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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (March 23, 2016)
143RD YEAR, NO. 185 | DailyAstorian.com | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2016 ONE DOLLAR SEASIDE FIRE CAUSES MAJOR DAMAGE SEASIDE, ASTORIA TEAMS TAKE WINS PAGE 3A SPORTS 9A Oregon LNG, Columbia Riverkeeper appeal ruling Warrenton Commission hearings set for early May By ERICK BENGEL The Daily Astorian WARRENTON — Oregon LNG has appealed a city ruling against a proposed terminal on the Skipanon Peninsula, claiming the hearings of¿ - cer drew erroneous conclusions that would make any marine industrial development virtually impossible. The energy company also argues that the hearings of¿ cer — 'aniel Kearns, a Portland land use attorney — gave too much credence to assess- ments by the Oregon 'epartment of Fish and Wildlife and Columbia Riv- erkeeper, while ignoring expert testi- mony from the company that terminal impacts could be minimized. Columbia Riverkeeper, an envi- ronmental group that opposes the $6 billion terminal and pipeline project, has also appealed portions of Kearns’ ruling. Appeal hearings before the City Commission are slated for May 4 and 5 at Warrenton Grade School . The commission’s decision can be appealed to the state Land Use Board of Appeals. Earlier this month, Kearns, who was appointed by the city to review the project, denied Oregon LNG’s land- use applications to build a bidirec- tional lique¿ ed natural gas terminal . Kearns — who approved a short segment of LNG pipeline to serve the terminal — cited the terminal’s poten- tial to harm salmon habitat and dis- rupt the public’s right to ¿ sh in the Lower Columbia River Estuary. His decision disagreed with city Planning 'irector Skip Urling’s recommenda- tion to approve both the terminal and pipeline. Oregon LNG’s opponents cheered Kearns’ decision as a victory for the environment, while supporters viewed it as a barrier to economic development. Neither Oregon LNG nor Colum- bia Riverkeeper could immediately be reached for comment on the appeals. See LNG, Page 12A Astoria Ford hits the road to Warrenton Rosemary Baker-Monaghan Liberty Theater leader resigns Executive director had been in charge for a decade By DERRICK DePLEDGE The Daily Astorian Joshua Bessex/The Daily Astorian Construction crews work on the future site of Astoria Ford in Warrenton on Tuesday. A rendering of the lot is shown on the left corner of the sign. The last major car dealership will leave city, keep name By EDWARD STRATTON The Daily Astorian ARRENTON — Astoria Ford owner 'ane Gouge said he hopes to be in operation at the North Coast Retail Center in Warrenton by 'ecember, if not sooner . Gouge, who signed a purchase and sale agreement with the retail center in 2012, closed on more than 6 acres at the corner of Ensign Lane and 19th Street earlier this month. Even though the dealership is changing cities, Gouge said he plans to keep the same name. “We’ve worked really hard to push the Astoria Ford name,” he said, adding only a few people have taken issue with the name . “It would be really tough to change that.” Gouge said the location at the retail center, across Ensign Lane from Costco and adjacent to a planned Wal-Mart, pro- vides 10 times the traf¿ c as his Astoria location. His new loca- tion will include a large showroom and service center, with a sep- arate building for auto detailing, car storage and parking on the remainder of the site. The entrance to his dealership would be located across from the proposed exit for the Wal-Mart. “For me, it’s more exciting to have your own instead of pay- ing a lease payment,” said Gouge, who leases his current location W See DEALERSHIP, Page 7A Joshua Bessex/The Daily Astorian A excavator drives on the Astoria Ford site as construction crews work . The new Warrenton location will include two large commercial buildings, with car storage and parking on the remainder of the site. Gearhart short-term rental rules take shape Rental owners on notice about upcoming tax By R.J. MARX The Daily Astorian GEARHART — An addi- tional room tax, business license and minimum rental terms are among the changes to Gearhart laws in an effort to curb issues with some short-term rentals. Property owners with short-term rental s received a letter about upcoming changes in city law, City Administrator Chad Sweet said. The noti¿ cation estab- lishes the ¿ rst reg- “We haven’t ulations for tran- got much negative sient lodging , reaction,” Sweet which is overnight said. “I haven’t occupancy of 30 had anybody upset days or less. about it. Most The proposed people are pretty ordinance requires understanding.” short-term rental At a mid- property owners March Planning Chad to pay a 7 percent Commission work Sweet room tax, in addi- session, commis- tion to the 1 percent sioners proposed a Oregon lodging tax, Sweet rule designating a minimum said. The tax goes into effect rental period of seven days . April 1, and is paid quarterly . “If you can make a sev- A $40 business license is also en-day reservation, that’s required by April 1. great,” Sweet said. “But if About 85 owners of it’s only three days, four short-term rental properties days it cannot be occupied. It have been contacted about limits the turnover.” the proposed new rules. Commissioners also agreed to limit the number of available permits, Sweet added, starting with about 35. The number of occupants was limited to two people per bedroom , based on local septic recommendations , he said. More details remain to be hammered out, Sweet said, including developing a “good neighbor” policy, off-street parking rules, tsu- nami preparedness require- ments and garbage pickup regulations. A Planning Commission public hearing is 6 p.m. April 14 , and will offer an open comment period on the tran- sient lodging rules. Rosemary Baker-Monaghan, who led the Liberty Theater since the historic venue’s rebirth a decade ago, will resign as executive director. In an email Tuesday to the theater’s board of directors, Baker-Monaghan said she is proud of her accomplishments and the generosity of the peo- ple who have revived the down- town theater. “I have given this a lot of thought,” she wrote. “It is time for me to move on to the next project that will be challenging, interesting, creative, rewarding, and of bene¿ t to the community. I wish the Liberty nothing but success in the future.” Baker-Monaghan, a former Seaside mayor and board mem- ber at Clatsop Community Col- lege, said her last day at the the- ater would be Friday and that she would take vacation time until her resignation on April 15. The board, which has sched- uled an emergency meeting Wednesday evening, will turn to an interim executive director until a permanent replacement is found. 'ian Barker-Sayce, an exec- utive at Bank of the Paci¿ c who serves as the board’s president, declined to comment on Bak- er-Monaghan’s resignation. Last year, the Liberty, an Ital- ianate-style theater that opened in 1925, celebrated its 90th anniversary and the 10th year since a grand reopening after a renovation. The complex at 12th and Commercial, which includes the McTavish Room and rehearsal space upstairs and commercial outlets on the ground À oor, is considered the jewel of down- town and has contributed to the city’s redevelopment. Known for the Astoria Music Festival, a summer clas- sical music series, the the- ater has hosted acts as varied as soprano Angela Meade and the 'ance Theatre of Harlem to rock bands 4uarterÀ ash and The 'ecemberists. But there has been a sense privately among some in the community that the lineup at the Liberty has gotten stale, and the theater has struggled ¿ nancially. There have been tensions between the board and Bak- er-Monaghan in recent months, sources say, over whether the executive director was too con- trolling and resistant to change. Others in the commu- nity have also expressed doubts about the theater’s management. See THEATER, Page 12A
