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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 26, 2018)
CATS RULE WEEKEND BREAK • 1C PROPERTY LINES INSIDE WEEKEND EDITION // FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2018 146TH YEAR, NO. 85 ONE DOLLAR Clam digs off until March State concerned about small clams By KATIE FRANKOWICZ The Daily Astorian Photos by Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian Vacation rental properties are common near the waterfront in Cannon Beach. Vacation rental permits stagnate in Cannon Beach, defying perception Growth seen in Seaside and Arch Cape Anyone hoping to dig for razor clams on Clatsop County beaches will have to wait until March. The closure, announced by the state on Thursday, applies to an 18-mile stretch of beach between Tillamook Head in Seaside and the mouth of the Columbia River. Fishery managers had already delayed the reopening of the season after a stock assess- ment revealed large numbers of small clams. The Clatsop beaches are home to produc- tive clam beds and are a popular destination for diggers. Clams harvested account for 95 percent of the razor clams pulled in Oregon. Razor clamming typically reopens on Oct. 1 each year after an annual conservation clo- sure from July through September. After the stock assessment results were made public in September, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife hosted a public meeting in Seaside last week, ask- ing for feedback on potential management actions, including the closure of the season until spring. See CLAM DIGS, Page 7A By BRENNA VISSER The Daily Astorian Warrenton students shine in state report cards C ANNON BEACH — Vacation rent- als have surged in popularity on the North Coast, part of a pattern of tremendous growth in an industry expected to be worth $36.6 billion nation- ally by the end of the year. Seaside issued about 430 vacation rental permits last year, compared to 350 seven years ago, about a 23 percent increase. In rural Clatsop County, vacation rent- als went from 93 in 2010 to 161 last year, half of which were in Arch Cape. But in Cannon Beach, contrary to pub- lic perception, the number of permitted vacation rentals has actually plateaued, sit- ting at about 200 a year for the past five years. For people involved in the vacation rental industry, there isn’t a clear answer why permits in Cannon Beach remain flat. Unlike some communities, such as Gearhart and Manzanita, Cannon Beach does not cap the number of standard per- mits and the number of second homes remains largely unchanged. Somewhat complicated regulations could possibly be a deterrent for property owners, City Planner Mark Barnes said, but not a large one. “Whenever I talk to someone get- ting their first rental permit, I warn them, Cannon Beach remains a popular destination for tourism on the Oregon Coast. BY THE NUMBERS By EDWARD STRATTON The Daily Astorian $36.6B 430 200 the expected worth nationally of the vacation rental industry by the end of the year the number of vacation rent- al permits issued in Cannon Beach, which hasn’t gone up or down by much in the past five years the number of vacation rent- al permits issued in Seaside last year, compared to 350 seven years ago ‘This is really complicated,’” he said. “In my five years here I’ve never had anyone throw up their hands and say it’s not worth it … so my general feeling is our rules are not much of a disincentive.” Local property managers and real estate Competency measured in English and math agents echo this sentiment for the most part, arguing that in Cannon Beach the dif- ference lies in the type of customer and the types of homes available. Students in the Warrenton-Hammond School District once again rose to the top academically among Clatsop County schools in state report cards. The accountability reports measure com- petency in English language arts and math, along with progress on metrics such as atten- dance and graduation. The state Department of Education came under fire after The Oregonian revealed a plan by state schools chief Colt Gill not See PERMITS, Page 7A See STUDENTS, Page 6A A monument to Scandinavian immigrants starts to take shape at a downtown park Construction expected at $1 million By KATIE FRANKOWICZ The Daily Astorian Complete with birch trees, river views, steamer trunks and trolls, the design for a park to celebrate Astoria’s Scandi- navian roots is ready. The blueprint will be vetted by the Parks Advisory Board and the Historic Landmarks Commission and could reach the City Council by December. For the people involved, the downtown park has been a much-longed for recogni- tion of their ancestors’ his- tory, something they wanted to build “before it was too late” — before descendants, tradi- tions and stories disappear. “Astoria is changing so quickly,” Janet Bowler, vice chair of the Scandinavian Her- itage Park Committee, said. “I think that is what’s the real push here.” If all goes according to plan, the Astoria Scandinavian Her- itage Association, the group behind the park, hopes con- struction could go out for bid as early as March with ground- breaking in July, depending on funding. It would be developed in Peoples’ Park, a small, grassy, tree-filled wedge between Marine Drive and the Astoria Riverwalk near 16th Street. It is little used except by Filling Empty Bellies, a nonprofit that serves lunch to the homeless six days a week. In the same way the Garden of Surging Waves on Duane Street tells the stories of Chi- nese immigrants to Astoria, the The West Studio See MONUMENT, Page 7A A rendering of the Astoria Scandinavian Heritage Park.
