C4 • GRITTY to PRETTY: ASTORIA’S TRANSFORMATIVE DECADE 2010-2019
DECEMBER 31, 2019
DECEMBER 31, 2019
GRITTY to PRETTY: ASTORIA’S TRANSFORMATIVE DECADE 2010-2019 • C5
A LOOK FORWARD AT 2020
Looking back and forward with Astoria’s mayors of the decade
The Astorian sat down with Astoria’s three mayors from 2010 through 2019 and asked them what they’ve
seen change in the city, what the biggest issues were when they served and what’s next for Astoria.
PROJECTS
IN 2020 AND
BEYOND:
• Columbia River Maritime Museum pond
opens
• Waldorf affordable housing project
construction continues
• Fundraising for the Astoria Nordic
Heritage Park
• Construction begins on Astoria schools
remodel
• New Seaside school campus
construction finishes
• Fort George canning facility expansion
in former Astoria Warehousing location
• Hilton hotel construction on Astoria’s
South Slope
• Peter Pan Market reopens with new
owners
• “Goonies” turns 35
• Liberty Theatre continues renovations
WILLIS VAN DUSEN
ARLINE LaMEAR
Astoria mayor for 24 years, retired in 2015
Astoria mayor 2015-2018
The first part of this decade there were a number of
construction projects that I’m very proud of and I think the
community is proud of also. The first one that comes to mind
is the Garden of Surging Waves and how we developed that
and told the American history story. … And we also built the
new, know when I say “we” I don’t just mean me and the city,
Columbia Memorial Hospital and Astoria School District and
Recology — built an amazing athletic facility for the commu-
nity – over $10 million – without using any taxpayer dollars.
… We also did the City Hall remodel. City Hall used to be a
bank building. Other very important aspects of the early part
of this decade was the bicentennial. In 2011, we became the
only U.S. settlement west of the Rockies that can say we’ve
been here for 200 years. And that was a tremendous accom-
plishment. And it really brought focus to Astoria and that we
were older than Portland, we were older than San Francisco.
Going into the next decade, we have to improve our
transportation. That has to be number one. We have to have
better, safer highways and streets, and there’s ways to do it
and you need money to do some of them. A bypass would be
awesome. … The homelessness situation is a problem nation-
wide. I have great confidence in Mayor Jones. … There is a
way to improve housing in Astoria and that is to expand the
urban growth boundary. … But we are bulging at the seams
and it’s time to expand it in areas where we could build some
housing.
I like the term better “we ain’t quaint” and it’s the same
thing as pretty to gritty. … I think the developments around
our river and around Astoria have done a good job of not
making it pretty. There are some communities that have made
like our riverwalk, they try to make it something like some-
thing it’s not. It looks like Astoria. It has the history there.
I don’t think we want to be known as pretty. We want to be
known as diversified, and we want to be known as a great his-
tory and good shepherds of the assets we have here. Gritty to
pretty? At one time we might have said we went from pretty
to gritty. Gritty is not all bad.
During the time that I was on the city council and also
as mayor, there were a lot of changes in Astoria. One of the
largest or the biggest changes, I think, was in our hospital
that (not) just grew but has grown by leaps and bounds. I
would say that that’s had a tremendous impact on the town.
I think one of the biggest issues that I faced and that
will continue to be faced in the future is our riverfront. The
riverfront is just sacred to so many people. Some people
don’t want anything done to it. Others want development
because they own property there. And so it’s a very difficult
and delicate balancing act to try to bring those two groups
together.
It’s wonderful to see some of these rundown places
that you thought would have to be torn down have been
spruced up and the city is looking much better than it did
when I first arrived here.
BRUCE JONES
Astoria mayor 2019-present
I’ve lived in Astoria since 2011. Since the time that
I’ve been here, I’ve seen tourism continue to grow. On
weekends, especially in the summer, you see more and
more people from out of town which has enabled a lot of
small businesses to thrive, more restaurants are open. It al-
lows for continued investment in amenities like the Liberty
Theatre. I think the quality of life overall for residents in
Astoria has increased during the time that I’ve lived here
and it continues to increase even though there are some
drawbacks, specifically traffic and the cost of housing.
So maintaining our unique quality of life and making
sure our story is always a place that people want to visit
because it is different. That’s what I hear from visitors all
the time. I asked people on the Riverwalk why they came
to visit for the weekend and they say, “you guys are unique.
You have a unique quality here that we can’t find anywhere
else.” So I think it’s really important to preserve that.
VISIT DAILYASTORIAN.COM FOR EXTENDED VIDEO INTERVIEWS WITH EACH MAYOR
TIMELINE : 2010-2019
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
• Harry Flavel dies
• Flavel mansion is opened
• Barbey Maritime Center completed
• Garden of Surging Waves opens
• Oregon Film Museum opens
• SeaPort ends airline service to
Astoria
• Astoria Builder’s Supply closes
• City Manager Paul Benoit leaves
• Coast mourns death of Seaside
Police Sgt. Jason Goodding
• Lindstrom’s Danish Maid Bakery
closes
• Skip Hauke retires as chamber
director
• Bruce Jones sworn in as new
Astoria mayor
• Downtown Safeway plaza caves in
• Rep. David Wu resigns
• Astoria City Council visits Waldorf,
Germany, for sister city celebration
• Mayor Willis Van Dusen retires
after 24 years
• Astoria Ford moves to Warrenton
• J.C. Penny’s closes
• Astoria Warehousing closes
• Waterfront inferno consumes
Cannery Café and 28 other
businesses
• Paulson Pavilion completed at
Liberty Theatre
• City Planner Rosemary Johnson
retires after 35 years
• Arline LaMear sworn in as mayor
• Astoria bicentennial celebration;
Reba McEntire performs
• Astoria Warming Center opens
• Astoria has first Pride celebration
• Ship Inn closes
• Dan Crutchfield new Astoria fire
chief
• Jordan Poyer drafted to
Philadelphia Eagles
• Astoria column is repainted
• Dawn McIntosh elected county
Circuit Court judge
• KMUN hires Graham Nystrom as
general manager
• Geoff Spalding is new Astoria
police chief
• CMH Field opens
• Judge Philip Nelson retires
• Astoria grad Alexis Mather wins
Miss Oregon
• Dave Gasser retires after 35 years
of coaching baseball
• Star of the Sea school closes
• “Goonies” turns 25
• “Goonies” turns 30
• Astoria Bridge turns 50
• John Warren stadium torn down
• #TimberUnity forms in response to
House Bill 2020
• Bond Street opens for two-way
traffic after more than 10 years
• Thiel’s Music closes
• Mary Louise Flavel dies
• Peter Pan Market closes
• Jennifer Crockett is new Liberty
Theatre executive director
• Judge Paula Brownhill retires
• Astoria Senior Center renovated
• New Astoria Co+op location opens
• Will Isom named new Port director
We asked readers about issues Astoria is facing in 2020. Here’s what they had to say.
Two different questions. NIMBYism regarding fear of
waterfront development is an embarrassment. Homelessness and
lack of services and conveniences for the homeless will be an
ongoing issue. The housing shortage will also be with us for a
long time. The Port of Astoria is a shadow of what it was in the
last century. It’s perverse that it’s barely used for commercial
trade any more. The railroad connection needs to be fixed.
Traffic. The Astoria bypass needs to be review again. The
congestion is daily and the summer months are backing up from
Alderbrook area to Warrenton. Talking with some tourists, they
aren’t stopping in Astoria. They are heading to 101 going west
and south or Washington, west and north.
Workforce housing is most pressing, followed closely by the
lack of sufficient social services (mental health, drug and alcohol,
etc). The biggest change has been the ongoing transformation
from a extraction economy to one based on tourism and services,
while we continue to try not to lose the identity that makes this
place unique.
A more balanced and calming share of political views.
Influx of homeless people and increase of traffic on our roads.
Protecting the riverfront. Tourism.
Economy based on tourism is worrisome. First thing to go
when there is a downturn or recession. Loss of middle class jobs.
Gentrification. We’re losing our “starving” artists & working
class, and gaining homelessness, an alcohol and pot fueled
tourist industry, and prosperity for some.
Finding new customers for log exports.
Obstruction of river views. Last decade potholes.
Keeping Astoria’s small town historical feel as well as
homelessness.
Enticing family wage jobs outside the tourist industry. The
biggest changes were a blessing and a curse. In the past ten
years we’ve seen some wonderful restaurants, galleries and
improvements to historical buildings. The downside is that we
are starting to lose some of the gritty that made this town special.
Working people can no longer afford to live here.
Continue upgrading downtown buildings as has been
happening this past decade.
Availability of family wage jobs.
Bringing new business to downtown.
Allowing so much construction along the Columbia as to let
the tourists enjoy the view, while the locals cannot. Why does the
state have an incredible view that blocks an entire block on the
river side.
The biggest issue is homelessness: helping those who are
homeless by circumstances and making Astoria uncomfortable
for those who are homeless by choice. The biggest changes
is the growth in tourism, which overall has been good for the
community.
They are the same: The rise of the homeless community and
continued urban and waterfront blight. There have been some
wonderful restorations, renovations and redevelopment projects.
However, we each completion, there seems to be new problem
added to the backlog.
Income inequality, which leads some to homelessness and
others to increased judgment against those with less stable
income.
Destroying river views from the Riverwalk as part of the
Urban Core Plan which will be heard by our City Council on
Monday Jan. 6, 2020 at 7 p.m.
Affordable workforce housing and the homeless situation.
Homelessness for 2020. I think the biggest changes in the
last decade were an influx of new people moving into the area,
who now claim to know what Astoria is and should be, an
explosion of tourism, and homelessness.
Family wage jobs, and family affordable housing.
How to pay for decaying infrastructure. Becoming
“Pottersville” with brewery, distillery or pot shop on every corner.
I think the biggest issue facing Astoria in the next year is how
it chooses to develop. Our history, grit and tenacity defines us.
We could drown this character in national chain hotels and stores
that are in any strip mall USA. I would say the biggest change
is the proliferation of homelessness. This is, of course, part of a
national problem. When you can’t walk on the riverwalk without
tripping over encampments, we have a problem in our little river
city.
Growth from out of state.
Fix the downtown! Fill the “Estes” hole that is a blight on the
city center.
Affordable housing. Increased homeless.
I think the largest issue is the homeless population. Human
waste on the sidewalks and people sleeping in doorways are
not attractive to tourists, or anyone else. I have only been here
3 years, but among the biggest changes are that out-of-town
developers are buying property and raising rents that local
businesses can’t afford.
Homelessness vs. enabling, excessiveness will impact
tourism. Securing a tourist-based industry.
Complete loss of affordable shopping that would draw people
downtown.
2020: Homelessness, addiction, Astorians affording housing.
Past decade... Much the same.
Affordable housing. I had to move to WA to find a house I
could afford to rent (still work in Astoria).
You have to get the homeless off the riverwalk and out of
downtown.
Love the revitalization of downtown. Need facilities for
homeless population, need to prevent filth
1. Affordable housing. 2. The cost of rent without industries
to support or warrant the price hikes.
Affordable housing and the surge in tourism causing traffic
issues.
Affordable housing now and sustainable growth then.
Too many “studies” with few solutions. We upgrade schools,
but have homeless children.
Corruption at the Port of Astoria. Loss of log shipments and
business at the port.
Population growth.
Lack of land use and traffic.
The lack of housing that matches median income. Its pretty
sad to not afford to buy where you grew up.
Astoria is getting too fancy too fast. We are losing our blue
collar attitude. Not enough gritty.
2020, the homeless camping, using downtown streets as a
toilets.
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