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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (July 13, 2016)
DailyAstorian.com // WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 2016 144TH YEAR, NO. 9 ONE DOLLAR Warrenton County puts kibosh on Miles authorizes Crossing apartment complex legal look at old dam CREST pulls out of removal project By DERRICK DePLEDGE The Daily Astorian Danny Miller/The Daily Astorian Maurie Hendrickson, who lives on Youngs River Road and opposes the proposed property, voices his opinion to the Clatsop County Planning Commission during deliberation on the proposed Miles Crossing project Tuesday in Astoria. Project would have provided affordable housing units See DAM, Page 10A Warrenton considers food trucks at airport By KYLE SPURR The Daily Astorian T he Clatsop County Planning Commis- sion on Tuesday denied a proposed apartment complex in Miles Crossing after questioning the area’s sewer and water capacity and trafic impacts. Developer Richard Krueger wanted to build the Bella Ridge Apartments on 10.4 acres between Lewis and Clark Elementary School and the Lewis and Clark Golf & RV Resort. Krueger lowered the proposed develop- ment from 168 units to 48 units to accommo- date neighbors’ concerns. County staff recom- mended approving the project, but the Planning Commission ultimately denied it in a 3-1 vote. The project had been praised as a much- needed source of affordable and workforce housing. Supporters felt the vote was a missed opportunity to address the county’s housing crisis. “While we don’t pretend to know the chal- lenges related to Mr. Krueger’s proposal, we are well aware of the absolute need for all types of housing in Clatsop County,” Clatsop Economic Development Resources Director Kevin Leahy wrote in a letter of support. Clatsop County Community Develop- ment Director Heather Hansen, who presented the staff recommendation Tuesday, said she thought the development was proposed in a good location surrounded by a golf course and school. The location is the site of a proposed 36-lot subdivision for single-family homes approved last year by the Planning Commission, Hansen said. Krueger wanted to rezone the property for multi-family use, which the Planning Commis- sion denied. WARRENTON — The city has ordered an outside legal review on the Eighth Street Dam as the latest plan to remove the aging structure has collapsed. Akin Blitz, a Portland labor attorney, will compile a fact-inding report on the owner- ship, operation and potential removal of the dam on the Skipanon River. The report will also outline options the City Commission could consider to protect the interests of the city and property owners along the river. The Skipanon Water Control District, which owns the dam, wants to remove the outdated structure to improve ish passage and water quality. But the Columbia River Estuary Study Taskforce, the water district’s partner, has withdrawn from the $1 million project. In an email Tuesday to the interim city manager and city commissioners, Tessa Scheller, the chairwoman of the water dis- trict’s board, said the water district has no interest in spending money to “keep an obsolete, and dangerous dam in place.” She said she is willing to meet with the city, and perhaps state and federal regulators, on a resolution. Danny Miller/The Daily Astorian Developer Richard Krueger listens during the Clatsop County Planning Commis- sion’s deliberation on his proposed Miles Crossing property on Tuesday in Astoria. The Clatsop County Planning Commission denied the proposed 48-unit project near Lewis and Clark Elementary School. Jim Neikes reacts during the Clatsop County Plan- ning Com- mission’s de- liberation on the proposed Miles Cross- ing project Tuesday in Astoria. Danny Miller The Daily Astorian See COMPLEX, Page 10A Carts will be allowed in other industrial zones By ERICK BENGEL The Daily Astorian WARRENTON — U.S. Coast Guard per- sonnel, Lektro employees and other work- ers at Astoria Regional Airport may soon have better access to a quick meal near the workplace. The City Commission held a irst reading on a municipal code amendment allowing food and beverage trucks and carts to oper- ate in the general industrial zoning district. “The (industrial zones) are kind of iso- lated, and people oftentimes don’t have the time available to go out and get a quick snack in the morning, or even at lunch time,” Community Development Director Skip Urling said. The Lunch Wagon, a food cart that opened at the airport in April and sells hot and cold sandwiches, has a temporary vari- ance to operate. The code change would allow the cart to stay. See FOOD CARTS, Page 10A Rivals raise $5.2 million to ight corporate tax plan By PARIS ACHEN Capital Bureau SALEM — Defeat The Tax On Oregon Sales, a coa- lition of business interests, has raised more than $5.2 mil- lion to defeat a ballot measure to levy a hefty state corporate sales tax, according to its irst campaign inance disclosures. That compares to about $450,000 raised by propo- nents, A Better Oregon, which has yet to ile paperwork estab- lishing its political action committee. “Our coalition already includes more than 3,000 indi- viduals, organizations and busi- nesses from across the state that share deep concerns about this costly and damaging $6 billion tax on Oregon sales,” Rebecca Tweed, campaign coordina- tor for Defeat The Tax On Ore- gon Sales, said in a statement. “We’ve put a solid founda- tion in place to clearly com- municate with Oregon voters that they will be the ones pay- ing most of this regressive tax through higher prices for nearly everything they buy — grocer- ies, gasoline, insurance, medi- cines, electricity, phones, med- ical care — costing the average Oregon household over $600 more per year.” The Defeat the Tax on Ore- gon Sales Political Action Committee reported more than 500 contributions through Monday. A Better Oregon plans to launch its political action com- mittee after ballot measures are certiied in August, said Katherine Driessen, a spokes- woman for the union-backed campaign. Total expenditures by the Defeat The Tax On Oregon Sales PAC were $1.8 million, leaving the coalition with $3.4 million of cash on hand. Proponents have spent $41,762.62. Political action commit- tees are required to report their contributions and expenditures within 30 days of iling. That report must include transac- tions by the opposition group from before the formation of the PAC. The ballot measure, Ini- tiative Petition 28, would impose a 2.5 percent tax on the Oregon sales of “C” cor- porations exceeding $25 mil- lion. It would represent the largest tax increase in state history. The so-called gross receipts tax would raise about $3 bil- lion a year in new state reve- nue and bolster public sector jobs, while slowing growth in private sector jobs, accord- ing to the Legislative Revenue Ofice. See TAX PLAN, Page 10A