The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current, April 04, 2017, Image 1

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    WARRENTON HIGH SCHOOL SPRING SPORTS PREVIEW PAGE 11A
Senior
Taylor
Owens
Senior Ray
Alcobendas
144TH YEAR, NO. 198
Senior
Landree
Miethe
DailyAstorian.com // TUESDAY, APRIL 4, 2017
OSAA UPDATE
Bob Wick/Bureau of Land Management
Smaller
schools
wary of
changes
Warriors would
play Fishermen
By JERRY ULMER
The Oregonian
PORTLAND — The pros-
pect of the OSAA implementing
a fi ve-classifi cation system has
sounded an alarm for many of the
state’s smaller schools.
In a move backed by 94 percent
of Class 6A athletic directors, the
OSAA classifi cation and districting
committee said in its latest update
that it is supporting a fi ve-classifi -
cation model for the next four-year
time block that begins in 2018-19.
The pendulum appears to be
swinging back from 2006, when
input from smaller schools was the
impetus for the OSAA expanding
from four classifi cations to six.
“I would hope that, similar to
the process 11 or 12 years ago,
that there will be another push to
make a six-class system that will
fulfi ll the needs of the majority of
schools,” said Howard Rub, ath-
letic director at Class 4A Astoria. “I
really would hate to see us get away
from something that has been good
for a majority of the schools.”
The committee said in a release
that it supports fi ve classifi cations
because it would reduce travel, pro-
vide greater depth and balance for
the number of schools in each clas-
sifi cation, and make classifi cations
more stable within a four-year time
block.
“I think in some instances that
will be the case,” Rub said. “But I
really think there are some things
we can do within the six-class
model that can help that, as well.”
Roughly three-quarters of the
schools from Class 1A to Class 4A
support a six-classifi cation system,
as revealed by a vote at last year’s
state athletic director conference.
See OSAA, Page 7A
A view of Mount Shasta from the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument near Ashland.
MONUMENTAL
BATTLE
EXPANSION
THREATENS
RANCHERS,
TIMBER
OPERATIONS,
COUNTIES
By MATEUSZ PERKOWSKI
Capital Press
E
AGLE POINT — To rancher Lee Brad-
shaw, the presidential order nearly dou-
bling the size of the Cascade-Siskiyou
National Monument was both shocking and
predictable.
Ever since the original 53,000 acres of pub-
lic land were designated as a monument in
2000, there had been whispers about enlarg-
ing it.
Even so, the announcement during the fi nal
days of President Barack Obama’s adminis-
tration in early 2017 appeared rushed to Brad-
shaw, particularly since a handful of meetings
held about the expansion were more about cre-
ating hype than seeking public input, he said.
“I knew it was coming our way, but it was
unexpected about the way they did it,” Brad-
shaw said.
With the federal government adding 47,000
acres to the monument, the ranching and tim-
ber industries in Southern Oregon are bracing
for the worst.
Critics of the monument say they’ve seen
the economic damage caused by the original
designation, leading them to expect similar
restrictions on grazing and logging within the
expanded boundary.
“Through no fault of their own, their opera-
tions are in jeopardy,” said John O’Keeffe, pres-
ident of the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association.
Meanwhile, supporters have cheered the
expansion of the monument, which they believe
was shortchanged in the initial designation.
See BATTLE, Page 3A
Mateusz Perkowski/Capital Press
Danny Miller/The Daily Astorian
Astoria Athletic Director How-
ard Rub talks to his team as the
Astoria football team practices
in August at CMH Field.
Rancher Lee Bradshaw visits with a horse at his property near Eagle Point. A cattle
grazing allotment that Bradshaw relies upon was included in the recent expansion of
the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument.
ONE DOLLAR
Astoria
OKs extra
dwelling
options
Councilor Price voted
against code change
By ERICK BENGEL
The Daily Astorian
The Astoria City Council backed an ordi-
nance Monday night allowing property own-
ers to create and rent out accessory dwell-
ing units, a move meant to ease the housing
crunch.
Under the development code change,
owners of single-fam-
ily homes can remodel
interior spaces, such as
basements and attics,
or build detached struc-
tures, to set up extra liv-
ing quarters for long-
term renters. Tiny homes, though mentioned
in an early draft, were removed from the
ordinance.
Based on input from the public, the Plan-
ning Commission and the Lower Columbia
Preservation Society, the council and city
staff crafted strict provisions, including:
Property owners must live on the prem-
ises. Only one ADU is permitted per lot and
per main dwelling. On corner lots, ADUs
must be situated in a side yard or rear of the
lot. In addition to two parking spaces required
for the main residence, the ADU requires one
additional off-street parking space.
‘We need to stop
being bogged
down in the
minutia and create
some housing for
Astorians.’
Zetty Nemlowill
Astoria city councilor
And, one month after the ordinance’s
adoption, new units may not be used for short-
term lodging, such as Airbnb operations.
Though the code currently permits these
units under certain conditions, the council
hopes that, by encouraging more effi cient
use of residential land, it can start address-
ing the city’s goal of creating housing Asto-
rians can afford.
Community Development Director Kevin
Cronin said the ordinance could make a mod-
est dent in Astoria’s housing shortage.
Cronin said it is diffi cult to know how
many ADUs the ordinance will generate;
three applications have been submitted in the
last decade.
Councilor Cindy Price voted against the
ordinance, insisting on the need for both
administrative review and public notice of
ADU applications in medium- and high-den-
sity residential zones.
The public hearing opened in March and
continued Monday night. For the fi nal read-
ing, scheduled for later this month, Cronin
will add an amendment that requires the ordi-
nance and its effects to be reviewed in a year.
See HOUSING, Page 7A
ODOT needs a strategic vision, report states
State releases
improvement
blueprint
By PARIS ACHEN
Capital Bureau
SALEM — The state’s
executive department released
fi nal recommendations for
reforming weaknesses at the
Oregon Department of Trans-
portation Monday.
The
recommendations
resemble a draft released March
24 and fi rst reported by the EO
Media Group/Pamplin Media
Group Capital Bureau.
The improvement plan by
the Department of Adminis-
trative Services is based on
the fi ndings of an indepen-
dent consultant’s management
review of the agency, fi nalized
in February .
New York-based McK-
insey & Co. concluded there
is an unclear governance struc-
ture for ODOT and the Ore-
gon Transportation Commis-
sion, which sets policy for the
agency. The agency also lacks
a strategic vision for the future
and accountability measures,
the consultants found.
The Department of Admin-
istrative Services recom-
mended that the governor and
Legislature convene a work
group to clarify the governance
structure and report back in
November .
ODOT should seek the
expertise of a management
consulting company to develop
a management plan for the
agency that would defi ne struc-
ture, roles and measurements
for success. The agency also
should seek out a consulting
company to address waste in its
fl eet and facilities programs and
convene procurement experts
from other state agencies to
review potential improvements
for contracting.
Other
recommendations
call for an agency commu-
nications plan, alignment of
See ODOT, Page 7A
Danny Miller/The Daily Astorian
Oregon Department of Transportation Director Matt Gar-
rett speaks during a rededication ceremony for the As-
toria Bridge celebrating the bridge’s 50th anniversary in
August at Maritime Memorial Park in Astoria.