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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 28, 2016)
144TH YEAR, NO. 86 WEEKEND EDITION // FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2016 ONE DOLLAR THE HOUSING CRUNCH COUNTY SEES BARRIERS TO HOUSING SOLUTIONS Leaders view partnership with private sector as key Danny Miller/The Daily Astorian Randy Roden listens to the prosecution deliver closing arguments during his trial on Thursday at Clatsop County Cir- cuit Court in Astoria. PART FIVE OF FIVE ABOUT THIS SERIES By KYLE SPURR The Daily Astorian The housing crunch is everywhere in Clatsop County and impacts all walks of life. W ith the North Coast in desperate need of hous- ing, Clatsop County is seen as a potential leader in addressing the crunch . The county partners with the nonprofi t Northwest Oregon Housing Authority and oversees the open land in the unincorpo- rated regions around cities. County leaders , however, say the county faces a variety of barri- ers . A lack of suitable land, infra- structure and interested devel- opers leaves the county at a loss to quickly usher in new projects. County Com- missioner Dirk Rohne said he believes the cit- Dirk ies are actu- Rohne ally better posi- tioned, since city lands already have the infra- structure for water, sewer and electricity. “All jurisdictions need to take a leading role,” Rohne said. See COUNTY, Page 8A MORE INSIDE: READ PROFILES OF LOCALS AFFECTED BY HOUSING CRUNCH • PAGE 8A Photos by Danny Miller/The Daily Astorian The Yacht Club Apartments located on West Marine Drive in Astoria. The Yacht Club Apartments were built by developer Richard Krueger, who proposed another apartment complex in Miles Crossing. County’s public health director commutes from McMinnville every day Wants to live in Astoria soon ichael McNickle wakes up early every weekday morning in his McMinnville home and commutes 100 miles to his job in the Clatsop County Public Health Department. “It’s 200 miles each day. I’m up at 5 a.m. and on the road by at least 5:45 a.m.” McNickle said. The public health director has been making the long drive since he was hired two years ago M as the county’s environmental health supervisor. At the time, McNickle wanted to move to the Astoria area right away, but quickly realized the diffi culties of the Clatsop County housing market. Only a handful of homes are for sale at one time, and usu- ally do not meet the needs of McNickle and his family. “Trying to fi nd something reasonably affordable and what you want is not real easy,” he said. This week, The Daily Astorian examines the housing crunch through the eyes of elected officials, economic experts, real-estate profession- als, developers, home- owners and renters. The series will explore the forces driving the issue, along with what is — and is not — possible for the North Coast to achieve. And, the coverage does not end this week, as the Astorian tracks the challenges and solu- tions going forward. MORE ONLINE Catch up on all our Housing Crunch stories online at DailyAstorian.com/ da/housing-crunch See MCNICKLE, Page 8A Developer Richard Krueger had proposed an apartment complex on land in Miles Crossing, north of Lewis and Clark Elementary School. The Clatsop County Planning Commission denied the project after neighbors objected. Roden: ‘I’m not a monster’ Interview clips played as murder trial closes By KATIE FRANKOWICZ For The Daily Astorian The trial of a Seaside man accused of torturing and killing his girlfriend’s 2-year- old daughter is nearly over — the 12-per- son jury began deliberations Thursday after- noon — but Randy Lee Roden, who faces the death penalty if convicted, has remained silent. It is his c onstitutional right not to tes- tify. However, during closing arguments on Thursday , jurors heard something like Roden’s side of the story in his own words. As defense attorney Conor Huseby laid out his fi nal argument for Roden’s innocence, he played clips from various interroga- tions of Roden conducted by investigating offi cers. In one clip, the offi cer, in a low, steady voice, suggests that maybe Roden just lost control, he didn’t mean to hurt the toddler, things happen. “No, no, sir,” Roden replies. “I’m not a monster or a demon. I’m not.” “I understand what you’re saying,” he says later. “I understand. I did not do it.” In another clip, a different offi cer says he, the offi cer, wasn’t there when 2-year-old Evangelina Wing died and that Roden needs to explain what happened. “I want to know as much as you, I swear,” Roden replies. “… Worse thing that ever happened is that little girl dying.” And in another clip, he tells the offi cer, “I’m still not going to change my story … because I know I didn’t do it.” See RODEN, Page 9A Jury delivers sharp blow to government Protesters cleared in Malheur standoff By STEVEN DUBOIS and GILLIAN FLACCUS Associated Press sage on the Skipanon River. CREST withdrew from the project, however, after the Warrenton City Commis- sion chose not to renew a $1.2 mil- lion agreement with CREST and the water district to remove the dam and install a single-lane bridge over the river for the city’s emergency access. The federal Bonneville Power Administration was going to fi nance the project to help restore salmon habitat. Akin Blitz, a Portland attorney who represents Warrenton, issued a fact-fi nding report in September that questioned CREST’s assertions that removing the dam would not signifi cantly increase fl ooding risk to upstream property owners. The PORTLAND — A jury delivered an extraordinary blow to the government in a long-running battle over the use of pub- lic lands when it acquitted all seven defen- dants involved in the armed occupation of a national wildlife refuge in rural southeastern Oregon. Tumult erupted in the courtroom Thurs- day after the verdicts were read when an attorney for group leader Ammon Bundy demanded his client be immediately released and repeatedly yelled at the judge. U.S. mar- shals tackled attorney Marcus Mumford to the ground, used a stun gun on him several times and arrested him. U.S. District Judge Anna Brown said she could not release Bundy because he still faces charges in Nevada stemming from an armed standoff at his father Cliven Bundy’s ranch two years ago. The Portland jury acquitted Bundy, his brother Ryan Bundy and fi ve others of con- spiring to impede federal workers from their jobs at the Malheur National Wildlife Ref- uge, 300 miles southeast of Portland. The jury could not reach a verdict on a single count of theft for Ryan Bundy. Even attorneys for the defendants were surprised by the acquittals. See CREST, Page 9A See STANDOFF, Page 7A CREST leader gets council backing Agency has been subject of criticism from Warrenton By DERRICK DePLEDGE The Daily Astorian The Columbia River Estu- ary Study Taskforce, under scru- tiny from Warrenton over a proj- ect to remove the Eighth Street Dam, received a vote of confi dence Thursday. Scott Lee, the chairman of the government council that over- sees CREST, said Denise Lofman, CREST’s executive director, has endured “reckless personal attacks.” “It serves no one,” said Lee, MORE INSIDE Port of Astoria mulls leaving the Columbia River Estuary Study Taskforce. Page 9A who is also chairman of the Clatsop County Board of Commissioners. “And I think that the question here is: Are these people working for the public good or some sort of personal agenda? “I have absolute confi dence in the executive director and her integ- rity and her professionalism.” CREST had partnered with the Skipanon Water Control District to remove the Eighth Street Dam in Warrenton as a hazard and to improve water quality and fi sh pas-
