to Multnomah
County, and some establishments that have
50 or more rooms pass on their 2 percent
Portland Tourism Improvement District fee
to guests. Guests in all localities pay an addi-
tional 1 percent tax that goes to the state.
Overall, Kilday said, he felt the study was
Parking spaces
“a poorly done feasibility study.” The expan-
Since the expansion would remove at VLRQFRPPLWWHHDVNHG&+-RKQVRQ&RQVXOW-
least 40 parking spaces to the west of the cen- ing to research and develop more funding
ter, a $6 million multistory parking structure options for the city to consider, Kilday said.
is being considered, as well. It will cost the Those results will be reported to the commit-
city about $200,000 per month for 30 years tee soon.
to pay off the debt from both endeavors, Con-
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vention Center General Manager Russ Van- nance it, and saying, ‘no.’” Kilday said.
denberg has said.
Funding is only secondary, though; park-
7KH ODWHVW VWXG\ D ¿QDQFLDO IHDVLELOLW\ ing is the priority, he said. The feasibility study
VWXG\ FRQGXFWHG E\ &+ -RKQVRQ &RQVXOW- DQGWKHFRPPXQLW\¶VVXEVHTXHQWUHDFWLRQWRLW
ing, suggested three funding options to cov- illustrated the need to address the downtown
er the $31 million: a 6 percent increase in parking issue separately. Doing so, he said, is
Seaside’s lodging taxes; a joint agreement not a responsibility of the Convention Center
between Seaside, Astoria and Cannon Beach Commission, so action must be initiated by
to raise lodging taxes by 2 percent in each lo- the merchants themselves or the city.
cality, with the proceeds to go to the conven-
Constructing a multi-tiered parking struc-
tion center; or a combination of a 2.75 percent ture, as has been suggested, is one of the few
business improvement district tax on restau- and most practical solutions. It poses a prob-
rants, retail sales, gas and groceries along with lem, however, that is similar to one associated
a smaller increase in lodging taxes.
with the convention center expansion, Kilday
said. Where will people park and how much
disruption will be caused to the downtown
area during the construction phase? The large
public parking lot near the center likely would
become a staging area for expansion con-
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ment and materials for months, Kilday said.
Alternatives
For those reasons, the committee is con-
sidering an alternative to expansion, which
would be to work within the center’s footprint
and manipulate or renovate the space to serve
the present needs.
“I think we’re pulling away from the ex-
pansion as we saw it,” Kilday said, and com-
mission member Tim Tolan agreed.
“Because the reaction was very negative,
we backed off from the expansion,” said To-
lan, who also serves on the expansion com-
mittee. “We’ve had good participation as far
as input from the community, and we’re tak-
ing that real seriously.”
The committee knows, Tolan said, that
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port from downtown businesses. The city
has asked a planner to review the center and
see if the idea has potential. A project of that
nature also would carry an undetermined
expense.
Vandenberg agreed they are looking to see
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space could be obtained by utilizing the exist-
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nor options ruled out.
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ommendation (to City Council), we don’t re-
ally have anything concrete at this point,” he
said. “Everything is still on the table.”
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ommendation to City Council, which will
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source, within three to six months.
Celebrating
CAREGIVERS
National Nurses Week is in May. Join us in thanking a
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now work in a high touch and high tech environment. To keep up with the rapid
pace of change, CMH’s nurses learn new techniques and refresh existing skills
throughout the year.
We are proud of the quality and professionalism of our nursing caregivers. Thank
you to all of our direct caregivers for the compassion you show to our patients.
Janay Abrego
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