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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 15, 2018)
7A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2018 Study: Better signs and infrastructure Hotel: Company also could improve the visitor experience debates the idea that Continued from Page 1A the hotel is too large The ocean and general natu- ral beauty was predictably the big- gest visitor draw. One of the region’s greatest assets is its “vibe”, as many commented on the area’s ability to “offer them a calm, quiet, and relax- ing escape from their busy lives.” While about 75 percent reported having a pleasurable time on the North Coast, the study also illumi- nated constraints that, if left unad- dressed, could affect the visitor experience. About a quarter of partic- ipants said they anticipate not return- ing, and in varying degrees cited issues such as too much traffic, a lack of parking, crowds and high costs of lodging as reasons why. Continued from Page 1A Good hosts Outdoor recreation continues to be one of the fastest-growing travel markets in the United States. On the Oregon Coast, outdoor recreation accounted for about 10 percent of all visitor spending in 2017, amounting to about $200 million. Accommodating the outdoor rec- reation market not only has room for growth, but also means attracting the type of visitor the destination mar- keting organization is looking for — someone who tends to stay multiple nights and spends more when they are here, Gagliano said. While the North Coast is known for outdoor opportunities, and the report found that visitors enjoy the outdoor experience, signs and infra- structure could improve. Despite having about half of respondents surveyed in state parks, only 7 percent reported camp- ing. Cycling, one of Oregon’s fast- est-growing outdoor recreation industries, didn’t make the list at all. The findings are likely not due to lack of interest, but lack of certain infrastructure, Travel Oregon Out- door Recreation Specialist Stephen Hatfield said. “Camping is low compared with Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian The Peter Iredale wreck at Fort Stevens State Park is one of the most popular attractions in the region. the state, but that’s probably because they’re at capacity,” he said. Safety issues on U.S. Highway 101 and the general lack of oppor- tunities for mountain biking on the coast in comparison to the rest of the state is likely the reason for lit- tle cycling. Recommendations in the report include development of new recre- ation and camping areas, as well as better publicizing existing underuti- lized areas to help disperse crowds and limit environmental degradation. Making smaller changes like add- ing bike lanes, lighted pedestrian crossings and adding more caution- ary signs would also aid not just rec- reation, but overall congestion issues for locals and visitors. Diversity Some of the congestion issues could be addressed by better infor- mation about activities — a concern especially expressed by international travelers. Several visitors commented on the difficulty they had with finding information about attractions, activ- ities and events, suggesting more can be done to elevate lesser-known attractions. Some visitors are also look- ing for more diversity. Between 19 and 23 percent of respondents said new events, different restaurants and shopping locations and activi- ties would encourage them to visit the North Coast more frequently, and took issue with the limited hours of local shops. More diversity within lodg- ing wouldn’t hurt, either — about one-third of respondents said more affordable accommodations would make them return more frequently. There aren’t easy answers to addressing any of these barriers. But a better understanding of the visitor experience is a place to start. “It’s good to know what people value, who they are, so you better understand why you’re developing the products that you are,” Gagliano said. A previous version of the hotel failed to get approval from both the Design Review Committee and the Historic Landmarks Commission this summer, decisions Hollander also appealed to the City Council. The developer later presented an entirely new and significantly revised design to the City Council instead of defending the original version. City councilors decided to send this new design back to the Design Review Committee, though not to the His- toric Landmarks Commission. Residents who spoke against the new version of the project continued to criticize the size of the hotel, as well as its design, calling it boxy and unappealing. Some committee mem- bers were in favor of the new design, while others maintained it still needed tweaking and was too large. Hollander and his representa- tives have expressed frustration with the design review process, telling the City Council during the first appeal that they needed clarity about what the city wanted. The redesign they presented in October was intended to echo his- toric cannery buildings and “bridge the gap between the old and the new,” said architect Craig Riegelnegg. In the new appeal, Hollander’s lawyers argue that a standard the Design Review Committee applied to address scale, massing and build- ing material along street facades applies only to existing buildings, not Policy: Confusion derived from wording Continued from Page 1A Ferry: Has become a learning platform Continued from Page 1A along the waterfront between Tongue Point and the Port of Astoria like a waterborne version of the Asto- ria Riverfront Trolley, with stops in between, Price said. Most of the recent work on the Tourist No. 2 has focused on cleaning the vessel and weatherizing it for win- ter. The vessel spent the last winter at North Tongue Point exposed to the elements and with little maintenance. The group will soon shrink-wrap the aft deck and begin restoring the deck. With the a $20,000 grant from the state in hand, the group is also overhauling the electrical system and ensuring alarms and other safety sys- tems function properly on the vessel, which suffered an electrical fire in 2010 that took it out of service until it was taken to Astoria. In addition to the volunteer Astoria Ferry Group, the vessel has become a regular learning platform for a rotat- ing cast of seamanship students from Tongue Point Job Corps Center earn- ing time at sea as they train to become merchant mariners. “It helps me get where I want to go,” said Diabolique Powell, who has been working on the vessel one day a week over the past month. From Norfolk, Virginia, Powell said he came to Tongue Point to train as a merchant mariner on large cargo vessels. But he has taken more non- traditional jobs to gain sea time and expand his experience among dif- ferent types of vessels, working as a deckhand on the tall ship Lady Wash- ington, tugs in Tennessee and the Tourist No. 2, he said. The Tourist No. 2 ended its ser- vice on the Columbia after the Astoria Bridge was completed in 1966. It con- tinued operating as a ferry for Pierce County, Washington, and was even- tually purchased by Seattle-based Argosy Cruises and renamed the Kirkland, providing passenger ser- vice around Lake Washington. After an electrical fire in the engine room took it out of service, Argosy decided the vessel wasn’t worth keeping operational and even- tually sold it to Christian Lint, who wanted to restore it. Lint eventually linked up with Jacob. In 2016, Lint sailed the vessel down the Pacific coast and into the Columbia River, parking at North Tongue Point. The Astoria Ferry Group had struggled to gather public interest in the Tourist No. 2 when it was docked at North Tongue Point. The group last year gave the community an ultima- tum to raise $100,000 and add more boat-savvy board members or let the dream of the ferry go. Jacob helped pull the restoration back from the brink, gathering more volunteers, striking a deal with Job Corps for student help and securing a lease with Pier 39 owner Floyd Hol- com to give the vessel a more visible location. The group is giving regu- lar tours of the vessel and organizing more events to get people on board, such as a New Year’s Eve party and a series of independent films, Price said. Portraits of Jacob look over the inside of the vessel, along with the ferry’s original captain and owner, Fritz Elfving. While she’s wavered on the proj- ect, Price has remembered Jacob’s belief that doing the right thing isn’t always easy. “I really try to channel Jake in being really positive,” she said. new construction. The first design the company sub- mitted to the city incorporated The Ship Inn as a lobby area, but feed- back from city boards convinced Hollander to drop the idea. The new design consists entirely of new construction. Hollander’s lawyers note the Design Review Committee did not address the Second Street facade when it determined that the hotel did not meet criteria for scale and massing. The company also debates the idea that the hotel is too large. In materials submitted to the city as part of the appeal, the Port- land-based firm Carleton Hart Archi- tecture compares the hotel to other buildings in the area, including the Columbia House condominiums, Astoria Warehousing, Buoy Beer Co. and two cannery buildings that no longer exist. In all the examples, the Fairfield Inn would be the smaller building. They also argued in favor of the building’s simplicity, noting a city standard that states building forms should be simple, single geometric shapes. Community Development Department staff did not recom- mend either approving or denying the project in reports presented to city boards. In findings of fact staff wrote to represent the split decision and denial by the Design Review Com- mittee in October, staff prepared find- ings to outline both positions. Reshaping the mobilization policy was out of concern some fire board members had about the amount of time Fire Chief Matt Ben- edict spent helping fight fires around the state and California last summer — the season, some board members argue, where the fire district needs a fire chief most. Summer is typically when the fire district sees a higher emergency call volume and faces more fire danger. The new policy also attempts to keep costs associated with the calls down by budgeting a certain amount for compensation for both salaried and volunteer employees sent out on fires. Compensation requests over the budget will be held until the fire district gets reimbursed from the state. “Part of the reason for the in-state requirement was because we were waiting so long for checks to come from California fires,” Smith said. The confusion derived from the wording of the new policy, which reads that the 15-day limit “will not apply to volunteers if there is ade- quate staffing to handle the district’s normal call volume for the antici- pated deployment period.” When asked by a fellow board member Monday about whether the in-state requirement just applied to the fire chief, Smith responded by saying, “This mobilization policy covers him, the equipment, person- nel, volunteers and anything the dis- trict would provide.” “In my mind, I was answering that as it pertained to the 15 days part of the policy,” Smith explained Wednesday. He feels the way the new policy is written allows volunteers to go on conflagration calls without impedi- ment from the fire board, as it is the fire chief who ultimately decides whether the district has enough resources to help with other fires. Benedict, however, said his impression from Monday’s meet- ing was that the mobilization policy applies to the fire chief and the vol- unteers. Benedict hopes to meet with the fire board in the coming months to clarify the intent of the policy and how different sections affect the fire chief position and volunteers. “What the expectation of the fire chief and volunteers is when we do get asked to go by the state of Ore- gon needs a little more clarification before we can proceed,” he said. “It’s just about working together to make sure when someone in the future reads this policy they know how it clearly works and there’s no ‘ifs,’ ‘ands’ or ‘buts.’”
