10A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, 2015
Bridge: Work is part of a $16.7 million rehabilitation project
Continued from Page 1A
Torres, a spokesman for the
Oregon Department of Trans-
portation. “Then of course the
structural steel on the bridge
itself was eroded.”
Work through August
Oregon Bridge Con-
struction, the Stayton-based
contractor on the project,
could have reopened the
bridge Aug. 1, but would
have needed five additional
one-week closures to fin-
ish the project. Instead, the
contractor decided to work
through August and have
the bridge completely fin-
ished by Sept. 4.
“This really made sense
since the closure has been
already in place and the
public has adjusted to it,”
Dave True, the Department
of Transportation’s project
manager, said. “It is good
news because we will be
completely finished with
the Lewis and Clark River
Bridge by Labor Day and
there will be no more com-
plete closures of the bridge.”
Part of larger project
The bridge work is part
of a $16.7 million rehabil-
itation project that includes
work on the Old Youngs
Bay Bridge. Crews are re-
pairing and replacing the
electrical and mechanical
systems of the Old Youngs
Bay Bridge, which are from
the 1920s.
Most of the work on the
Old Youngs Bay Bridge
is being done during the
daytime with flaggers con-
trolling a single lane of
traffic. The bridge will not
be completely closed.
The overall project is
scheduled to be completed
in November 2017.
Greenway: Development pressure not as high
Continued from Page 1A
Unlike the two previous
phases — Civic Greenway,
from 16th Street to 41st Street;
and Bridge Vista, from Port-
way Street to Second Street —
Neighborhood Greenway does
not face obvious residential and
commercial development pres-
sure.
Greater restrictions
The land along the river in
Alderbrook is zoned for aquatic
conservation, so development
over the water is generally re-
stricted to docks, piers and ma-
rinas.
Most of the residents at the
meeting Thursday night ap-
peared to favor even greater re-
strictions, such as limiting new
development to no higher than
the riverbank.
On land, much of the
neighborhood is zoned resi-
dential, which mostly allows
single-family and two-family
homes with minimum commer-
cial — such as day care centers
— under certain conditions.
“Leave Alderbook alone,”
said Rae Goforth, a community
volunteer who lives in Union-
town but is fond of the neigh-
borhood.
Working riverfront
The Riverfront Vision Plan’s
goals for Neighborhood Green-
way include emphasizing the re-
gion’s natural features and beau-
ty, minimizing the impact of
foot traf¿c on the neighborhood,
and encouraging maritime uses
that maintain a historic connec-
tion to a working riverfront.
Alderbrook was once home
to a lumber mill, net lofts and
“Because we can’t com-
pletely close the bridge,
like we did with the Lewis
and Clark Bridge, it takes
longer to do the work,”
Torres said. “If we closed
both lanes on that bridge
we would have extraordi-
nary backup.”
As of 2013, the average
traffic count on Old Youngs
Bay Bridge was 20,000
vehicles a day. Lewis and
Clark River Bridge had an
Pump: State’s
prohibition has
been in place
since 1951
Continued from Page 1A
Pumped up
Alex Pajunas/The Daily Astorian
Neighborhood Greenway, which covers the Alderbrook neighborhood, is the next phase
of the city’s Riverfront Vision Plan.
other commercial activities in
the city’s timber and ¿shing
heyday. But today, because of
shallow water, relative isolation
and restrictive zoning, even
maritime uses, such as a mari-
na, would be dif¿cult without
dredging or other improve-
ments.
“This area isn’t going to lend
itself to any kind of develop-
ment, really,” said Rosemary
Johnson, a special projects plan-
ner for the city.
Apparent consensus
The Astoria Planning Com-
mission will hold a work ses-
sion on land use in the Neigh-
borhood Greenway on Sept.
1, with a public hearing likely
in October. The City Council
could take up the issue in No-
vember.
The apparent consensus
among residents to keep the
zoning in Alderbrook largely
intact may give city planners
and elected of¿cials a breather
from the overheated and divi-
sive debates over development
that happened during the Civ-
ic Greenway and Bridge Vista
phases.
A majority of the City
Council believed Civic Green-
way and Bridge Vista struck a
balance between conservation
and development, and imposed
building restrictions that did not
exist before, but a vocal camp
has argued the city has not done
enough to protect scenic views
of the river.
The last leg of the River-
front Vision Plan — the Urban
Core, between Second Street
and 16th Street — is expected
to be intense.
“I was real pleased with
the turnout. And I think we got
a lot of positive comments,”
Dave Pearson, the president of
the Astoria Planning Commis-
sion, said after the town hall on
Neighborhood Greenway. “I
think they mesh very well with
what the city already has on pa-
per as part of the initial vision.
“And, I think with just a
little bit of ¿ne tuning, I think
we’ll be there.”
average of 11,400 travelers
a day.
Both bridges are main
connections to Lewis and
Clark National Historical
Park and the Astoria Re-
gional Airport.
The spans also provide
alternative routes between
Astoria and Warrenton, al-
leviating some traffic pres-
sure on U.S. Highway 30,
the Youngs Bay Bridge and
U.S. Highway 101.
Pat Schmidt, a gas at-
tendant at Astoria’s Tex-
aco Food Mart, said he’s
not worried about losing
his job if the pumps go
self-serve; his supervi-
sors have assured him
there would still be plen-
ty for him to do in the
store, he said.
The law, Schmidt
said, may actually in-
crease business efficien-
cy, on top of its revenue,
by allowing employees
on duty after 6 p.m. to
focus on important tasks,
like restocking refrigera-
tors and assisting shop-
pers, rather than on run-
ning outside every few
minutes to pump petrol.
And, for gas stations
that are just gas stations,
where the only employ-
ees are gas attendants,
jobs would stay very
much the same, Bentz
said: Attendants would
pump when they’re
around and, if they so
choose, let drivers pump
when they’re not around.
Many
out-of-state
drivers accustomed to
the independence that
self-service
provides
will welcome the change,
Singh said.
“A lot of people come
from different states and
argue with the attendants
because they want to
pump their own gas. And
some people still do,” he
said. “Sometimes they
fight and leave.”
Oregon and New
Jersey are the only two
states that don’t allow
for self-service dispens-
ing at retail fueling sta-
tions. Oregon’s prohi-
bition has been in place
since 1951.
Is the law the first
step toward 24-hour
self-service statewide?
Bentz doesn’t think so,
though he believes it
would be a better deal
for drivers.
“The only people that
have said something like
that are those that actu-
ally want self-service,”
he said, “and they’re
hoping that’s what hap-
pens.”
TIMBERLANDS CLOSED
DUE TO HIGH FIRE DANGER
Lew is & C la rk Tim b erla n d s
a re closed to a ll pu blic en try a n d w ill
rem a in in effect u n til fu rther n otice.
F or u p-to-d a te in form a tion
plea se ca ll ou r
REC REATION AL
HOTLIN E
5 03 -73 8-63 5 1 Ex t. 2
TIMBERLANDS CLOSED
SE L L ING TH E
20 1 6
ISSU E
N OW
The follow in g is a n excerpt
of a letter from a sa tisfied rea d er
D ea r Stephen ,
It is m y grea t plea sure to tha n k you for
sen din g m e your gorgeous publica tion ,
O ur Coa st. Rea din g it m a de m e m ore
determ in ed tha n ever to return there a n d
explore the a rea . W e ha d such a
pow erful experien ce in Astoria .
M elin d a Blo o m , Co m p a n y M a n a g er
Da n ce Thea tre o f Ha rlem
To a d vertise,
con ta ct The D a ily
Astoria n 503.325.3211
466 W , 152n d Street | N ew Y ork , NY 10031
212.690.2800 ext. 457
m bloom @ d a n cethea treofha rlem .org