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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 16, 2016)
DailyAstorian.com // TUESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2016 144TH YEAR, NO. 33 ONE DOLLAR New fl ood maps needed to avoid sanctions Communities benefi t overall from latest mapping data By ERICK BENGEL The Daily Astorian S EASIDE — Residents in Gearhart, Seaside, Cannon Beach, Clatsop County and those in Warrenton’s Dik- ing District No. 1 will be unable to buy fl ood insurance, renew existing fl ood insur- ance policies and will face additional conse- quences unless their jurisdiction adopts new federal fl ood insurance rate maps. The urgent message resonated at an open house Monday at the Seaside Civic and Con- vention Center, where locals looked over draft revisions to the Federal Emergency Manage- ment Agency’s maps that identify fl ood risk along the coast . Adoption of the maps — which will be used to set fl ood insurance rates and shape community development decisions — will involve new fl ood hazard ordinances. “It’s pretty dire if the cities and county are unable to move forward with the adop- tion of these ordinances,” said Patrick Wing- ard, regional representative for the Ore- gon Department of Land Conservation and Development. A community that fails to adopt the maps will be suspended from the National Flood Insurance Program and face a host of sanctions. Not only will residents be ineligible for fl ood insurance, the community will not qual- ify for federal grants or loans for development in fl ood hazard areas, or for federal disaster assistance to repair insurable fl ood-damaged buildings in those areas. “If you are suspended from the National Flood Insurance Program, that affects folks’ ability to get mortgages; it affects the business climate, the local economy and the regional economy,” Wingard said. Draft FEMA flood maps Pitch is for Peoples Park The Federal Emergency Management Agency, in partnership with the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Develop- ment, has issued draft preliminary maps showing revisions to the 100-year floodplain. H. WAS . ORE 101 FORT STEVENS STATE PARK Co lum River Astoria Megler Bridge bia Hammond Astoria 30 104 Warrenton 101 100-year floodplain revision areas 202 LEWIS AND CLARK NAT’L HISTORICAL PARK Pacific Ocean 202 CLATSOP See FLOOD MAPS, Page 9A By DERRICK DePLEDGE The Daily Astorian The rich history of Scandinavians in Asto- ria could be marked by a downtown park. The Scandinavian Immigrant Park would be off Marine Drive between 15th and 16th streets at what is now Peoples Park. An arch with the inscription “From Scandinavia to Astoria” would be the dominant architectural feature, along with a maypole, a plaza and bas-relief sculp- ture panels depict- ing early immigrants as fi shermen, loggers, cannery workers and Submitted Graphic merchants. More than a third A sample of the of Astoria’s popula- bas-relief sculp- tion around the turn of tures that would the 20th century were depict early Scan- Scandinavian, and dinavian immi- while the annual Scan- grants to Astoria. dinavian Midsummer Festival celebrates cultural heritage, there is no monument to the men and women who came from Finland, Norway, Sweden, Den- mark and Iceland in search of opportunity. See MONUMENT, Page 10A 101 2 miles Source: Clatsop County Webmaps For more information, go to: bit.ly/2aPUATB Alan Kenaga/EO Media Group Happy results The communities will mostly benefi t from the mapping updates, which are the result of a countywide study that began in 2009 and incorporate the latest topographic technology. The bottom line: Far more land was removed from the 100-year fl ood plain, which has a 1 percent chance of fl ooding in any given year and a 26 percent chance of fl ooding during the life of a 30-year mort- gage, according to Heather Hansen, the coun- ty’s fl ood plain manager. “Each of the cities here that have been involved in this particular study area saw reduction,” said Jed Roberts, a fl ood mapping coordinator with the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries. Warrenton’s Diking District No. 1 — now provisionally accredited by FEMA — boasts a 9.2 percent net reduction in fl ood hazard area; Gearhart a 7.7 percent reduction; Seaside an 8 percent reduction; and Cannon Beach a 27.4 percent reduction. Robin Risley, a R ealtor who sits on the Cannon Beach and Clatsop County planning commissions, expects many property owners in Seaside and Cannon Beach to be “happily surprised” by the results. Though some acreage was added to the fl ood plain, much of it is undevelopable any- way, like property along the ocean that may Scandi monument planned downtown Cannon Beach weighs housing options By LYRA FONTAINE The Daily Astorian Erick Bengel/The Daily Astorian Property owners and community officials attended an open house at the Seaside Civic and Convention Center that addressed FEMA’s new draft flood insurance rate maps. ‘If you are suspended from the National Flood Insurance Program, that affects folks’ ability to get mortgages; it affects the business climate, the local economy and the regional economy.’ Patrick Wingard regional representative for the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development CANNON BEACH — The Cannon Beach affordable housing task force has zeroed in on rental housing for middle-income residents, moving closer to identifying locations for workforce units and concentrating on areas outside of downtown to conserve parking and provide lower-cost alternatives. City goals include providing 25 afford- able housing units by 2018, then adding 25 more units by 2020. “I think what makes Cannon Beach unique is that you own the land,” Todd John- ston, Northwest Oregon Housing Authority executive director and a task force member, said at a meeting last week. “What has made it diffi cult in other communities is there’s no place to build. A developer would have to come in and purchase the land.” See HOUSING, Page 9A Global warming polarizes more than abortion This story is part of Divided America, AP’s ongoing explo- ration of the economic, social and political divisions in American society. By SETH BORENSTEIN Associated Press WASHINGTON — Tem- pers are rising in America, along with the temperatures. Two decades ago, the issue of climate change wasn’t as contentious. The leading U.S. Senate proponent of tak- ing action on global warming was Republican John McCain. George W. Bush wasn’t as zealous on the issue as his Democratic opponent for pres- ident in 2000, Al Gore, but he, too, talked of regulating car- bon dioxide. Then the Earth got even hotter, repeatedly break- ing temperature records. But instead of drawing closer together, politicians polarized. Democrats (and scientists) became more convinced that global warming was a real, man-made threat . But Repub- licans and Tea Party activists became more convinced that it was — to quote the repeated See DIVIDED, Page 10A This image provided by the Nation- al Weather Service shows temperatures in the conti- nental United States as of 3 p.m. on July 22 . The weath- er service outlook for the following three months shows above normal temperatures across the country. National Weather Service via AP