Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 25, 2018)
7A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2018 Co-op: New store could be completed within the next year Continued from Page 1A The Daily Astorian The Port of Astoria faces more than $158,000 in legal fees related to a lawsuit over operation of the Astoria Riverwalk Inn. Port: Final agreement could be reached within the week Continued from Page 1A Param, a Portland-based hotelier, had been trying to take over operation of the Riv- erwalk Inn since 2014 from former operator Brad Smithart, who eventually racked up more than $300,000 in unpaid bills with the Port, Astoria and Clatsop County. The Port Commission voted in 2015 to approve the transfer of Smi- thart’s remaining seven-year lease to Param in exchange for the company paying off his debts. But the Port eventually ter- minated Smithart’s lease and opened up bids on the oper- ation of the hotel to several suitors, including Param. The Port Commission eventually installed Astoria Hospital- ity Ventures, a company run by locally connected develop- ers Chester Trabucco and Wil- liam Orr, whose brother-in-law was a Port commissioner at the time. Param sued, claiming the Port violated an agreement and favored a locally connected competitor. The Port argued that negotiations between Param and the agency fell apart, in part because of Smi- thart seeking other offers for his lease. Judge McIntosh sided with Param and gave the com- pany a choice between taking the lease the Port promised or nearly $900,000 in damages. Param chose the lease and is scheduled to take over oper- ation of the hotel from Asto- ria Hospitality Ventures by November. When Param takes over the hotel, the company would pay $580,000 into an escrow account to pay off Smithart’s debts. The Port would receive $273,180 for back-due rent and revenue sharing, the city $115,858 for lodging taxes and the county $4,633 for property taxes. The remainder — $186,327 — would go to Smithart, who also owes sig- nificant amounts in taxes and has relocated to New York. A separate case brought by the Port against Smithart over his unpaid rent and rev- enue-sharing has been paused until the resolution of Param’s lawsuit. The Port appealed McIn- tosh’s verdict and is in settle- ment negotiations with Param. Jim Knight, the Port’s execu- tive director, said the agency and Param could reach a final agreement within the week. Lawsuit: No decision has been made yet on whether to appeal Continued from Page 1A No decision has been made yet on whether the coalition will appeal the judge’s ruling, she said. The coalition’s lawsuit arose from another filed against FEMA by environmental groups in 2009 over the National Flood Insurance Program, which pro- vides coverage to more than 250 cities and counties in exchange for their adopting flood plain regulations. The groups claimed the flood insurance program damaged the habitat of feder- ally endangered salmon, steel- head and southern resident killer whales. A settlement required FEMA to consult with the fisheries service and create alternative practices for the flood insur- ance program to better protect endangered species. In a 2016 biological opinion, the fisher- ies service proposed alterna- tives to limit development in flood- and erosion-prone areas, further protect salmon-bear- ing surface waters from devel- opment, enhance mapping and identification of flood- and ero- sion-prone areas, use local gov- ernmental help to track flood plain development and enhance enforcement. to the store will be from 23rd Street, on the west side of the property directly off Marine Drive. Steam Whis- tle Way will remain a neigh- borhood road. The redesign means the store will have a slightly smaller loading bay. On Monday, the City Council accepted the com- promise and voted unan- imously to reject the neighbors’ appeal. City Councilor Zetty Nemlow- ill, the marketing direc- tor for the co-op, did not attend the meeting and has recused herself from coun- cil decisions and discus- sions about the project. City Manager Brett Estes said it is the first time in his career he has witnessed this kind of peaceful compromise after an issue has reached the battleground of the appeals process. The mat- ter had the potential to go beyond the city to the state Land Use Board of Appeals, draining resources on both sides and further delaying or even halting the co-op’s plans to build a new store. “I would like to person- ally thank all of you for being involved with this,” Mayor Arline LaMear told the two groups. “It’s a wonderful example of how democracy should work.” “Now we get to do our work, which is put the plans together and get them in for permits and Body: ‘When you’re in the water that long, you know, everything goes’ Continued from Page 1A Edward Stratton/The Daily Astorian A coalition that fought new flood plain rules suffered a setback in federal court. build this,” Vallaster said afterwards. He anticipates the new store could be completed within the next year and perhaps open by early 2020. The co-op still must obtain necessary building permits from the city, but Vallaster doesn’t expect to encounter any issues and hopes to have the per- mits in hand by the end of November. The Mill Pond Village Owners Associa- tion will also need to sign off on landscaping plans for the new store. Vallaster anticipates he might need to make a few changes based on the association’s recommendations. In their appeal, the three Mill Pond property owners emphasized that they were not against the co-op, but merely objected to the use of Steam Whistle Way. On Monday, John Ryan, one of the neighbors, urged the City Council to accept the new plans, saying they represented a “conclusion that we could all agree on.” “I think the Mill Pond residents in total are going to come together and all support the co-op,” he said afterwards. “We’re looking forward to having a restau- rant and a grocery store as neighbors.” In Ryan’s opinion, the co-op’s willingness to change the access road solidified the store’s place in Mill Pond. “It was a neighborly act,” he said. He appears to be in his 60s. The condition of the man’s clothing was good, and his shirt was tucked into his pants. Due to body decomposition, his race is unidentifiable. “He is unidentifiable, which is probably implied when you’re in the water that long, you know, everything goes,” Giuliani said. Results of a finger- print exam are pending, but Giuliani is unsure if it will provide much clarity due to the body’s condition. The body will likely be sent to the state medical examiner’s office for DNA and dental exams. “We think he’s some- body that somebody’s going to miss,” Giuliani said. “It’s very sad.” Anyone with informa- tion about the man can call the sheriff’s office at 503-325-8635. CL ASSIF IE D M ARK ETPL A CE P lace classified ad s o n lin e at w w w .d ailyasto rian .co m o r call 503-325-3211 107 Public Notices Occasionally other companies make telemarketing calls off classified ads. These companies are not affiliated with The Daily Astorian and customers are under no obligation to participate. If you would like to contact the attorney general or be put on the do not call list, here are the links to both of them Complaint form link: http://www.doj.state.or.us/ finfraud/ Traveling Notary Services Need a notarization of doc- uments to complete a loan, finalize estate planning docu- ments, and more? Need certified copies? Contact Brenda J. Edwards, traveling notary on the Ore- gon Coast, to schedule your appointment. 888-859-9483 SPECIALTY SERVICES W E URGE YOU TO PATRONIZE THE LOCAL PROFESSIONALS ADVERTISING IN T HE D AILY A STORIAN S PECIALTY S ERVICES . T O PLACE YOUR S PECIALTY S ERVICES AD , CALL 325-3211. WE DELIVER! Please leave a light on or install motion detector lights to make your carrier’s job easier. Thanks! THE DAILY ASTORIAN Need help placing a classified ad? Call 503-325-3211 and we will be happy to assist you! 504 Homes for Sale PUBLISHER’S NOTICE All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act which makes it illegal to advertise “Any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination.” Familial status includes children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians; pregnant women and people securing custody of children under 18. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. To complain of discrimination call HUD at 1(800)669-9777. The toll free telephone number for the hearing impaired is 1(800)927-9275. 504 Homes for Sale House For Sale By Owner Beautiful house with a million dollar view. Equipped with solar panels. Price Reduced: $475,000 Call (503)440-8918 525 Commercial Property FOOD/COFFEE CART FOR SALE! $10,000 OBO 8x16ft with trailer About 3 years old and only used for a few days For more info, please call 503-440-9040 Serious inquires only! 651 Help Wanted Now hiring at Fultano’s Pizza in Astoria for night positions Please apply in person or online at fultanos.com TerHar’s Clothing Store’s in Seaside and Cannon Beach is looking for hard working, energetic, fashion forward full or part-time Sales Associates. Please apply in person at 27 Broadway Seaside Go. Do. coastweekend.com ERROR AND CANCELLATIONS Please read your ad on the first day. 503-325-3211 If you see an error, The Daily Astorian will gladly re-run your ad correctly. We accept responsibility for the first incorrect insertion, and then only to the extent of a corrected insertion or refund of the price paid. F OR A Daily Astorian Classified Ad Warrenton-Hammond School District WHSD is seeking an Educational Assistant for a Behavior Support Classroom and an Educational Assistant to ride an a.m. and p.m. bus route. Basketball coaching opportunities also available. Job information and application are available online at www.warrentonschools.com or contact (503) 861-2281. Have you seen our FEATURED ADS? Only viewable on our website, www.dailyastorian.com. Call 503-325-3211 for more information! Sell your children’s outgrown clothes and toys with a classified ad in the Daily Astorian. Call 503-325-3211 to place your ad today! To cancel or correct an ad, call 503-325-3211 or 1-800-781-3211 www.DailyAstorian.com If You Live In Seaside or Cannon Beach DIAL 651 Help Wanted Royal Cab-looking for Astoria drivers Days/Nights 3 year clean driving record, no felonies. Call 503-440-5590 651 Help Wanted Dental Hygienist needed at growing, patient centered office In Seaside. FT / PT positions available to fill 4 days a week. New office, high tech, fun people. Housekeepers Flexible schedule, knowledge of hotel housekeeping preferred but not required. EOE. Apply in person at the Cannery Pier Hotel & Spa to schedule an interview. Tyack Dental Group Astoria office is seeking experienced, full time dental assistant to be a key part of our team. Highly competitive wages, vacation, holidays, retirement plan, medical, and dental. Radiology certification required. Will train exceptional applicant. Tyack Dental Group 433 30th St. Astoria, Or 97103 (503)338-6000 jtyack@clatskanie.com Send resume to santos@seasidefamilydentistry.com or drop off at 2283 N Roosevelt Dr. Bill’s Tavern & Brewhouse in Cannon Beach is now hiring kitchen staff. FT/PT and year round positions available! Competitive wages and benefits. Please apply at 188 N. Hemlock St. or call (503)436-2202 and ask for Steve. BUSY ASTORIA HOTEL NOW HIRING FOR HOUSEKEEPING FRONT DESK CLERK YEAR-ROUND POSITIONS Full-Time Employment Dishwasher @ Salmonberry Saloon Afternoon-Evening Shift. Compensation D.O.E. www.salmonberrysaloon.com Wheeler, OR. 503-516-4777 salmonberrysaloonwheeler@ gmail.com Competitive Wage Bonus Program No Phone Calls Please Apply in Person 204 West Marine Drive Astoria or email to sales@astoriahie.com