8A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2015
Square: Some want to see more input from the community
Continued from Page 1A
as an interim step, the same
idea the city had a decade
ago when the old supermar-
ket was demolished for an
interim plaza while a perma-
nent design for the block was
debated. The supermarket’s
foundation collapsed after
heavy rains in 2010, leaving
the hole.
Cronin cautioned the ad-
visory committee that the
city could take another six
months hearing public feed-
back and still have multiple
opinions and a lack of clear
consensus.
“I need to take some time
to kind of process it and come
up with the best solution,”
Cronin said afterward. “And I
don’t know what that solution
is. Or if I have a solution.”
Cronin has prepared a re-
development strategy that
outlines a handful of steps,
including building commu-
nity support, identifying
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nancing path, and marketing
the square to the real estate
development community.
He will likely take a ver-
sion of that strategy to the
City Council in December,
and may — or may not — rec-
ommend a library and hous-
ing option. “The council has a
choice to make a decision and
live with that decision,” Cro-
nin said, “or they have the de-
cision to not do anything and
just continue to collect more
input and do more listening in
the community.”
A civic square
Mayor Arline LaMear and
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Heritage Square as a possi-
bility for a new library and
workforce housing after the
library expansion into the
Waldorf fell apart because
of opposition from preserva-
tionists who want to save the
old hotel. The concept is to
turn the square, home to the
Garden of Surging Waves,
into a civic center that could
help draw more people and
business downtown.
Ingrid “Sunnie” Bell and
Joshua Bessex/The Daily Astorian
A sign at Heritage Square explains the history of the site, as well as future steps going forward. The city is debating whether to build a new library
and housing on the square.
Mike Phillips, the command-
er of the American Legion
Clatsop Post 12, which takes
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Heritage Square, told the
City Council on Monday that
they oppose a new library
and housing at the square.
The Legion, which plans
memorials, murals and other
improvements to the post,
prefers a plaza with a gaze-
bo and kiosks representing
the city’s ethnic and cultural
groups.
Bell, who has worked with
house in October at Fort
George Brewery and Public
House’s Lovell Showroom to
show off some design options
and has done other public
Lack of consensus
outreach, but no favorite has
The project advisory com- emerged.
mittee was not ready Thurs-
“This is big. I really
day night to say whether a would like more input from
new library or housing should the community,” said Norma
go on Heritage Square, a Hernandez, the chairwoman
sentiment that, many on the of the city’s Parks and Rec-
FRPPLWWHH EHOLHYH UHÀHFWV reation Board, who serves on
the lack of consensus in the the advisory committee.
community.
She said she has heard
The city held an open many different opinions, in-
the Legion’s auxiliary, also
said that any redevelopment
project should go before vot-
ers for approval.
cluding many that are unfa-
vorable. “I don’t think it will
be fair to our citizens,” she
said of a recommendation. “I
think they still need to voice
more. Some of them are hold-
ing back. Some of them are
still muddling about it —
they need to think a little bit
more about it.”
Dan Stein, who works in
commercial real estate and
serves on the advisory com-
mittee, did not want to go be-
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hole as an interim step. He
said, like several others on
the committee, that he does
not think a new library has to
be at Heritage Square.
“I think that we’re over-
stepping,” he said. “I think
that this group, candidly, is
overstepping. I think that we
were asked to investigate it.
I think we’ve made a very
good faith effort.
“From what we’re seeing
in the community, both at
the meetings and anecdotally
from all of us, that there real-
ly isn’t a consensus.”
A special thanks goes
out to Trece Gurrad,
vice-president of
patient care services,
for her dedication to
United Way and its
mission.
Trece is CMH’s United
Way representative
and a member of the
Board of the Clatsop
County United Way.
Thank you for your generosity
*4/*HYLNP]LYZ
CMH Caregivers raised more than $16,000 to support Clatsop County United Way during its
recent fundraising drive. We are proud to support United Way as it improves the lives of people in
our communities.
We encourage you too, to support United Way, which passes the
money it raises on to worthy non-profits in Clatsop County.
Trece joined CMH in
March of 2013. Since
then, she has led
several initiatives to
improve patient care,
including installation
of a new nurse
call system. Her
dedication to CMH
and its neighboring
communities is
apparent in her
everyday actions.
Under Trece’s
leadership, CMH’s
United Way donation
drive was fun and
very successful.
Thank you, Trece!
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