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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 25, 2018)
DREDGING BLACK LAKE: A COLUMBIA-PACIFIC HORROR STORY COAST WEEKEND DailyAstorian.com // THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2018 146TH YEAR, NO. 84 ONE DOLLAR County sells more land to lure tech Sixty-two acres in Warrenton By JACK HEFFERNAN The Daily Astorian Clatsop County has doubled down on efforts to bring technology companies to the region. County commissioners on Wednesday approved a $1.2 million sale of 62 acres in the North Coast Business Park in Warrenton to a company that plans to develop technol- ogy-related office space, as well as incuba- tor and research facilities. The parcel is located at the corner of 19th Street and U.S. Highway 101 Busi- ness, across the street from the site of a planned 67-acre data and technology center. Following a due diligence period, Zion Funding Inc. will purchase the land on behalf of Mavrik Management, based in San Francisco. The company intends to use the land to complement the data cen- ter. It has several Silicon Valley companies already interested in moving in, according to a presentation handed to commissioners by Nik Sernande, the company’s CEO. “Our goal is to partner with well-known telecom corporations, reputable hoteliers and partner with new and local retail busi- nesses in the surrounding area,” the presen- tation stated. “Mavrik Management will complement the technological evolution of Clatsop County by bringing in capable part- ners to fund and execute future projects.” Mavrik is the fourth organization to show interest in the 162-acre business park across from Costco. Agile Design, which hopes to build the data center, and Colum- bia Memorial Hospital emerged with proj- ects in the past three months. Fort George Brewery was the first to stake its claim in 2016. The park became more attractive to busi- nesses in 2015 after it was declared by the state as a Regionally Significant Industrial Area and included in the Clatsop Enterprise Zone, which offers temporary tax breaks. Minutes before agreeing to the sale, commissioners discussed the transaction in an executive session, which is closed to the public. “We want to get these properties on the tax rolls,” Commissioner Scott Lee, the board’s chairman, said after Wednesday’s meeting. “There’s always going to be peo- ple against development, but I think this is really going to diversify our economy.” The data center could create 76 jobs with an average wage of $75,000, according to Agile Design. The company hopes to break ground by 2019, but some officials have expressed doubts about the timeline. Photos by Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian A new operator is expected to take control of the Astoria Riverwalk Inn in November. Port still untangling Riverwalk Inn transfer New operator expected to step in By EDWARD STRATTON The Daily Astorian L ess than a week away from a court-ordered transfer of the Asto- ria Riverwalk Inn to a new opera- tor, the Port of Astoria is still untangling a knot of competing interests around the West Mooring Basin hotel. A Circuit Court judge ordered the agency to follow through with a previ- ous Port Commission vote to grant Port- land-based Param Hotel Corp. a sev- en-year lease. Param is scheduled to take over operation of the hotel at midnight on Halloween from Astoria Hospitality Ventures. Param had tried since 2014 to take over the operation from Brad Smithart in exchange for paying off his debts. The Port Commission voted in 2015 to trans- fer Smithart’s lease to Param, but negoti- ations fell apart. Param sued the Port for breach of con- tract after the agency terminated Smi- thart’s lease, opened the hotel operation up for proposals and eventually chose Astoria Riverwalk Inn operators William Orr and Chester Trabucco had hoped to make the adjacent Chinook Building a conference center to lure guests in the slow seasons. Hospitality Ventures. William Orr and partner Chester Trabucco, the locally connected Astoria natives behind the firm, were named co-defendants in the lawsuit for their lobbying of the Port but cleared of any wrongdoing. After appealing the judge’s ruling, the Port began settlement negotiations with Param. The appeal was dismissed earlier this month after the Port did not submit a transcript of settlement negotiations on time. See PORT, Page 7A See LAND, Page 7A Steele appointed interim county manager Role starts in January By JACK HEFFERNAN The Daily Astorian Monica Steele, Clatsop County’s budget and finance director, will fill in for retiring County Manager Cameron Moore in January. County commissioners on Wednesday unan- imously approved Steele’s interim appointment. She will begin Jan. 5, one day after Moore’s scheduled retirement. The appointment comes with a 5 percent pay raise for Steele during the interim period. Moore, following repeated clashes with two commissioners, announced his retire- ment in September. Commissioner Scott Lee, the board’s chairman, said on the day of the announcement that Steele, who has also served as the assistant county manager for over a year, would be the most logical choice as the interim replacement. Steele will take over as two new commis- sioners — former Warrenton Mayor Mark Kujala and the winner of the November elec- tion between Pamela Wev and Peter Roscoe — begin their terms. “I think this is a good opportunity for the board to set up a smooth transition,” Lee said Wednesday. “And I think this is a good oppor- tunity to set the stage for the new board to have some continuity with staff. Most folks support this.” When Moore asked her over two years ago about the top job, Steele expressed interest. Moore was hired months before that to bring stability to a county that has seen nine different managers in 16 years. Moore said last year he See STEELE, Page 7A Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian Monica Steele, shown here at a meeting last year, was ap- pointed Wednesday as interim county manager and will start the job in January. Are you a member of Coast Community Radio? If so, Thank You! We hope to see you SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 3 RD ! If not, please join us and become a member! Join today! Coast Community Radio Annual Complimentary Breakfast and Board Member Election A chance to nosh, mingle and vote with other members! Join Saturda y! SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 3 RD , 9 AM Coast Community Radio: FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH FELLOWSHIP HALL P.O. Box 269 · Astoria, OR 97103 KMUN /KTCB /KCPB 503.325.0010 · CoastRadio.org 1103 HARRISON STREET, ASTORIA OR
