144TH YEAR, NO. 64
ONE DOLLAR
DailyAstorian.com // WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2016
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SPORTS • 7A
Courthouse security revised after concerns
Sheriff objected
to new measures
By KYLE SPURR
The Daily Astorian
A new security protocol at Clatsop
County Circuit Court was lifted this
week after concerns were raised by
the sheriff and others over the extra
cost and resources needed to screen
all visitors.
Visitors to the courthouse can
again enter the building without being
screened. A metal detector is now set
up outside Courtroom 300, where
the death penalty trial of Randy Lee
Roden, the man accused of murdering
a Seaside toddler, is being held.
Judge Paula Brownhill, who pre-
sides over Circuit Court, enacted
tougher security at the courthouse
last week in time for the Roden
trial in her courtroom. Visitors were
directed through a metal detector at
one secure entrance off Commer-
cial Street in downtown Astoria. Two
other entrances on the south side of
the building were blocked off with
security signs, although one was still
accessible to the disabled.
The initial change was approved
in February by a court security advi-
sory committee over the objections
of the district attorney, sheriff and
interim county manager, who wanted
more discussion over security design.
Sheriff Tom Bergin met with his
staff and County Manager Cameron
Moore on Friday to further discuss
concerns with the closure of the court-
house during the Roden trial, which
could last more than two months.
“It all boils down to money, and
we don’t have the resources or the
manpower,” Bergin said.
The Sheriff’s Ofice has state funds
to cover labor costs during the death
penalty trial. However, Bergin said,
the ofice does not have the budget to
permanently station multiple deputies
See SECURITY, Page 5A
Preschool ofers room to grow Warrenton
could take
control of
the dam
Attorney: Water district
has no ownership right
By DERRICK DePLEDGE
The Daily Astorian
Photos by Edward Stratton/The Daily Astorian
Christy Bisping, owner and teacher at Gearhart Kids Academy, works with Arabelle Osterhold of Astoria and Jonathan Rosenfeld
of Cannon Beach during free play Monday.
Childhood specialists
stress importance of
quality preschool
MORE INFO
For more information on how to become
a licensed childcare provider, contact
Tara Mestrich with the Family Care Con-
nection program at 503-325-1220.
By EDWARD STRATTON
The Daily Astorian
EARHART — After Can-
non Beach Preschool and
Children’s Center shut down
in May, former director
Christy Bisping spent at least
$12,000 building out Gearhart Kids Acad-
emy, her new preschool and daycare along
U.S. Highway 101. Hers is the only pre-
school in Clatsop County rated through the
Oregon Quality Rating Improvement Sys-
tem, the state’s foremost method for ensur-
ing quality in preschools.
Like other providers, Bisping doesn’t
have much trouble illing her infant and tod-
dler daycare rooms. But two weeks after the
start of K-12 classes, she only has four stu-
dents out of a possible 20 in her preschool.
She said price is the biggest inhibitor, along
with a lack of understanding about the impor-
tance of preschool.
Bisping’s concerns are at the forefront of
MORE INSIDE
Seaside receives preschool startup grant
from the state. Page 10A
efforts by local early childhood specialists
to better prepare kids for the future.
Improving quality
Tara Mestrich, coordinator of Oregon
State University Extension Service’s Family
Care Connection program, said the county
has about 35 licensed preschool providers
offering a potential 586 preschool slots.
There are usually plenty of preschool
slots available, she said, while the real
demand is driven by infant, toddler and
after-school care.
Bisping said she worked really hard for
the quality rating in Cannon Beach and
in Gearhart, but that it hasn’t paid many
See PRESCHOOL, Page 10A
Preschoolers Anna Schroer, left, and Ryder
Ramsdell take a slip down a slide behind
Capt. Robert Gray School during Monday.
The two are part of Astoria School District’s
new preschool, launched with state funding.
WARRENTON — The city could take
control of the Eighth Street Dam and either
operate the aging structure for lood control
or hold the dam as an asset and later remove
it to offset the wetlands impact of a future
development project.
Akin Blitz, a Portland attorney hired by
the city to conduct a fact-inding report on
the dam, argues that the Skipanon Water
Control District has no ownership claim and
forfeited a city easement when the district
ceased operating the
dam as intended.
Blitz maintains that
the city owns the under-
lying property so, with
no valid easement, the
dam reverts to the city.
“Any claim the dis-
trict makes to the con-
trary is baseless as far
as I’m concerned,”
Blitz said at a City
Akin
Commission meeting
Blitz
Tuesday night.
Blitz’s indings could prompt a legal ight
between the city and the water district, which
has operated the dam since it was built by
the federal government in 1963. If the water
district does not cede ownership interest, the
attorney suggested, the city could ile a law-
suit to determine title or seize the dam and
put the legal onus on the district to prove an
ownership stake.
The water district has sought to remove
the dam as obsolete and a hazard, as well as
to improve ish passage on the river.
Tessa Scheller, the chairwoman of the
water district’s board, does not think the
water district will simply accept the city’s
argument. Some on the board, however, have
said in the past that the water district should
turn the dam over to the city for $1 to be free
from liability.
“I wasn’t persuaded by anything except
that, this seems to me, if I had to characterize
it, it would be a witch hunt,” Scheller said.
“That would be my characterization of what
I heard tonight.”
See DAM, Page 5A
Planning Commission mulls ways to gain homes
Tiny houses,
garage units
on the table
By ERICK BENGEL
The Daily Astorian
The Astoria Planning Com-
mission is considering devel-
opment code changes that
would allow property owners
to rent out detached garages
and build tiny homes on their
land.
The amendments are
designed to help alleviate
Astoria’s affordable hous-
ing scarcity but raised red
lags for residents concerned
about
increased
rate, according to
density and park-
Community Devel-
ing overlow, and
opment
Director
about whether tiny
Kevin Cronin.
homes and “acces-
A 2015 housing
sory dwelling units”
study led to a list of
would mar the com-
recommendations
munity’s historic
— an affordable
character.
housing strategy —
One of the City
to spur more hous-
Council’s goals for
ing opportunities
Kevin
the previous iscal
in town. The City
Cronin
year was to promote
Council in July did
“housing that Astorians can not embrace all of Cronin’s
afford.”
initial ideas, but did signal
A regional supply of every some support for encouraging
housing category is at an all- accessory dwelling units.
time low, while demand has
Cronin’s proposed set of
reached an all-time high, in new zoning standards would
part because of the North include reducing restrictions
Coast’s low unemployment on accessory dwelling units
to “encourage more base-
ment and garage conver-
sions,” and “for construc-
tion of new units built above
new garages” or as part of
new single-family, detached
construction.
In addition, the new stan-
dards would encourage tiny
homes to be developed on sin-
gle-family lots “under certain
conditions.”
“Under this proposal, you
will be able to use the prop-
erty much more eficiently,”
Cronin said, adding that own-
ers could use the additional
income to ix up their house,
or “do whatever they feel like
doing with it.”
Asked how many units the
code changes would create,
Cronin said, “I can’t forecast
that. I don’t know. What I do
know is, we’re not going to
get any if we continue with the
existing standard. We know
that.”
Noting that the city has
received one ADU application
in the past ive years, he added,
“I would be surprised if we
have more than two or three
per year. Pleasantly surprised.”
Concerns
Some residents feared the
proposal would lead to tiny
homes cluttering up Astoria’s
historic neighborhoods.
See HOMES, Page 10A