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THE DAILY ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, JULY 19, 2016
Coast Guard rescues injured
Signiicant repairs needed
hiker from Olympic Mountains for trolley trestle, track
The Daily Astorian
A U.S. Coast Guard heli-
copter from Air Station Asto-
ria rescued an injured hiker
from Washington’s Olympic
Mountains Monday.
The Air Force Rescue
Coordination Center con-
tacted Sector Columbia River
requesting help. A U.S. Navy
helicopter had delivered two
medics to a hiker with a bro-
ken ankle Sunday afternoon,
but because of fatigue and
fuel shortages had to leave
them with the hiker over-
night. The medics were run-
ning low on pain medication
and needed a quick transport.
At 8 a.m. Monday, the Coast
Guard HH-60 Jayhawk heli-
copter arrived on scene, but
left to refuel amid worsen-
ing weather and obstacles
from the tree line. At 10 a.m.,
the Coast Guard hoisted the
injured hiker and transported
him to awaiting medical ser-
vices at the airport in Olym-
pia, Washington.
“This case illustrates the
importance of our partnerships
with the Navy, Air Force and
other irst responders,” Greg
Merten, a search and rescue
controller at Sector Colum-
bia River, said in a statement.
“With their support, we were
able to successfully hoist this
man from the mountain and
get him to the help he needed.”
LaMear: ‘Thoughts and
prayers are no longer enough’
Continued from Page 1A
In her letter, LaMear cau-
tions that “thoughts and
prayers are no longer enough”
and blames gun violence for
“eroding our sense of safety,
our sense of community, our
sense of pride in being an
American.”
While the mayor said she
supports gun ownership for
hunting and personal protec-
tion, she urged the governor
and federal lawmakers to work
to ban high-capacity maga-
zines and assault weapons, pre-
vent people on the no-ly list
from obtaining guns, approve
universal background checks
and make funding for men-
tal health services a national
priority.
LaMear said she intends
for the letter to be published as
an advertisement in The Daily
Astorian and invited residents
across the North Coast to sign
with her. The mayor, who will
pay for the ad as a private cit-
izen, said she is hoping for at
least 300 signatures.
City Councilor Drew Her-
zig thanked LaMear for what
he called a “brave statement.”
Urban and rural divide
Oregon, like many states
in the West, has an urban
and rural divide on guns. A
state law that took effect last
August expanded criminal
background checks to private
gun sales over the objection of
some county sheriffs and pro-
tests from many gun owners.
Tragedies such as the mass
shooting at Umpqua Commu-
nity College near Roseburg last
October have prompted intro-
spection, but no sweeping new
gun control laws.
Gov. Brown said Friday
that gun violence is terroriz-
ing the nation. The Democrat
proposed a gun-control pack-
age that urges state lawmak-
ers to outlaw future purchases
of high-capacity magazines.
The governor also wants to
address a law that gives state
police three days to complete
background checks before gun
purchases are automatically
authorized. She would also
prevent more abusers from
having guns by expanding the
types of relationships covered
under domestic violence law.
Brown issued an executive
order directing state police to
notify local law enforcement
when someone barred from
gun ownership tries to buy a
irearm. The governor also
directed the Oregon Health
Authority to issue annual
reports on gun deaths.
Brown called on Congress
to ban assault weapons and to
prevent people on the no-ly
list because of terrorism con-
cerns from buying guns.
Theme in
presidential campaign
Gun control is a theme
in the presidential election
between former U.S. Sec-
retary of State Hillary Clin-
ton and businessman Donald
Trump. Clinton, the Democrat,
favors gun restrictions such as
comprehensive federal back-
ground checks and repealing
legal immunity for gun deal-
ers and manufacturers. Trump,
the Republican, has promised
to vigorously protect Second
Amendment rights.
The gun debate will play
out in Salem and Washington,
D.C., not Astoria, but LaMear
said her conscience drove her
to make a statement.
The mayor also asked for a
moment of silence at the start
of Monday night’s council
meeting to mark the violence
across the nation.
“It’s — I know for all of us
— very sad,” she said. “Makes
us angry. Makes us frustrated.
A lot of feelings.”
Housing: ‘We don’t want to be like Portland’
Continued from Page 1A
At a work session Monday
night, Estes and Community
Development Director Kevin
Cronin detailed possible
revisions that could encour-
age more accessory dwell-
ing units, tiny homes, row-
houses and townhouses and
relax building height and lot
size restrictions.
“It’s clear to me that we
need more housing, but not
at the expense of quality of
life,” City Councilor Zetty
Nemlowill said. “And I think
that your proposed code
amendments are too aggres-
sive. We don’t want to be like
Portland.
“And I don’t know how
much these code amendments
would actually improve the
housing situation.”
Councilors only seemed
willing at this point to have
the Planning Commission
look more closely at acces-
sory dwelling units, often
referred to as “granny lats”
or “mother-in-law apart-
ments.” Under the devel-
opment code, the units are
allowed if attached to homes
— such as in basements,
attics or over garages — but
only a few have been permit-
ted. The city could amend
the law to allow the units in
detached garages, guest cot-
tages and workshops to make
more eficient use of Astoria’s
large, older housing stock.
Even then, City Councilor
Cindy Price said accessory
dwelling units should come
under administrative review,
a level of staff vetting that
involves notifying neighbors
about the potential develop-
ment and allowing appeals.
Construction excise tax
Councilor Drew Herzig
was adamant, meanwhile,
that residents would not sup-
port relaxing building height
restrictions, since taller build-
ings would obstruct views.
Herzig
recommended
that city staff research a con-
struction excise tax, a tool
approved by the state Legisla-
ture this year to help cities and
counties inance affordable
housing. The Legislature also
allowed local governments to
require developers to reserve
20 percent of units in hous-
ing projects as affordable. But
the mandate only applies to
projects of 20 units or more,
which, with Astoria’s lim-
ited space, could be a hurdle.
Developers would also expect
tax incentives or other sweet-
eners to build, which might be
politically unpopular.
Nemlowill wants the city
to identify city land that could
be marketed to public and pri-
vate developers for housing.
She suggested the old Asto-
ria Yacht Club — home to the
Parks and Recreation Depart-
ment — might be suitable if
the department moves to the
Astoria Aquatic Center.
Community
engagement
Councilor Russ Warr
agreed with the potential for
apartments or other housing
at the Yacht Club, but said
developers would need incen-
tives to build affordable units.
Warr also said that with
the limits in Astoria, “along
with the fact that many of our
citizens believe that they own
their view, it’s going to be
really dificult to look at this
area as a mecca for affordable
housing.
“And I’m not sure that it’s
our responsibility. I’m not
sure that it’s something that
we should be really pushing
to have in Astoria, because
I’m not sure it’s possible.”
Price said the city might
want to use a community
engagement process on
affordable housing similar to
the master plan just approved
for parks.
Councilors asked staff for
another work session later
this year to have a longer con-
versation about their options.
Astoria City Council also gives inal
approval to a parks master plan
By DERRICK DePLEDGE
The Daily Astorian
The city needs an estimated
$319,500 for trestle and track
repairs before the Astoria Riv-
erfront Trolley operates another
season next spring.
City staff has recommended
that the City Council use capital
improvement money to inance
the work.
Annual
maintenance
costs going forward are about
$276,000, and the city will
likely discuss potential fund-
ing options with the trolley
association.
The estimate for mainte-
nance costs is signiicantly
higher than the city has budgeted
in the past, a spike related to the
age of railroad infrastructure.
A consultant that examined
the entire 4.7-mile track and
eight trestles between the Port
of Astoria and Tongue Point
that used to be owned by Bur-
lington Northern Railroad put
the immediate repair need at
$569,000 and annual mainte-
nance costs at $519,500.
City staff chose to concen-
trate on the 3 miles of track and
four trestles used by the trol-
ley between Portway Street and
39th Street. Minor repairs will
be done on the trail east of 39th
Street into Alderbrook.
The trolley is one of the
city’s most popular draws. City
Councilor Zetty Nemlowill sug-
gested the city consider using
Promote Astoria tourism money
to inance annual maintenance.
In other action Monday
night, the City Council:
• Gave inal approval to a
parks master plan. The plan out-
lines strategies for maintenance
and planning, communications
and marketing, operations, part-
nerships and capital projects
over the next 10 years.
• Voted 4-1 for a contract
with the Astoria-Warrenton
Chamber of Commerce on the
use of Promote Astoria tourism
money.
City Councilor Drew Herzig,
who had wanted to divert some
of the tourism money going to
the chamber for maintenance
on the Astoria Riverwalk, voted
against the contract.
• Backed the renewal of
The Daily Astorian/File Photo
The city needs to make sig-
nificant repairs to the tres-
tles and track used by the
Astoria Riverfront Trolley.
Astoria’s designation as a U.S.
Coast Guard city.
The designation — irst
made in 2011 — must be
renewed by the Coast Guard
every ive years.
• Recognized the 90th anni-
versaries of the Doughboy Mon-
ument for World War I and the
Astoria Column.
The monument’s anniver-
sary is Thursday and the col-
umn’s anniversary is Friday.
Corporate sales tax wouldn’t boost
high school graduation measure
By PARIS ACHEN
Capital Press
SALEM — A proposed cor-
porate sales tax that would raise
$3 billion a year in new revenue
would have little to no effect
on the amount of funding ear-
marked to high school gradua-
tion programs under Initiative
Petition 65.
IP 65, sponsored by the Ore-
gonians for High School Suc-
cess campaign, dedicates an
average of $800 in new state
revenue per year to each high
school pupil for dropout pre-
vention, career technical edu-
cation and college readiness
programs.
The measure includes a
safety valve that allows for
a smaller prorated allocation
when new state funding falls
below $1.5 billion in a particu-
lar year, but there is no mecha-
nism for increasing the per-stu-
dent allocation above an average
of $800, said Ted Nesbitt, an
adviser for the campaign and
former chief of staff for Gov.
Ted Kulongoski, who was a
chief petitioner for the gradua-
tion measure.
Revenue from the corpo-
rate sales tax measure, Initia-
tive Petition 28, could help keep
revenue above that $1.5 billion
threshold, but it would not bring
additional revenue for the high
school graduation programs,
said Peter Zuckerman, a spokes-
man for the IP 65 campaign.
If passed, IP 65 would allo-
cate an estimated $147 mil-
lion in 2017-18 for programs
aimed at boosting high school
graduation.
A study by economic con-
sulting irm ECONorthwest has
parsed out how much money
each of the state’s 88 school
districts would receive of that
amount.
High schools would be
required to submit a plan to the
Oregon Department of Educa-
tion for how to use the money
to build programs for dropout
prevention and career and col-
lege-readiness programs.
Only about 74 percent of
students in Oregon graduate
from high school in four years,
one of the lowest rates in the
nation.
Andrew Dyke, a researcher
at ECONorthwest, said it’s
unclear how the measure would
directly impact the state’s gradu-
ation rate. Researchers from the
irm plan to examine how the
measure would affect six Ore-
gon school districts by look-
ing at how the schools plan to
use the money, what programs
already are in place and the
existing graduation rate, Dyke
said.
The Oregon Education Asso-
ciation is not supporting IP 65
but has not organized an opposi-
tion campaign against it. Instead,
the teachers union is campaign-
ing for passage of IP 28 as an
avenue for boosting funding for
schools.
The Capital Bureau is a col-
laboration between EO Media
Group and Pamplin Media
Group.
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