NORTII COAST
THE DAILYASTORIAN • TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2015
3A
City Council rebuffs apartment project Embezzling
Councilors
want broader
strategy on
affordable
housing
By DERRICK
DePLEDGE
The Daily Astorian
Astoria may have an afford
able housing problem, but the
City Council is not particularly
eager to approve new projects.
The council voted unani
mously Monday night to reject
an offer by Diana Kirk, of Tid
al Properties LLC in Portland,
to purchase a vacant city lot so
she could expand her property
and develop four, two-bed-
room apartments on Second
Street near Commercial Street.
Her request not only
prompted a bidding war for
the city lot and neighborhood
concerns about building on a
steep hill, it revived a council
debate over the appraisals of
city property and the best use
Zetty
Nemlowill
Drew
Herzig
of vacant land.
“This is an affordable hous
ing project from beginning to
end,” said Kirk, who bought a
house and land at 258 Second
Street earlier this year as a rent
al property. “And that would
be our full intention in this par
ticular neighborhood.”
Kirk approached the city
about buying a 4,000-square-
foot city lot next to her prop
erty so she could develop four
apartment units. The city lot is
considered substandard — be
cause it falls below the mini
mum 5,000 square feet for a
buildable lot — and can only
be sold to an adjacent property
owner.
An appraiser valued the city
lot at $14,000.
Matt and Lynn McGrath,
who recently bought rental
property nearby on Commer
cial Street, submitted a coun
teroffer of $15,000. The cou
ple suggested they might use
the city lot as a garden for their
tenants.
Two
other
neighboring
property owners told the City
Council Monday night that
they, too, would be interested
in buying the city lot.
The appraisal of city land
was called into question last
year when critics complained
that a 12,326-square-foot city
parcel near tony Coxcomb
Drive was valued at $15,000.
The City Council approved
the sale of the city parcel to
Dr. William Annington, who
wanted additional yard space
and to protect his views.
City Councilor Drew Her-
zig pointed out Monday night
that the same appraiser, Ste
ven Weed, valued the city lot
at Second Street at $14,000.
“I really think we need to get
a different appraiser,” Herzig
said.
Just before hearing Kirk’s
request, the City Council had
agreed to move forward with
an affordable housing strategy
that includes a vacant house
registry, stricter code enforce
ment, more infill and rede
velopment in neighborhoods,
smaller lot sizes, accessory
dwelling units in garages, and
a possible crackdown on vaca
tion rentals.
Yet councilors were appre
hensive about selling the city
lot to Kirk for an affordable
housing project.
“I think it’s premature to
sell this property given that
we just approved an affordable
housing strategy that includes
an overhaul of the develop
ment code, including down
sizing lots to make them build-
able,” City Councilor Zetty
Nemlowill said.
Mayor Arline LaMear said
afterward that there appears
to be consensus on the City
Council to wait for the vacant
house registry and potential
policy changes before selling
city land for affordable hous
ing projects like Kirk’s.
“It was unfortunate that this
happened to this gal because I
think she came in good faith
with this proposition,” LaMear
said.
Astoria man pleads not guilty to role in heroin OD
By KYLE SPURR
The Daily Astorian
The Astoria man arrested
last week for delivery of her
oin in connection to an over
dose death of a Warrenton man
pleaded not guilty Monday in
Clatsop County Circuit Court.
Sean Anthony Hill, 26,
pleaded not guilty to five
counts. The charges are un
lawful delivery of heroin,
unlawful delivery of metham-
phetamine, unlawful posses
sion of heroin and two counts
of unlawful possession of
methamphetamine.
Hill is accused of being the
one who allegedly provided
heroin to Matthew Norris, 24,
who was found dead from an
apparent heroin overdose at a
residence on the 4600 block of
Cedar Street in Astoria.
The exact cause of Norris’
death is pending toxicology
results from the Oregon State
Medical Examiner’s Office.
Upon his arrest, Hill was
ditional
informa
tion re
garding
the case.
People
with in
fo r m a -
tion are
asked to
Sean Anthony
contact
Hill
Detec
tive Nicole Riley at 503-298-
2533 or by email at nriley@
astoria.or.us.
also found to be in possession
of methamphetamine, leading
to the related charges.
According to the Clatsop
County District Attorney’s Of
fice, Hill will not be charged
with homicide or manslaugh
ter, but can still face prison
time for the drug charges.
Hill remains in custody on
$50,000 bail. His next court
hearing is an early resolution
conference later this month.
The Astoria Police De
partment is still seeking ad-
Death of suspect in shootout with police ruled a suicide
Associated Press
PORTLAND —The death
of a fugitive involved in a
chase that ended in a shootout
with police along Highway 26
has been ruled a suicide.
The Oregonian reports the
state medical examiner’s of
fice said Monday that 36-year-
old Andrew DeHart died of a
self-inflicted gunshot wound
to his head. Initial reports in
dicated that he had been killed
by police gunfire during the
Wednesday incident.
Providence
Seaside
offers pain
education
Dr. Larry Lewman, who
conducted the autopsy, says
the officers’ bullets never
struck DeHart, who was want
ed in connection with an as
sault near Vancouver.
Sheriff’s Sgt. Bob Ray says
DeHart shot at patrol cars, dis
abling one of them, as he fled
from police on the highway.
The chase, which started in
Seaside, ended after officers
fired on DeHart’s truck as he
exited a tunnel.
The shooting continues to
be investigated.
DailyAstorian.com
A woman who embezzled
more than $250,000 over three
years while working as a book
keeper for a small residential
treatment facility in Seaside
was sentenced Monday to three
years in prison for violating her
probation.
Karen Anne Noel Saber, 55,
of Astoria, was originally sen
tenced last year to five years
probation. She was ordered to
pay back $30,000 within a year
by liquidating her property.
After a year, she was required
to pay $500 a month until the
$250,000 was paid in full.
Since being placed on pro
bation last year, Saber has only
paid $622.50.
Judge Paula Brownhill re
voked Saber’s probation Mon
day since she failed to pay the
minimum of $30,000. Saber
was arrested last month on a
warrant, and appeared in court
Monday for the probation viola
tion hearing.
In addition, Saber violated
her probation by failing to report
a new address to her probation
officer.
She pleaded guilty in July
2014 to embezzling the money
from the prior owners of Awak
enings by the Sea in Seaside. She
pleaded
guilty to
36 counts
of first-de-
gree theft
during the
second
day of a
trial
in
Clatsop
Karen Anne
County
Noel Saber
Circuit
Court.
The Seaside-based residen
tial facility opened in 2007. It is
now operated by different own
ers for women-only addiction
treatment.
Saber was hired in 2009
after being recommended. She
suggested the company begin
using direct deposit for em
ployee payroll. From 2009 to
2012, Saber is believed to have
pocketed thousands of dollars
by putting state and federal
payroll tax payments into her
own accounts instead of sub
mitting them to the Internal
Revenue Service.
When threatening letters be
gan showing up in the spring
and summer of 2012 from the
IRS, the president of the facility
hired a certified public accoun
tant to go over the bookkeeping.
The information was then
turned over to the Seaside Police
Department.
E. coli in Northwest marks
Chipotle’s third this year
Associated Press
SEATTLE
—
Chipotle
closed 43 of its Pacific North
west locations after the chain’s
third foodbome illness this
year sickened about two dozen
people — prompting renewed
scrutiny of a company that
touts its use of fresh ingredi
ents and farm-sourced fare.
Cases of the bacterial illness
were traced to six of the casu
al Mexican food restaurants,
but the company voluntarily
closed down all of its locations
in Washington state and the
Portland area as a precaution as
an investigation continues.
Three people in the Portland
area and 19 people in western
Washington have gotten sick
with E. coli as of Friday. Sev
enteen of them had eaten at a
Chipotle restaurant during the
past few weeks. Eight people
have been hospitalized but no
deaths have been reported.
Celebration &
Open House
' obdbb
WANTED
SEASIDE — A pain educa
tion class, “Understanding pain
: With Knowledge Comes Pow
er,” is 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Nov.
13 in Education Center A (low
er level) at Providence Seaside
Hospital, 725 S. Wahanna Road.
The class is designed to help
understand how pain works in
the body and brain. Those at
tending will learn about what
pain really is, and how much
one’s own actions and thoughts
can improve pain.
There is no charge for
the class, but registration is
required. To register, go to
www.providence.org/classes
or call 800-562-8964.
By KYLE SPURR
The Daily Astorian
30th Anniversary
Visit us online at
The Daily Astorian
bookkeeper gets
three years
Please join us
Friday, Nov. 6 • 12-4 pm
Alder and Maple Saw Logs & Standing Timber
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in the old Owl Drug building near
Contact: Steve Axtell • 360-430-0885 or John Anderson • 360-269-2500
Columbia Memorial Hospital
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by InStore Magazine
Sale
There are many that list something they are thankful
for each day in November on social media.
now in progress
PANDORA
Starter Bracelet..... $20 off
Select Bridal.......Half
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also
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There is a 20 word maximum for each submission.
This allows more people to participate.
How to participate:
email your “I am thankful” to- hlarkins@dailyastorian.com
or mail to- The Daily Astorian, P.O. Box 210, Astoria, OR 97103,
Attn: Holly Larkins
Deadline: November 20th at 5pm.