OPINION
6A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • MONDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2016
Founded in 1873
DAVID F. PERO, Publisher & Editor
LAURA SELLERS, Managing Editor
BETTY SMITH, Advertising Manager
CARL EARL, Systems Manager
JOHN D. BRUIJN, Production Manager
DEBRA BLOOM, Business Manager
HEATHER RAMSDELL, Circulation Manager
OUR VIEW
SOUTHERN EXPOSURE
Area volunteers needed,
commitment
is
‘priceless’
Housing crunch
conversations
‘O
should continue
Danny Miller/The Daily Astorian
Conversations must continue to solve the housing crunch in Asto-
ria and across the North Coast.
By R.J. MARX
The Daily Astorian
here are no quick-and-easy fixes for the housing crunch
that impacts nearly all walks of life and income levels in
Clatsop County, but there are steps the region can take
to begin addressing the problem.
In a five-day series, The Daily Astorian examined the forces
that are driving the housing availability and affordability issues
throughout the county, along with what is and what is not pos-
sible for the North Coast to achieve. What we found is that the
crunch is very real and it crosses all income levels. Like an
octopus, the crunch has long tentacles that reach out and influ-
ence the economy and business growth. It also dramatically
affects the quality of life for both new and long-term residents
as well as the political attitudes of our decision makers. At its
heart is the much deeper — and much more divisive — issue
of what does our region want to be when it grows up.
T
The causes
We also found some consensus on the factors that came
together and are continuing to cause the crunch. The root of the
problem goes back to the Great Recession, when production of
new housing units stagnated. As industry recovered and more
jobs were created, demand for additional housing rose, but
that has been met by stagnant supply. The result has been low
vacancy rates for renters and few properties on the market for
buyers to purchase.
The housing demand is also running headlong into other
obstacles as well, including a lack of land for develop-
ers to build on in some areas; vocal opposition with a lot of
“NIMBY” toward larger projects; and an anti-growth under-
current from a portion of the population that has been met
by political appeasement by elected officials trying to please
everyone they serve. Additionally, the crunch varies slightly
from city to city so leaders in each are somewhat hamstrung in
approaching it as a regional issue. As a result, there hasn’t been
a sense of urgency focused on housing, and not much progress
has been made toward a long-term solution.
First steps
So what can be done toward fixing the problem?
First and foremost, the housing crunch conversations need
to continue. Recently, Clatsop County Economic Development
Resources has been spearheading discussions among local
leaders on the issue, and it has created a greater general aware-
ness of the problem.
Most experts say market forces alone will not solve the
issue. They believe it will take market activity, development
and density code changes, public- and private-sector partner-
ships and community consensus to make the creation of new
housing a priority. No doubt, consensus will be the biggest bar-
rier to overcome.
But as Kevin Leahy, executive director of Clatsop Economic
Development Resources, says, “You cannot sit there and say
‘Well we’re just not going to deal with it. It’ll go away.’ It’s not
going away.”
Leahy’s absolutely right, and we hope that by continuing the
conversations, it will lead to a greater emphasis on developing
a long-term vision for each of the North Coast’s cities as well
as an inclusive vision for the entire region, which it currently
lacks. That long-term thinking should lead to deeper strategic
planning that should go well beyond each city’s comprehensive
plan.
It certainly won’t be easy, and it won’t happen overnight.
Leaders in each city will have to have the political will to
tackle the divisive task of trying to balance the issues of tran-
quility and quality of life with that of economic growth and
development.
For that to happen, it first must start with continuing those
conversations.
ur volunteers are
priceless,” Seaside Fire
Department Chief Joey
Daniels said from his office at the
Broadway firehouse.
In one week in October, a
tornado slammed Manzanita and
damaged more
than 100 proper-
ties. In Portland
an explosion
cleared city
streets. In Astoria,
a warehouse fire
injured two.
October is National Fire
Protection Month and coinciden-
tally — the week of the tornado,
gas explosion and warehouse
fire — Daniels reached out to the
community with a call for volun-
teers. The dramatic impact and
need for a firefighting response
was seen at each of these events.
“I think there’s a strong need
nationwide, not just Clatsop
County,” Daniels said.
Volunteers are harder to come
by, he said.
“As the community builds, not
only the tourism we have coming
in, as the valley builds, people
come down here, we have an
obligation to protect citizens and
tourists,” Daniels said. “I think
some people are hesitant to join
because they assume we don’t
need the help. I don’t think there’s
a volunteer agency fire depart-
ment in the county that wouldn’t
like to see people come in.”
Daniels, along with Lt. Chris
Dugan and Division Chief Dave
Rankin, is one of three paid
Seaside firefighters.
While the department is
operating with a contingent of
30 to 35 volunteers, calls have
increased dramatically. Seaside
Fire and Rescue jumped from an
average of 700 to 800 calls a year
to 1,300 calls a year within the
past decade. They run about three
to five calls a day, he said, but
sometimes they get 15 or 20.
Businesses used to release their
employees for fire calls, but today
that’s not always an option.
“We have only the three paid
staff during the week, so we rely
heavily on volunteers,” Daniels
said. “You could have 40 to 45
volunteers and still have only five
or 10 available at certain times.
You never really have enough.”
Despite mutual aid agreements,
a countywide shortage puts stress
on all agencies.
The addition of even one or
two new volunteers to the pool
would be “priceless,” Daniels
said. “It’s not just for Seaside. If
10 people go join Astoria, that’s
10 more people we can go to ask
for help. We all help each other.”
Daniels said he recognizes vol-
unteering with Seaside Fire and
Rescue is “a huge time commit-
ment,” but, he added, the rewards
are great. You don’t have to be a
“physical specimen,” and anyone
18 or older is eligible.
Training in the basics
All prospective volunteers
undergo a six-month training to
learn basic mandates. There is no
difference between requirements
for volunteer or career firefighters.
Submitted Photo
“Team 911” were victors in the Sunset Empire Park and Recreation
District’s summer softball league championship. The team is spon-
sored by Public Coast Brewing in Cannon Beach and several of the
players, including Chief Joey Daniels, are members of the Seaside
Fire Department as staff and volunteers.
R.J. Marx/The Daily Astorian
Chief Joey Daniels of Seaside
Fire and Rescue invites volun-
teers to join the department.
“Everybody here gets their
training in firefighting,” Daniels
said, though most of the depart-
ment’s calls — 75 to 80 percent
— are medical emergencies. “We
train everybody to fight fires.
When you call 911 you need us to
make sure we have firefighters.”
Seaside volunteers are often
first on the scene fighting wild-
land fires in wooded areas and
mountains to the east of the city.
Volunteers train for medical emer-
gencies, search and rescue oper-
ations, as lifeguards, drivers and
pump operators. “If a volunteer
doesn’t want to go into a burning
building, that doesn’t mean they
can’t join the fire department,”
Daniels said. “There are other
needs. People kind of find their
niche.”
Volunteers provide a “wealth
of knowledge,” with careers from
professional firefighters to public
works employees, law enforce-
ment and hospital personnel.
“Everybody provides their own
expertise,” Daniels said.
Medical calls take firefighters
to Saddle Mountain, Hamlet or
Tillamook Head for low-angle
rope rescues, and to the beaches
for water rescues.
Help in emergencies
The department prepares for
catastrophic events like earth-
quake and tsunami — “but those
aren’t our everyday,” Daniels
said.
Volunteers help out at emer-
gencies — Seaside volunteers
pitched in after the recent tornado
struck Manzanita — and provide
traffic and safety assistance at
parades, football games and spe-
cial events like Seaside’s beach
volleyball tournament and Hood
to Coast.
The service is not without a
time commitment.
“Our guys not only step up,
they’re training every Wednesday
night for three hours,” Daniels
said. “We train on weekends and
come in for civic events. Don’t
come thinking you can only give a
half hour a week to your commit-
ment. You have to be committed,
but there’s a lot of reward.”
That reward, Daniels
explained, is the strong sense
of camaraderie that comes from
working as one group. It’s not
only the commitment from vol-
unteers that make a difference,
Daniels said, “it’s the commitment
of their families.”
“Our families give up a lot,”
he said. “On the Fourth of July
volunteers are here 14 to 16 hours
a day. That’s a holiday for most
people. We’re always having our
volunteers, our spouses, better
halves brought in to make them a
part. If I don’t, we lose them.”
Roots in Seaside
Daniels and his wife Jaime
are parents of a 7-month old son,
Jacob. They live in Seaside.
“I grew up in this community,”
Daniels, 39, said. “That’s why
I enjoy working here. I went
through the school system. I was
a volunteer for Gearhart for 16
years. I’ve always worked with
Seaside.”
Daniels received an associate
of arts degree in fire science
and an associate of arts degree
in criminal justice, both from
Clatsop Community College.
“All of our people love their
community,” he said. “If you’re
community-oriented, we’re the
place to be. Our voters have
always been supportive. Now
we’re asking if there are people
who want to join us. They see us
out there, they might not know we
need help.”
R.J. Marx is The Daily Asto-
rian’s South County reporter and
editor of the Seaside Signal and
Cannon Beach Gazette.