THE DAILY ASTORIAN • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 2015
Sunset Lake RV
Park request denied
Owner wanted
to change
ratio of
mobile homes,
permanent RVs
By KYLE SPURR
The Daily Astorian
As part of a settlement with
Clatsop County, the owner of
an overcrowded Warrenton
RV park agreed in December
to reduce the number of per-
manent dwellings from more
than 60 to 43 — the number
stipulated in a 2012 compli-
ance order.
Ken Hick, owner of the
Sunset Lake Resort and RV
Park, recently submitted an
application to the Clatsop
County Planning Commission
to change the ratio of the 43
units.
He requested the ratio of
18 mobile homes and 25 per-
manent RVs be changed to 21
and 22, respectively.
The Planning Commission
denied his request Tuesday
with a vote of 6-1, after con-
sidering public comment from
Hick’s attorney and multiple
neighbors against the change.
Dozens of neighbors held
a community meeting last
week at the Astoria Golf and
Country Club with repre-
sentatives from the Clatsop
County Sheriff’s Of¿ce and
Warrenton Fire Department
to discuss ongoing concerns
with the park.
Ken Ellsworth, a neigh-
bor, said Tuesday neighbors
are frustrated that Hick nev-
er complied with previous
orders and still has not com-
plied with the December set-
tlement. More than 50 perma-
nent dwellings appear to still
be on the property, he said.
“His actions speak louder
than his attorney’s words,”
Ellsworth said.
The county began enforce-
ment action against the park
in 2009 in response to com-
plaints from neighbors. At the
time, county staff found about
90 units at the park, with more
than 60 connected to an over-
burdened septic system. Gray
water was also being released
into the lake from some sites,
according to a citation.
The overcrowding also
appeared to increase criminal
incidents, according to the
county.
A hearings of¿cer issued
an order in September 2012 to
set the maximum number of
permanent mobile homes at
18 and RVs at 25. Hick failed
to meet the order.
After several inspections
and continued non-compli-
ance, Clatsop County sued
Hick in late 2013 to enforce
its order. The December set-
tlement dropped the lawsuit
and ended the lengthy stand-
off over the multiple code
violations. Hick had to pay
$5,000 to offset the county’s
costs.
Ken and Joyce Carrell,
who live near the park, said no
matter what the ratio, 43 per-
manent units is still too many
for the park.
“I have trouble believing
(Hick) is going to be in good
faith, when he has not histor-
ically shown he has been in
good faith,” Ken Carrell said.
Blair Henningsgaard, le-
gal counsel for the Planning
Commission, said Hick has
a constitutional right to his
property and the county can-
not lower the number of spac-
es. In addition, Hick has the
right to request a changed ra-
tio, Henningsgaard said, and
that right was agreed upon in
the settlement.
“The county can’t say that
is the wrong number of spac-
es because as the years went
by the county didn’t take any
action,” Henningsgaard said.
Robert Stricklin, the Plan-
ning Commission member
who cast the lone vote in fa-
vor of the ratio change, said
he made the vote because the
county already agreed to let
Hick change the ratio.
Under the settlement agree-
ment, Hick, owner of Resourc-
es Northwest Inc., had to apply
to the county to modify the use
or ratio of his park. It is then
up to the county to approve his
application. Stricklin suspects
Hick’s lawyer — Kevin Luby
— will appeal the Planning
Commission’s decision.
County staff recommend-
ed approving Hick’s request,
claiming the ratio change
would not expand or impact
the square footage threshold
at the park.
“Staff was not able to iden-
tify any adverse impacts that
would result from just the
change in the ratio,” Senior
Planner Jennifer Bunch said.
NORTH COAST
3A
Warrenton City Commission
backs water, sewer hikes
By DERRICK
DePLEDGE
The Daily Astorian
WARRENTON — Wa-
ter and sewer rates are go-
ing up.
The Warrenton City
Commission voted unan-
imously Tuesday night to
move forward with sig-
nificant water and sewer
rate increases necessary
to sustain the city’s infra-
structure.
Water rates will in-
crease by 15 percent, sew-
er rates will climb by 2.5
percent, and a storm sewer
surcharge will double to
20 percent, up from 10
percent.
City staff estimates
the water rate increase
will bring in an addition-
al $300,000, the sewer
rate bump will generate
$42,500, and the storm
‘It’s a hard pill to swallow
but it’s something that
we’re going to have to do.’
— Mark Kujala
Warrenton mayor
sewer surcharge hike will
produce $178,500.
For households that
consume 4,000 gallons a
month, the combined rate
increases would raise the
bill to $115.28, up from
$104.86, a $10.42 jump.
The rate increases will
take effect in the new fis-
cal year that starts in July.
“It’s a hard pill to swal-
low but it’s something that
we’re going to have to
do,” Mayor Mark Kujala
said.
Warrenton has resist-
ed recommendations for
steep rate increases in
the past, but has regular-
ly raised rates to keep up
with infrastructure. The
storm sewer surcharge,
however, has not been in-
creased since it was first
imposed in 1992.
The city will order new
water and sewer rate stud-
ies that could help guide
future rate structures.
The rate studies, City
Manager Kurt Fritsch
said, will help “folks
know that we’re not sim-
ply doing this by the seat
of our pants. This is a
very serious concern of
ours.”
One of the issues influ-
encing rate pressures is the
loss of the Pacific Coast
Seafoods processing plant
to fire in 2013. The city
has estimated the process-
ing plant consumed about
$250,000 worth of water
annually.
Kujala said the loss of
revenue “really demon-
strates the need to get
Pacific Seafoods back to
Warrenton.”
A city budget commit-
tee had recommended the
water and sewer rate in-
creases in May.
The City Commission
is expected to take final
votes on the rate increas-
es at a meeting later this
month, when the commis-
sion will also likely ap-
prove the budget for next
fiscal year.
Astoria names new community development director
The Daily Astorian
Kevin Cronin, a senior
project manager and busi-
ness development coordina-
tor for the Portland Devel-
opment Commission, has
been named the new com-
munity development direc-
tor in Astoria.
Cronin will help guide
the city’s development vi-
sion and oversee planning.
The city has waited to hire a
new planner until a commu-
nity development director is
in place.
Brett Estes, the city man-
ager, was the city’s former
community
development
director and has been han-
dling both roles since last
year.
Cronin, according to the
city, is a former planning
manager in Sherwood and
city planner in Talent. He
has worked with the Port-
land Development Commis-
sion since 2007.
“I am so excited to start
another chapter in my pub-
lic service career,” Cronin
said in a statement. “Asto-
ria is a stunning city and a
great community for me and
my family. I’m ready to roll
up my sleeves and get to
work.”
GO ONLINE
www.dailyastorian.com
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without you
I love you, Murt LeRoy Dunn
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