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DailyAstorian.com // THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2018
146TH YEAR, NO. 54
Waterfront development
major issue for City Council race
ONE DOLLAR
Three
bridges
to close
downtown
Vehicle traffic limited
on the waterfront
By KATIE FRANKOWICZ
The Daily Astorian
Photos by Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian
LEFT: David Drafall, a hairdresser and community volunteer, is running for the west side seat on the Astoria City Coun-
cil. RIGHT: Roger Rocka, a former director of the Astoria-Warrenton Area Chamber of Commerce, is campaigning for the
west side City Council seat.
Drafall
and Rocka
campaign
in Ward 1
By KATIE FRANKOWICZ
The Daily Astorian
he candidates for Astoria’s Ward 1
City Council seat have their eyes
on the water.
Recent proposals for large hotels
along the Columbia River and Youngs
Bay have added to the sense of urgency
for David Drafall and Roger Rocka, fuel-
ing their desire to run this year. They
worry that the waterfront, and other
aspects of the city’s growth, are slipping
out of locals’ control.
Whoever wins in the November elec-
tion will take over City Councilor Zetty
Nemlowill’s seat on the council and rep-
resent a portion of Astoria that includes
the western corner of downtown, Union-
town, some Port of Astoria property and
a portion of the South Slope neighbor-
hoods overlooking Youngs Bay.
It is a section of Astoria expected
to undergo much change in the com-
ing years as the city seeks to enhance
Uniontown’s businesses and neighbor-
hoods and reopen Bond Street to two-
way traffic. It is where at least one water-
front hotel proposal, part of the Marriott
chain, is inching forward.
Rocka, 78, and Drafall, 54, share sim-
T
ilar views on what the city needs and
what their role could be in shaping Asto-
ria’s future. Both men have worked in
jobs that built or have helped maintain
the city’s tourist economy, but say as a
city councilor their job would be to focus
on what locals need and want.
Rocka is a 24-year resident of Asto-
ria. He worked as executive director for
the Astoria-Warrenton Area Chamber of
Commerce during a critical decade, 1994
to 2002, when Astoria began to change
rapidly, morphing from a place where
timber and salmon were the chief indus-
tries to a city dominated by tourism.
Drafall has lived in Astoria for 31
years and has worked as a hairdresser
at One Six Five West Bond beauty
salon for 25 years. He also does work
catering and leading cruise ship visitors
on tours of the city. The years spent lis-
tening to people behind the chair at the
beauty salon have taught Drafall what
Astorians worry about and what they
desire for their city.
Though this will be Drafall’s first
time running for public office, he has
long been active in the community. He
has been a member of the Uniontown
Association for over a decade, is a mem-
ber of the Finnish Brotherhood, volun-
teers for the Astoria Armory, reads for
memorial services at Maritime Memo-
rial Park, serves on the Lower Columbia
Q Center board and participates in Asto-
ria Pride events.
The race is Rocka’s first bid for elec-
tion, as well. In addition to his time as
chamber director, Rocka owns a din-
ner theater business in Fresno, Califor-
nia, serves as a board member for Coast
Community Radio and was part of a
group that successfully battled efforts
to build a liquefied natural gas terminal
and pipeline in the region. He has also
served on the Oregon Travel Information
Council and the Clatsop County Budget
Committee.
If elected, Rocka says, because of
his age, he would serve only one four-
year term. Drafall, in turn, has noted that
because of his age he will be able to run
again and pursue long-term city goals
and projects.
Rocka points to his many years of
experience working in the city on com-
plex policy issues. And, he added,
“During those four years, I don’t need
to worry about not offending anybody
or walking on eggshells. I can just be
honest.”
‘Turning point’
Drafall has lived openly as a gay
man since he was honorably discharged
from the Army when the military found
out about his sexual orientation, he said.
But this identity is not a central issue
in his campaign. Representation of an
often-marginalized group is important to
him, but he says he is running to repre-
sent Astoria generally, and Uniontown in
particular.
See WARD 1, Page 7A
Three waterfront bridges in down-
town Astoria will close to vehicle traffic on
Friday.
City engineers, who have met with busi-
ness owners, announced the closures at the
bases of Sixth, Seventh and 11th streets at
a City Council work session on Wednesday
morning. People will still be allowed to walk
along the bridges and the Astoria Riverfront
Trolley will continue to run until work to
replace two of the bridges begins this fall.
The city had hoped to hold off on any
closures until it was time to fully replace
the structures. Replacement of the water-
front bridges at the bases of the Seventh,
Ninth and 11th streets is set to begin on Oct.
1, followed by the next set of bridges — at
the bases of Sixth, Eighth and 10th streets —
next fall. The six bridges provide access to
downtown piers.
But inspectors for the Oregon Depart-
ment of Transportation witnessed load-limit
violations and noted structural issues with
several of the bridges in July. They told city
staff the bridges would need to be repaired
or else closed to everything but pedestrian
traffic.
See BRIDGES, Page 7A
Astoria
considers
ban on
plastic bags
City debates whether
to take policy lead
By KATIE FRANKOWICZ
The Daily Astorian
Astoria city councilors are contemplating
a citywide ban on plastic grocery bags, but
have asked business associations and advo-
cates to talk to merchants about what the pol-
icy might mean for them.
More than a dozen cities in Oregon have
adopted bans, including Manzanita last year,
but efforts to push forward a statewide ban
have stalled.
City and county leaders have talked about
the possibility of bans, but at this time only
Astoria and Gearhart are pushing forward.
Warrenton Mayor Henry Balensifer has said
he is not necessarily in favor of a ban, though
he is interested in discussing the issue of
plastic in the environment.
See BAN, Page 5A
County moves to take over foreclosed property
Decision made
in unique hearing
By JACK HEFFERNAN
The Daily Astorian
Clatsop County commis-
sioners directed staff Wednes-
day to work on taking posses-
sion of a foreclosed property
in Jeffers Garden about a year
ahead of schedule. The deci-
sion came during a first-of-its-
kind hearing for the county.
Under state law, the own-
ers were allowed to keep the
property for two years after it
was foreclosed in October. But
county officials say the tenants
have decreased the proper-
ty’s value, prompting Wednes-
day’s decision. The county has
never conducted such a hear-
ing, which was allowed under
a 2003 ordinance, according
to County Counsel Heather
Reynolds. Witnesses testi-
fied after being sworn in and
were subject to questioning
from commissioners as well as
cross-examination.
“The county has not had
a property in foreclosure that
presented both the serious con-
dition and the health dangers
that this property presents,”
Reynolds said.
The commissioners’ unan-
imous decision was based on
their finding that the property
was “wasted,” meaning those
who own or are allowed to use
the property have diminished
its value through deteriora-
tion of the land or creation of
a nuisance.
The value of the property
has dropped $8,000 since Octo-
ber, and refurbishing the prop-
erty will cost $80,000, accord-
ing to Johnson’s estimates. In
addition to other fees, owners
could be subject to a fine of at
least $16,000 for the waste.
The property foreclosed
after its owners — Steven and
Scott Wood — hadn’t paid
property taxes for five years.
Steven Wood died in 2007, but
his name remains on the title.
Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian
See COUNTY, Page 7A
Clatsop County will take possession of a foreclosed prop-
erty in Jeffers Garden.