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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 3, 2019)
A2 THE ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2019 Residents critical of state over Norriston Heights timber sale IN BRIEF Astoria Library offers underground archive tours The Astoria Library is providing tours of its basement archives for American Archives Month. Library Director Jimmy Pearson will offer tours at 10 and 11:15 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 14 and Oct. 21. Tours are limited to 10 people. Call 503-325-7323 to reserve a place. The library recently received a $17,327 grant from the Oregon Cultural Trust to assist with processing and preservation. The archival project has received nearly $80,000 in grants overall. “I would say in two years we’ll have it where I want it to be,” Pearson said. That will include a website, keyword-searchable documents and MacBooks for viewing archives in the library. — The Astorian Peninsula sands produce bivalve windfall LONG BEACH, Wash. — The fi rst fall clam dig of the season didn’t disappoint. Crisp weather, calm tides and clear morning condi- tions culminated in fast and frequent limits from Seaview to Oysterville over the weekend, the fi rst of several digs slated for the Long Beach Peninsula this fall. The three mornings attracted a big crowd that made an estimated 18,900 clam-digging trips, resulting in a harvest of 281,800 clams. This includes about 19,700 that were dug up but not kept — which the Washing- ton Department of Fish and Wildlife counts as wastage and applies against the overall season quota of around 5.2 million. “Success was high for most everyone,” Dan Ayres, the state coastal shellfi sh manager, said. An average of 14.9 clams were retained per person, meaning virtually all diggers achieved a 15-clam limit. The average size was 3.8 inches. “The average size was on the small side, as we expected. These clams will continue to grow and that will be noticeable in the months ahead,” Ayres said. “I worked with my crew collecting catch and effort data on Saturday and was impressed with how many people thanked us for the chance to get out and dig and surpris- ingly there were actually very few complaints about the small size of the clams.” — Chinook Observer More vaping lung illness cases reported in Oregon State health offi cials say three additional cases of severe lung illnesses linked to vaping have been reported, bringing the total to eight. The Oregon Health Authority said last week that two Oregon victims had died. That escalation prompted the state, lawmakers and Gov. Kate Brown to launch a bar- rage of anti-vaping messaging, including calls for action. The Oregonian reported the fi ve victims Oregon offi - cials disclosed last week all shopped at legal retail mari- juana stores. A health authority spokesman did not say if the three new cases did, too. The state on Friday proposed a six-month ban on vap- ing products, part of a six-point list of options for the governor’s consideration for stemming the tide of vap- ing-related illnesses. Last week, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee directed the state Board of Health to exercise its emergency author- ity to ban all fl avored vaping products, including those with THC. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Preven- tion said there are more than 800 confi rmed and proba- ble cases nationwide. — Associated Press ON THE RECORD Assault • Robert Francis Cole, 43, of Astoria, was arrested Tuesday at his home for assault in the third degree and disor- derly conduct in the sec- ond degree. Police said Cole drove home fol- lowing a fi ght at Capri- corn Pub and Fine Foods in Astoria. The victim was taken to Columbia Memorial Hospital for signifi cant injuries. DUII • Josh Mons Engels- tad, 43, of Sherwood, was arrested Tuesday for driv- ing under the infl uence of intoxicants, reckless driv- ing, failure to perform duties of a driver in an accident with property damage and driving while suspended and revoked. His blood alcohol con- tent was 0.19%. Police said he was involved in a hit and run earlier on U.S. Highway 26. Engel- stad’s car had extensive damage but he continued to drive away. The other vehicle sustained little to no damage. PUBLIC MEETINGS THURSDAY Astoria Design Review Commission, 5:30 p.m., City Hall, 1095 Duane St. Established July 1, 1873 (USPS 035-000) Published Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday by EO Media Group, 949 Exchange St., PO Box 210, Astoria, OR 97103 Telephone 503-325-3211, 800-781-3211 or Fax 503-325-6573. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Astorian, PO Box 210, Astoria, OR 97103-0210 DailyAstorian.com Seaside Parks Advisory Committee, 7 p.m., City Hall, 989 Broad- way. Circulation phone number: 503-325-3211 Periodicals postage paid at Astoria, OR ADVERTISING OWNERSHIP All advertising copy and illustrations prepared by The Astorian become the property of The Astorian and may not be reproduced for any use without explicit prior approval. COPYRIGHT © Entire contents © Copyright, 2019 by The Astorian. Clearcut on hold for at least a year By NICOLE BALES The Astorian Representatives from the Oregon Department of For- estry met with Arch Cape residents Monday follow- ing the decision to delay the Norriston Heights tim- ber sale. The discussion was facil- itated by Clatsop County c ommissioners and staff who hope this will be the fi rst of many talks until a solution is found . The state had planned a modi- fi ed clearcut of more than 70 acres on the east side of U.S. Highway 101 between Arcadia Beach and Hug Point. About 20 people would be affected by the timber sale , but more than 50 peo- ple attended the meeting in Astoria. Among those in the audi- Money would pay for compliance By R.J. MARX The Astorian SEASIDE — Vacation rental license fees could go up 500% or more in January . The annual fees vary from $75 to $150, depending on a rental property’s occu- pancy. The fee could jump to $500 to pay for a new code enforcement offi cer who would conduct inspections and enforcement. T he City Council and Planning Commission con- vened a workshop Monday to develop new guidelines to help promote affordable long-term rentals and work- force housing and reduce complaints relating to noise, litter and parking. “Some of these concerns that have been brought up are the livability of the areas where there are” vacation rentals , David Posalski, the vice chairman of the Plan- ning Commission, said. “That’s really what these ideas are trying to address.” Raising the annual DIGITAL EZpay (per month) .................................................................................................................$8.00 R.J. Marx/The Astorian Members of the Seaside Planning Commission and the City Council met Monday at City Hall. license fee found unanimous support . “It’s not going to do any good to change the ordi- nances if we don’t have this person in place,” C ity C oun- cilor Dana Phillips said of a code enforcement offi cer . Inspection fees, currently at $84, could also be hiked or incorporated into the overall cost of the annual license. At the workshop, Plan- ning Director Kevin Cupples laid out options designed to increase the stock of work- force housing and cut down on quality-of-life complaints . While vacation rentals are not supported east of Neawa- nna Street, North and South Holladay Drive and South Roosevelt, areas west of U.S. Highway 101 could see fur- ther limits on density, includ- ing a neighborhood cap. For example, if the limit was 40%, four properties within a zone could receive conditional use permits as vacation rentals , Posalski said. In calculating boundar- ies, offi cials could measure either a suggested 100 feet or 200 feet from the subject property site. Areas on the Prom des- ignated resort-residential would be exempt, as hotels are permitted outright. Parking limits and the elimination of “stacked” parking in long driveways could also be added to the list of restrictions. Other changes could be a limit of one vacation rental Rabbits not the only problem By NICOLE BALES The Astorian CANNON BEACH — Although it may be tempt- ing to feed cute wild animals, Cannon Beach is calling an end to it. City councilors approved an ordinance Tuesday night making it illegal to feed wild animals. The restric- tions include people placing food on their property for the animals. Wild animals are described as birds, raccoons, squirrels, opossums and rabbits, among others. Although rabbits have his- torically raised havoc in Can- non Beach, they are not the only ones people are feed- ing. “I think the rabbits were Colin Murphey/The Astorian Cannon Beach is making it illegal to feed wild animals. just the straw that broke the camel’s back,” Mayor Sam Steidel said. Warrenton passed a simi- lar ordinance in 2016 to dis- courage people from feeding elk . Gearhart followed earlier this year. For Cannon Beach, it’s permit per property owner, a requirement for a local emer- gency contact and annual compliance inspections. While policy changes will be the topic of future Plan- ning Commission sessions, the license fee will be a mat- ter for a City C ouncil vote. Timing could be an issue , as business license applica- tions will be mailed out in November. Public hearings will be scheduled for Oct. 14 and Oct. 28. Business licenses are usu- ally sent out Nov. 15 . “We may need to shorten the period people have to send it in, but it will still be reason- able, ” City Manager Mark Winstanley said. Even if the council does approve funding, hiring a code enforcement offi cer could be a diffi cult process, Winstanley said. “You’re not hiring some- body who looks at this job and says, ‘This is going to be fun.’ It is a diffi cult job to fi ll,” he said. “You’d be doing very well if you hired somebody by the beginning of 2020. I think that’s the earliest.” 100! $ Follow us on S OME EXCLUSIONS APPLY . S ALE ENDS S UNDAY , O CTOBER 13 about not attracting wild ani- mals and educating the public on why it is harmful to feed them . The ordinance would clas- sify attracting or feeding wildlife as a public nuisance. T he violation will be a misde- meanor with a maximum fi ne of $500. For the fi rst year, the city will enforce the ban through warnings and education, but after that, people will start being cited. People are still allowed to feed songbirds as long as the food is in a container that prevents access from wild animals. People can also continue to feed wild animals they have kept under a valid permit issued by the Oregon Depart- ment of Fish and Wildlife. Steidel said people have been thinking about an ordi- nance for a while. More recently, residents grew frus- trated with people feeding seagulls because it creates a mess and is costly to clean. “Also there’s an aspect of being healthy for the ani- mals,” he said. “If you start feeding them all french fries, it’s not natural for them. ” 127 th Anniversary Sale! Enter to win Gimre’s s gift certificate worth Subscription rates Eff ective May 1, 2019 Out of County Rates available at 800-781-3214 could have presented to and shared what your process is and what your process has been for Norriston to show some of the steps you’ve taken to mitigate some of the concerns here. B ecause I do think every time you’re in the room with the pub- lic this is an opportunity as representatives of a public agency to speak to us.” She asked for more dia- logue in the future . Liz Dent, the state for- ests division chief , said the department’s focus is on moving forward method- ically and thoughtfully to fi nd a solution that has the “greatest permanent value.” She said the department is looking at ways to improve outreach and engagement. She also assured people that the timber sale was modi- fi ed to exceed the depart- ment’s standards. “I don’t think any- one kind of wants to be in this spot again a year from now,” Dent said. Cannon Beach makes it illegal to feed wild animals Printed on recycled paper MAIL (IN COUNTY) EZpay (per month) ...............................................................................................................$11.25 13 weeks in advance ...........................................................................................................$37.00 26 weeks in advance ...........................................................................................................$71.00 52 weeks in advance ........................................................................................................ $135.00 the Department of Forest- ry’s timber sale program, said Doug Cooper, the v ice p resident of r esources for Hampton Lumber. But h e also said the d epartment should do a bet- ter job communicating with residents. “I really do believe there is a lot more care and pro- tection that the depart- ment puts into their timber sales, how they’re laid out, all the concerns that they addressed that I don’t think you were able to hear about today,” Cooper said. “Going forward, I would hope the staff do take the opportunity to inform peo- ple and tell them everything that they do in the timber sale moving forward.” Nadia Gardner, an Arch Cape resident and environ- mental advocate, agreed. “I’m disappointed actu- ally in ODF today,” she said . “Look at all the peo- ple in this room that you Vacation rental fees could soar in Seaside MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATED PRESS MEMBER CERTIFIED AUDIT OF CIRCULATIONS, INC. ence were concerned resi- dents along the N orth C oast and representatives from environmental groups and from Hampton Lumber. Residents reiterated their concerns about the proposed clearcut and shared their disappointment in what they consider the Depart- ment of Forestry’s lack of transparency . Many said they are thankful the department delayed the sale, but would prefer permanent protection of the land instead of a sug- gested land exchange. Jewell and Rockaway Beach residents cautioned against a land exchange, sharing claims about the impact of clear cuts on their drinking water. T he Department of For- estry had little to say and spent most of the discussion listening. The timber sale is important to Hampton Lum- ber, as they are a purchaser of the timber produced from up to 25 $ 20 % OFF S HOES & B OOTS ! OFF Socks • Insoles • Bags! ASTORIA: 239 14th Street • (503) 325-3972 • www.gimresshoesastoria.com
