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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 21, 2015)
Valiants take down Lady Fish What should Heritage Square become? SPORTS • 4A PAGE 2A 143rd YEAR, No. 81 WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2015 ONE DOLLAR Astoria may get a Marriott Hotelier gets Port lease to examine the possibilities By EDWARD STRATTON The Daily Astorian When competing to operate the Astoria Riverwalk Inn, Bellingham, Washington, hotelier Mark Holland- er said he would also like to bring a Marriott hotel to Astoria. Now is his chance. The Port of Astoria Commission on Tuesday approved a lease for nearly 1.5 acres near the Maritime Memorial in Uniontown to Holland- er to study the feasibility of building a Marriott hotel. The leased land includes two parcels running along the north and south side of the Astoria Riverfront Trolley tracks between the Red Building and Ocean Beauty Sea- foods on one side, and the Maritime Memorial and Astoria Bridge on the other. Talking Tombstones brings dead back to life for 12th year C By ERICK BENGEL The Daily Astorian See MARRIOTT, Page 10A emeteries didn’t always creep people out. Before the 20th century, the presence of WKHGHDGGLGQ¶W¿OOWKHOLYLQJZLWKIHDUDQG disquiet, according to McAndrew Burns, executive director of the Clatsop County Historical Society. “We’ve seen too many scary thriller movies,” he said. “Once upon a time, cemeteries were parks — they’re outdoors — and it was a place where families would go to picnic and reminisce and reconnect with a lost loved one.” The Historical Society hopes to resurrect that old feeling of fondness with Talking Tomb- stones, an annual living -history event where volunteers bring the dearly departed back to life in a non creepy way: by portraying Housing crunch the people buried underfoot. “Talking Tombstones XII: A Serious Undertaking” will be held 1 p.m. to dusk Sunday at the Clatsop Plains Pioneer Cemetery. Viewers move from gravesite to gravesite and watch as approxi- mately 10 re-enactors, dressed in period clothing and aided by props, “become” the deceased IRUDERXW¿YHPLQXWHV²DWUDQV formation borne of serious re- search and a playful imagination. Private, public partners discuss affordable housing shortfall in county By KATHERINE LACAZE EO Media Group See TALES, Page 7A Hugh McKenna/For The Daily Astorian Steve Nurding put in extra creativity to portray Thaddeus Trullinger, an electrician who replaced the hand-pulled lever with electric switches on gallows used in hangings in Astoria in 1894, during the 10th-annual Talking Tombstones. Hugh McKenna/For The Daily Astorian ShawnAnn Hope portrays Dr. Bethania Owens Adair, the first woman doctor in the Pacific Northwest, during the 10th -annual Talking Tombstones . ‘We’ve seen too many scary thriller movies. Once upon a time, cemeteries were parks — they’re outdoors — and it was a place where families would go to picnic and reminisce and reconnect with a lost loved one.’ McAndrew Burns executive director of the Clatsop County Historical Society Most people agree there is a lack of affordable, family and workforce housing in Clatsop County. Finding solutions to the nuanced problem must start with a collective effort, according to many who attended a “housing huddle” organized by Clatsop Economic Development Re- sources on Tuesday. This collective effort kicked off with a two-hour conversation at Clatsop Community College that in- volved about 50 people representing various private and public entities, including Providence Seaside Hospi- tal and the college; state, county and local government s; businesses; build- ing and contracting companies; banks DQG¿QDQFLQJLQVWLWXWLRQVDQGQXPHU ous other organizations and agencies. While the problem is mutual, and KDV EHHQ LGHQWL¿HG DV DQ HFRQRPLF barrier along the North Coast, each city has its own set of obstacles that has stunted new affordable housing . See HOUSING, Page 10A %DUQRZQHU*HDUKDUWVSDURYHUGH¿QLWLRQRIUHQWDO Is Neacoxie Barn an event center or a short-term rental? By R.J. MARX The Daily Astorian GEARHART — The lack of a short-term rental ordinance may haunt the city of Gearhart. With 82 rental properties in Gear- hart, Neacoxie Barn owner Shan- non Smith’s attorney said Monday night she is “renting” her property to guests, an activity unregulated by the city. This and other arguments were presented to Judge John Orr as Smith responded to charges she was oper- ating a barn leased for commercial events. The charges brought two $500 tickets from events held this summer . Since Gearhart doesn’t have a short-term rental ordinance, there are no rules preventing Smith from renting her space out to clients, her attorney, Dan Kearns, said. “Part of the evidence you took at trial was short-term rentals,” Kearns said. “The city doesn’t view that as something they’re required to per- mit. It’s accessory use of residential property, which is expressly allowed under city code. She’s renting her property for short-term use for peo- ple who want to have their wedding there, they’re gathering there.” Gearhart City Attorney Peter Watts said the barn is nothing like the types of short-term vacation rentals now being considered by the city for regulation. “There’s a substantial difference between a family renting a home and a couple renting this barn to host 99 of their friends, ” Watts said. “Aren’t you cherry-picking?” Orr asked. “We have testimony that we have local short-term rentals that are advertising themselves as available for weddings.” “A transient vacation rental is exempted from license requirement and she is not,” Watts said. In a previous court date, witness- es stated Smith had been marketing and renting her barn for up to $2,600 a night, payable via PayPal only. The Daily Astorian/File Photo See GEARHART, Page 10A Shannon Smith after September’s court hearing.
