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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 3, 2019)
A3 THE ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2019 Proposal to preserve Uniontown Astoria weighs Mill Pond pier sale views could limit Port of Astoria By EDWARD STRATTON The Astorian By EDWARD STRATTON The Astorian The Astoria City Coun- cil on Monday approved the fi rst reading of most of a master plan for the Union- town neighborhood. But the c ouncil left open the possibility of restricting development directly north of two dead-end streets , potentially limiting options for waterfront lots owned by the Port of Astoria. Bay Street runs north from Marine Drive and ends at a grassy plot of land owned by the Port near Maritime Memorial Park. Basin Street runs north from Marine Drive and ends in a parking lot east of the West Mooring Basin. The undeveloped land beyond Bay Street provides businesses like Workers Tav- ern, Columbia River Coffee Roasters and 3 Cups Coffee House a view of the Colum- bia River. But the Port leases the land to developer Mark Hollander, who has been trying to build Marriott fran- chise hotels in Astoria. Diana Kirk, owner of the Workers Tavern, said she supports most of the Union- town Reborn project but raised the concern that Hol- lander’s development could block their views. “If the Port comes through with some other plan that they want to do to that property, who is going to advocate for us?” Kirk asked the City Council . The Bridge Vista por- tion of the Riverfront Vision Plan, meant to maintain Hailey Hoff man/The Astorian Steven Drawson sits at the bar facing the Columbia River in 3 Cups Coff ee House in Uniontown. views of the bridge and the river , mandates 70-foot view corridors on north- south rights of way between West Marine Drive and the Columbia. But there is noth- ing mandating a view cor- ridor north of Bay or Basin streets, City Manager Brett Estes said. Rosemary Johnson, a city planning consultant , raised the possibility of extending the view corridors through properties north of the dead- end streets. She presented two options the City Council could choose from: require the extended view corridors outright, or provide the Port or developers an opportunity to encroach on them in con- sideration of other design elements. City Attorney Blair Hen- ningsgaard said the move would essentially condemn the Port’s properties north of the dead-end streets. “My concern is that you’re affecting two differ- ent pieces of property, and there’s been no previous notice,” he said. Mayor Bruce Jones and City Councilor Tom Brown- son supported allowing developers to get City Coun- cil approval for exceptions to the view rules. Councilor Jessamyn West and Coun- cilor Joan Herman sup- ported requiring the view corridors outright. Coun- cilor Roger Rocka said he would be comfortable with either option. The City Council ulti- mately approved a fi rst reading of the Uniontown Reborn plan, while reopen- ing a public hearing specif- ically on the dead-end street views for more public testi- mony at its next meeting . Port Commissioner Frank Spence, who attended the City Council meet- ing, tried to speak about the city’s proposal Tuesday at a Port Commission meeting but was told not to by Dirk Rohne, the commission’s president . Rohne said Wednes- day he disallowed Spence’s comments because the city’s proposal was not an agenda item. B ut he said that Will Isom, the Port’s interim executive director, would speak with Estes about the issue. Rohne called the city’s proposal to extend view cor- ridors past dead-end streets “NIMBYism on steroids.” “I do believe it could be a threat to the future prosper- ity of the Port,” he said. The Astoria City Council, weighing duel- ing offers to deplat or develop two piers in Mill Pond Village, con- tinued the public hearing on a potential sale while asking the homeowners association to take the temperature of neigh- bors and answer whether the city would still be on the hook for association fees. Famed Oregon devel- oper Art DeMuro, who designed the Mill Pond neighborhood, donated two platted piers, each containing six buildable lots, to the city before his death in 2012. The city has received little inter- est on the properties and paid more than $64,000 in fees to the homeown- ers association, with $13,000 more budgeted for this fi scal year. The City Council voted in July to market the piers at $45,000 each. After still receiving little interest, the c oun- cil eventually engaged a group of neighbors want- ing to donate $11,500 to have the city decommis- sion and make the lots into parkland. But John Dulcich, a former Asto- rian and Seattle-area developer, offered $35,000 to buy the piers and develop them into townhouse-style condominiums. A group of about 16 neighbors recently upped their offer on the lots to $40,000. But the city esti- mates decommissioning the lots could cost $35,000, as well as eliminating any future property tax revenue. Also still up in the air is whether the city would have to continue paying fees even after decommissioning the piers. Diane Spalding, the pres- ident of the homeowners association and the wife of Police Chief Geoff Spald- ing, asked the City Coun- cil Monday for a continu- ance of the public hearing and at least a month to sur- vey neighbors. She and other Mill Pond residents have approached the city concerned that deplatting the lots would reduce the revenue from homeowners association fees, City Manager Brett Estes said. The city has no answer from the home- owners association about whether the homeowners would still assess fees on the deplatted piers, Estes said. Even if the city didn’t have to pay the fees, it would still lose money by taking the neighbors’ offer, Mayor Bruce Jones said. He and others on the City Council unanimously sup- ported a continuance of the public hearing on the sale. Neighbors in favor of decommissioning the piers have argued that develop- ment would take away their views and harm the wild- life that uses the pond. They argue that decommission- ing the piers would only slightly increase home- owners association fees for other residents. Jones and City Councilor Tom Brownson doubted development of the piers would signifi cantly affect wildlife. Councilor Roger Rocka said the city should get an expert opinion on the validity of the environmen- tal impact. The city has struggled to keep its parks department afl oat and can’t afford to take on more parkland and lose potential property tax revenue, Brownson said. Councilor Jessamyn West and Councilor Joan Herman supported the neighbors’ offer, but said whether the city would still be on the hook for home- owners association fees would be a deal-breaker in their decisions. “Those lots have been for sale for a while,” West said. “So I wish folks had been more proactive in acquir- ing them to prevent devel- opment, but that’s not been the case.” Consult a PROFESSIONAL Q: Why is my computer running slowly? Push to make public records advocate independent Get the inside scoop on state government and politics! We’re investing in Salem coverage when other news organizations are cutting back. OregonCapitalInsider.com longer needed. Your computer’s performance is improved using CCleaner and Glary Utilities, available Fast, Friendly at CCleaner.com and GlaryUtilities. & Affordable! com. 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The Oregon Capital Bureau is a collaboration between EO Media Group, Pamplin Media Group and Salem Reporter. port or oppose legislation relating to public records, and may ask that one or multiple legislators intro- duce bills relating to the state’s public records law. That would be different from somewhat compara- ble agencies, such as the state ethics commission or liquor control commission, which must go through the governor’s offi ce to intro- Structure & Storm Damage cate was created by law in 2017. Under the law, the gover- nor appoints the advocate. SALEM — A state coun- The governor chooses from cil formed to improve Ore- three candidates selected gonians’ access to govern- by the council and the state ment records has endorsed Senate votes to confi rm that a slate of reforms candidate. to make the state’s The council public records proposed that it advocate more inde- choose the advocate pendent from politi- instead, and that the cal infl uence. law state that the The council met offi ce of the public Tuesday to hash records advocate is out the proposed Ginger McCall independent. changes after the Under the pro- sudden resignation of Ore- posal, the advocate would gon’s fi rst public records no longer automatically advocate, Ginger McCall, be the chair of the council who chairs the council. unless the council votes to McCall cited undue name them chair. Many of infl uence from the offi ce the council members would of Gov. Kate Brown and still be appointed by the called for more indepen- governor. dence for the advocate The proposal would set going forward. Her last day a four-year term for the is Oct. 11. advocate and allow for the She and other open gov- advocate to be reappointed ernment advocates say for additional terms. The more independence can council could remove the help ensure public trust in advocate for cause. the advocate’s role advis- Current law says that the ing the public, mediating governor can remove the disputes between request- advocate for cause or give ers and government bodies, consent to the council to do and advocating for policies so. The council’s proposal to improve transparency in removes those provisions. government. 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