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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (May 17, 2017)
ELECTION 4A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • WEDNESDAY, MAY 17, 2017 Port: Rohne, Spence to join commission in July Continued from Page 1A formed an alliance critical of Port management and Exec- utive Director Jim Knight, and opposed to the agency’s $1.96 million bond measure to develop infrastructure at the Astoria Regional Airport. Campbell, Rohne and Spence lauded staff’s per- formance and supported the bond measure, which narrowly failed Tuesday. Rohne, a former Clat- sop County commissioner and Clatsop Community Col- lege Board member, said that although he is generally opposed to running on slates, one formed organically in response to their opponents’ critique of Port staff. “It basi- cally became people who want to see the current administra- tion succeed, and those who want to replace the current administration,” Rohne said. “I think it definitely is a repudiation of our opponents’ position and what they’ve been a part of in not moving the Port forward,” Spence, a former city administrator and member of the Port’s budget committee, said of the results. Rohne and Spence will join the commission in July. The Daily Astorian/File Photo Life Flight Pilot and Customer Service Manager Dan Travers points to one of the proposed locations for the Life Flight base and hangar in the southeastern airport property in Warrenton. Currently, Life Flight’s base and hangar are separated by about a quarter mile. Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian James Campbell, left in red jacket, and Frank Spence, right, won their spots in the Port Commission races Tuesday night. They celebrated at Fort George Brewery. MORE ONLINE View the vote count: https://tinyurl.com/mtk65pk Campbell and Fulton Most heated was the cam- paign between Fulton, a wet- lands specialist for Warren- ton Fiber, and Campbell, a marine contractor. Both were elected to the Port Commis- sion in 2013. Campbell had also served on the Port Com- mission from 1965 to 1977. Campbell, who captured more than 70 percent of the vote, said the message had gotten out about how disrup- tive Fulton and Hunsinger have been. “I’m glad I won,” he said. “Maybe we’re getting one step closer to getting something done.” Facing a challenge by Rohne, Fulton changed seats at the filing deadline and ran against Campbell, with whom he has clashed repeatedly over differences of opinion regard- ing staff. The two have been on opposite ends of many 3-2 votes won by Campbell and Commissioners Mushen and John Raichl and lost by Fulton and Hunsinger. Fulton dominated head- lines with several allegations against Campbell throughout the campaign, from condon- ing a private clubhouse at the airport and conflicts of inter- est because he hangars an air- plane at the airport to helping staff hide cost overruns on the Port’s Pier 3 stormwater sys- tem, which has gone over bud- get and fallen several months behind schedule. Campbell dismissed Ful- ton’s allegations as political maneuvering. He intimated that Fulton’s employer, War- renton’s Nygaard family, has Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian A voter drops their ballot in the box outside county offices at 820 Exchange St. in Astoria on Tuesday. Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian Ballots are counted by volunteers during the special dis- trict election in Clatsop County on Tuesday. been behind much of his cam- paign material, and that his campaign is part of a plot to get rid of Knight. Fulton gathered no new political contributions to his campaign committee since the 2013 election, accord- ing to state campaign-finance records. Campbell received contributions from state Sen. Betsy Johnson, D-Scappoose, marine contractor John E. McAmis, Bornstein Seafoods, Bergerson Construction and Ann Bales, the wife of Philip Bales. Fulton had alleged that Philip Bales’ “Man Cave” at the airport was an “unlicensed speakeasy,” but the retired dentist and pilot was exoner- ated by a Clatsop County Sher- iff’s Office investigation. Rohne and Hellberg Rohne, a Brownsmead dairy farmer, had more than 69 percent of the vote in his race against Hellberg, a former Warrenton city commissioner, commercial fisherman, marine surveyor and longshoreman, for Fulton’s seat on the Port Commission. Rohne filed for the Port Commission in February on a campaign to bring stability, public trust and positive work- ing relationships with local, state and national partners. “I’m grateful that the results are what they are,” Rohne said. “It seems like there’s a man- date for supporting the man- agement and trying to move the Port forward in a positive direction.” Hellberg said he hopes the Port still prioritizes their money and focuses on main- taining revenue-generating properties on the central water- front. He pointed to a demo- graphic shift driven by more liberal retirees as contribut- ing to his loss in the election. Port races are nonpartisan, but Rohne is a Democrat. “The Democratic block in Astoria, they are what they are,” he said. “They aren’t going to vote for anything that upsets the peace in Astoria.” Hellberg, a former long- shoreman, gathered contribu- tions from other current and former longshoremen, includ- ing Hunsinger and local long- shore union chapter Presi- dent Chris Connaway. Rohne received contributions from state Sen. Johnson, Born- stein Seafoods and Bergerson Construction. O’Grady and Spence In the Port’s quietest campaign, Spence had more than 60 percent of the vote against O’Grady, a local auto shop owner, farmer and longshoreman. Spence will replace Raichl, who was appointed in 2014 to fill out the term of Ric Gerttula after he resigned. O’Grady largely echoed Fulton’s positions on many issues, calling for more disclo- sure by staff to the Port Com- mission. Spence campaigned on bringing his expertise in government and budgeting to the Port. Like Hellberg, O’Grady gathered contributions from other current and former long- shoremen. Spence received contributions from Bridgewa- ter Bistro owner Tony Kischner and Bornstein Seafoods. Bond: ‘Nobody wants to pay more taxes’ Continued from Page 1A MORE ONLINE among Clatsop County’s political leadership, failed 51 percent to 49 percent, or by 145 votes. The Port wanted $1.96 million in bonds over three years to develop about 10 acres of land at the southern end of the airport. “I think it was as much a voice of the people who are tired of being taxed,” Jim Knight, the Port’s executive director, said of the results. Part of the project would have provided a pad for Life Flight Network, which has received a state grant to help finance a new permanent han- gar and crew quarters. The medevac service has been operating out of a trailer near the 12th Place entrance to the airport, while storing its heli- copter in a rented hangar a quarter mile away during bad weather. The current location has been deemed unsuitable in the long term because of issues with noise and nearby U.S. Coast Guard, taxiway and refueling traffic. Knight said Life Flight had been clear that it did not want to pay for the infrastruc- ture involved in its new han- gar, while the Port was clear it could not afford the devel- opment to move Life Flight. The bond would have paid to extend Flightline Drive to a new southern entrance at Airport Lane, created an access driveway for Life Flight’s hangar, extended utilities to the area and made shovel-ready several acres of adjacent land. After researching five locations around the air- port’s tarmac, Port staff rec- ommended the southern site as the best location for Life Flight. The site also received backing by the Airport Advi- sory Committee, a subgroup of the Port Commission made up of tenants including the U.S. Coast Guard and air- plane tug manufacturer Lek- tro, and signoff from the Fed- eral Aviation Administration. View the vote count: https://tinyurl.com/mtk65pk A political action com- mittee, the Coastal Air Med- ical Protection PAC, formed to stump for the bond mea- sure and was led by former Astoria Mayor Willis Van Dusen. The committee has been financed by contribu- tions from Van Dusen and state Sen. Betsy Johnson, D-Scappoose. Knight said he’s not cer- tain what the next move is. “It’s going to be up to Life Flight what they want to do next.” Port Commission candi- dates James Campbell, Dirk Rohne and Frank Spence, who all won handily Tues- day, came out in favor of the bond measure. Their opponents — Ste- phen Fulton, Dick Hellberg and Pat O’Grady — were supportive of helping relo- cate Life Flight but opposed the bond. They argued the bond is speculative devel- opment, and that the Port should find a cheaper alter- native for Life Flight and focus on fixing existing reve- nue-producing infrastructure on the central waterfront. Fulton, in particular, tried to create several alternatives to the bond, from creating a backup fund to build a pad for Life Flight to evicting an existing tenant from his pri- vate hangar to make way. Rohne said that opposi- tion by Fulton might have tipped the scales against the measure. “Nobody wants to pay more taxes,” he said. “It’s difficult to pass a tax levy when there is no opposition.” He and Spence said the measure was also harmed by the county having no vot- er’s pamphlet to explain the issue. “The general public didn’t know enough about the bond measure and what it was for,” Spence said. Waldorf: Estimated refurbish could cost up to $6 million Continued from Page 1A “You guys do win the prize for the most pigeons ever,” Garver said. The building, she said lightly, has its “rough spots.” But it also carries a lot of promise and there are fas- cinating historical features, Garver added. She fell in love with the ground-floor lobby, she told the com- mission. Studio units and planned retail space located on this floor are going to have soaring, 15 1/2-foot high ceilings. Innovative Housing is still in the midst of a due dil- igence period, “deciding on if the risk is worth us doing the project,” Garver said. It could be at least a year before they even begin to break ground, assuming all the necessary funding comes in. On that timeline, apart- ments wouldn’t be ready for tenants until summer 2019. “That’s longer than any- one wants,” Garver said. But, she told the commission, it could cost up to $6 million to refurbish the Waldorf — the bulk of which will come in the form of grants and tax credits. The group landed a Jeff Daly/For The Daily Astorian Innovative Housing of Portland hopes to convert the historic Waldorf Hotel into affordable housing while keeping many of its unique features. More photos of the historic Waldorf Hotel can be found online at DailyAstorian.com $100,000 state grant for the project earlier this month and one reason for the presenta- tion Tuesday was to begin brainstorming with the com- munity about other ways to fund the project. Garver pointed out a pic- ture of the building’s facade, the words “Save the Mer- wyn!” pasted on the window. “That’s Astoria,” she said. “That’s what the community wants.” Remained the same What some people wanted at one point, how- ever, was a demolition. In 2012, Groat Brothers pur- chased the building intend- ing to tear it down to make room for an expansion of the library. But preservation- ists and others in the com- munity pushed back against these plans and the Historic Landmarks Commission ulti- mately voted against demol- ishing the building. The library remained the same, and so has the Waldorf. Innovative Housing is on the preservationists’ side in many ways. After coming on the scene earlier this year, they hope to keep some of the former hotel’s character and many of its historic fea- tures intact. Things like the tall ceilings, or high-qual- ity marble hidden under paint, Garver said. They plan to keep as many of the his- toric walls and original lay- out in place as possible, too, creating each apartment unit by simply combining two hotel rooms and opening up a doorway between them. “It’s exciting to see this go forward,” said act- ing commission President Michelle Dieffenbach after Garver wrapped up her pre- sentation. Garver showed the commission work Innovative Housing has accomplished at other historic buildings and talked about how the group involved the communities to achieve the end results. Garver said she is look- ing to the Astoria community now. She wants to know how people want to participate in this project, what they want to see and how they want to make it work. For Innovative Housing to just come in and say, “Here it is” and “This is how we’ll do it,” Garver said, “There’s not serendip- ity in that.”
