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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 20, 2020)
SEASIDE JOINS NORTH COAST FOOD TRAIL »INSIDE AY THURSD FEB. 20 20 20 LE SUSTAIN E AB SEASID COAST NS NORTH CIT Y JOI IL PAGE 10 FOOD TRA ST ’S NEWE ASTORIA ND ROCK BA UR NOT YO ARD SOUR STAND IN, RAIN, RA AY COOK AW PAGE 18 PAGE 14 PAGE 8 DailyAstorian.com // THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2020 147TH YEAR, NO. 101 $1.50 Astoria upholds denial of Grocery Outlet Unanimous vote by council By EDWARD STRATTON The Astorian The Astoria City Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to uphold the denial of a Grocery Outlet over concerns about whether a new store would fi t on a con- strained, triangular lot off Marine Drive . Main & Main Capital Group has been seeking city approval to build a 16,000-square-foot store where Commer- cial Street runs into Marine Drive near the Mill Pond neighborhood. The build- ing, fronted by a parking lot, would face Cannery Pier Hotel closes spa services See Grocery Outlet, Page A6 A developer wants to build a Grocery Outlet on a triangular- shaped lot. Hailey Hoff man/ The Astorian Wanted: Master plan for Skipanon development Employees were laid off By NICOLE BALES The Astorian The Cannery Pier Hotel & Spa abruptly closed s pa services during the holiday weekend amid a labor dispute with staff. M assage therapists working Sat- urday evening said they were told it would be their fi nal day after the last client left. Then about a dozen part-time employees said they were notifi ed via email that evening that their employ- ment would end effective immediately. In a letter to staff, Don West, Can- nery Pier’s general manager, said the hotel would be “ceasing s pa opera- tions.” The letter instructed them to pick up their fi nal paycheck Monday afternoon . West said the decision was made because of lower business levels in the w inter and s pring seasons and upcom- ing renovations. “There’s never a good time to do something like this. It’s horrendous on the staff, it’s horrendous on the hotel,” West said. “It’s an entire hotel renova- tion and there’s a lot of thought that needs to be taken place on how the spa might fi t into that going forward. So, we just had to make this determina- tion at this time, and I feel very badly for the staff. I feel very badly for the community.” The former employees walked together to the hotel on Monday to pick up their last paychecks. They said they believe the decision came after a letter they sent Feb. 13 to corporate offi cials at Vesta Hospitality — the Vancouver, Washington, based company that pur- chased the hotel last year — regarding a change in the pay structure, which they say would result in a pay cut. “After cutting all existing fringe benefi ts for s pa staff, like quarterly bonuses and discounts, Vesta then offered a wage reduction which would Hailey Hoff man/The Astorian The Kujala family owns a large portion of undeveloped land in the middle of Warrenton. Potential for high-density housing By EDWARD STRATTON The Astorian W Edward Stratton/The Astorian ARRENTON — The Kujala family, owners of a large swath of land on the eastern end of the Ski- panon River just north of state Highway 104, has started fi lling in uplands and hopes to build higher-den- sity housing. But city offi cials , more cognizant of the impacts of development on the surrounding community, want a mas- ter plan similar to the recently approved Chelsea Gardens neighborhood. The Kujala property is zoned for an intermediate den- sity of single-family homes, municipal offi ces, schools, parks, libraries and places of worship. The family has started fi lling in 2 acres worth of uplands at the site and applied to revise the zoning to high-density residential like the land owned by Stan Johnson, who is developing a 16-unit apartment complex along Highway 104. “If they’re going to do a zone change, they need to show us how it’s going to be phased, either through a planned unit development or how they are going to do a master plan to show how it’s going to be developed over time,” said Kevin Cronin, the city’s community development Geese walk the Skipanon River Trail in front of property the Kujala family is fi lling for a potential housing development. See Skipanon, Page A6 See Spa, Page A6 Johnson digs in against cap and trade legislation Forrester highlights late senator Neuberger an infl uential Oregonian Critical of suggestion on pulp and paper mills By NICOLE BALES The Astorian damage the Georgia-Pacifi c Wauna Mill, the largest single employer in Clatsop County with more than 700 workers. Johnson issued a statement Tuesday with Rep. Brad Witt, D-Clatskanie, that said one of the co-sponsors of cap and trade Nicole Bales/The Astorian Steve Forrester remembers U.S. Sen. Richard Neuberger visiting his family’s home in Pendleton. Forrester’s father and Neuberger met in the 1930s while they were working as writers at The Orego- nian. Although Forrester was only about 8 years old, he said Neuberg- er’s energy and intellect left a last- ing impression on him, and he has been fascinated by his life and career ever since. Forrester, the president and CEO of EO Media Group, has detailed the See Cap and trade, Page A6 Steve Forrester, the president and CEO of EO Media Group, spoke at the Columbia Forum on Tuesday night. See Forum, Page A6 By EDWARD STRATTON The Astorian State Sen. Betsy Johnson blasted what she described as a last-minute suggestion to amend the cap-and-trade bill to benefi t pulp and paper mills. Johnson, D-Scappoose, a critic of cap and trade, has opposed the legislation over fears it would Betsy Johnson Brad Witt