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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 6, 2020)
A2 THE ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2020 Moratorium placed on businesses in rights of way IN BRIEF By NICOLE BALES The Astorian Man dies after jumping from Astoria Bridge A 27 year-old man from Lacey, Washington, died Sat- urday night after jumping from the Astoria Bridge. Police were called at about 8 p.m. after Desmond Jovan Brown jumped and landed on Marine Drive near the Triangle Tavern. Authorities investigating death behind Costco Authorities are investigating a dead body that was found Saturday at homeless camps behind Costco in Warrenton. The identity of the person has not been publicly released. The Clatsop County Major Crimes Team is investigat- ing the cause and manner of death. Three injured in crash on Highway 30 Three people were injured Friday in a crash on U.S. Highway 30. Offi cials say a driver heading westbound near milepost 73 crossed into the eastbound lane, crashing into the side of an oncoming vehicle. Both drivers and a passenger were taken to Peace- Health St. John Medical Center in Longview, Washington. Suspicious device brought to Astoria police Authorities investigated a possible explosive device left Sunday morning outside the Astoria Police Department. Offi cials say someone located the device in Pacifi c County, Washington, and brought it to the Astoria Police Department at about 11:30 a.m. The building — shared by the Astoria Police Depart- ment and Astoria Fire Department — and 30th Street and Log Bronc Way were closed until the Oregon State Police Bomb Squad arrived from Salem. The streets reopened Sunday afternoon after the bomb squad removed the device. Astoria Police Chief Geoff Spalding recommended that people who fi nd possible explosive devices to leave the devices in place and call police. — The Astorian DEATHS Oct. 3, 2020 In BROWN, Brief Desmond, 27, of Lacey, Wash- ington, died in Astoria. Deaths Hughes-Ransom Mor- tuary is in charge of the arrangements. CANAVAN, Michael, 68, of Boise, Idaho, died in Seaside. Hughes-Ran- som Mortuary is in charge of the arrangements. Oct. 1, 2020 HANSETH, Donald, 54, of Astoria, died in Astoria. Hughes-Ransom Mortuary is in charge of the arrangements. MEMORIAL Thursday, Oct. 8 Memorial LARSON, Yvonne Joanne — Graveside service at 2 p.m., Greenwood Cemetery, 91569 Oregon High- way 202. ON THE RECORD Menacing Criminal trespass On the Record • Jonathan Rich- • Thai Clappe, 38, was ard Rausch, 32, of Sea- side, was arrested Fri- day on Cow Creek Road in Jewell for three counts of menacing in the fi rst degree and disorderly conduct. arrested Saturday at Fred Meyer in Warrenton for criminal trespass in the second degree. • Whitney Obad, 26, was arrested Saturday at Fred Meyer in Warren- ton for criminal trespass in the second degree. PUBLIC MEETINGS Clatsop County has placed a moratorium on permits for businesses operating within county rights of way after a neighborhood dispute over a fi rewood stand in Warrenton. Following guidance from the county Board of Commis- sioners during a September work session, the moratorium took effect on Monday and could be in place until March. County staff will draft a policy and commissioners will determine whether to set more rules or potentially ban businesses in county rights of way . “Historically, county right of way is used for transporta- tion, access to property, util- ity, drainage and things such as this that has to do with county roads,” Ted McLean, the county’s public works director, said during the work session. “We historically have not allowed a business venture in the county right of way.” The moratorium affects two fi rewood stands along Ridge Road in Warrenton. O ngoing complaints about one of the stands prompted the county to take action. Allen Berry has been operating the fi rewood stand for about three years in front PUBLIC MEETINGS of his home, which sits next to the county right of way. Neighbors say the busi- ness draws a lot of traffi c to the residential area, as it is conveniently located near Fort Stevens State Park and the KOA. Complaints to the city and county include exces- sive noise from chainsaws all hours of the day. Some neigh- bors say communicating their concerns with Berry has not helped. One neighbor is mov- ing as a result. The county recently required the businesses to apply for a right-of- way per- mit to better monitor and enforce activity and alleviate the complaints. But neighbors say tensions have escalated. Berry, who is running for Hess relocates from Utah By EDWARD STRATTON The Astorian WARRENTON — It took Astoria more than two years to fi nd a new community development director after the departure of Kevin Cro- nin, who took a similar posi- tion with Warrenton. Now only three months after Cronin’s departure to become city manager of Mount Angel, Warrenton has found a new community development director in Utah. Scott Hess, 36, will start at the end of October. He is the director of community and economic development with the Wasatch Front Regional Council, an association of fi ve counties in and around the Salt Lake City metro region. Hess has held other plan- ning positions in cities and counties around northern Utah. He earned a master’s of public administration and bachelor’s of urban planning from the University of Utah. missions, that type of work,” For the past 20 years, Engbretson said. “I think he Hess has been visiting a fam- can be a real assistance and ily friend’s Gearhart home. help to our volunteer board.” He proposed to his wife 14 Hess steps into a quickly years ago near the Del Re y growing city with a gov- B each access. The two have ernment that has put more three young daughters — emphasis in recent years on twin 4-year-olds and smarter growth. a 1-year-old. Warrenton has “I would watch translated an urban jobs in Oregon, and renewal fund into randomly over the several projects to last 13, 14 years improve downtown, applied for jobs and building the new saw that one,” Hess Warrenton Memo- Scott Hess said. “And it felt like rial Plaza, improving it was applying some- sidewalks and land- where that felt like home scaping and providing grants that’s also 750 miles away for building owners to spruce from Utah.” up their facades. City Manager Linda Eng- The city created a master bretson said the city inter- plan for Chelsea Gardens, a viewed fi ve candidates for the central triangular neighbor- position . The experience Hess hood in between older War- has with city and county gov- renton and the North Coast ernment and transportation Retail C enter where it hopes planning stood out, she said. to attract a mix of commercial “I think that transporta- and higher-density housing tion planning will just be a without exacerbating nearby tremendous asset to Warren- traffi c backups. ton, as well as he’s had lots Hess said Warrenton seems of experience in facilitating more like a real city than and training planning com- nearby second-home vacation (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 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, 2020 by The Astorian. MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATED PRESS MEMBER CERTIFIED AUDIT OF CIRCULATIONS, INC. Powered by Helping Hands Bybee Lakes Hope Cen- ter, the building formerly known as the Wapato Jail, opened its doors for the fi rst time Friday, in advance of its offi cial opening to residents on Oct. 12. The 57,000-square-foot north Portland shelter will have 84 open beds during its fi rst phase of opening, with around 400 more beds for longer-term housing expected to become avail- able in December. Wapato Jail sat empty for 16 years, after costing about $58 million of tax- payer money to build. Mult- nomah County sold it for $5 million in 2018 to developer Marty Kehoe. It was then purchased by developer Jor- dan Schnitzer. Schnitzer has attempted to turn the unused jail into a shelter since he acquired the property. On Friday, he achieved that goal. “To all the doomsayers,” Schnitzer said at a press con- ference in front of Bybee Lakes Hope Center, “this is really a testament to a dream.” THE ASTORIA FINNISH BROTHERHOOD AUXILIARY DRIVE-THRU-PICK UP LAKSLODA LUNCH Thursday, October 15 from 11:30-1:30 $15 per box lunch Printed on recycled paper Subscription rates Eff ective May 1, 2019 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 drive behind Suomi Hall 244 W. Marine Dr. Astoria, Oregon Out of County Rates available at 800-781-3214 DIGITAL EZpay (per month) .................................................................................................................$8.00 emergency access is located, so are we going to be block- ing an emergency access to a neighborhood? ” he said. “Those kinds of things, I think, need to be really addressed. “And a lot of jurisdictions have right-of -way permit ordinances where they have thought through all of the conditions for when a permit would be issued and under what circumstances. “And I think that’s what we need to do, is to really kind of review if this is some- thing that we want to try to accommodate in the future, or is it something we just don’t want to get into because we want to reserve those for the public use, for roads, for util- ities, for other public needs.” spots, with an already vibrant regional business hub at the r etail c enter. “My thinking and focus is on how do you help the community, the public and the local businesses continue to invest or reinvest into the downtowns of Warrenton and Hammond to the n orth,” he said. Hess is the second com- munity development director to leave an urban area in the Mountain region for the North Coast. Megan Leatherman, Astoria’s community devel- opment director, who is also in her 30s, came from Ida- ho’s Ada County, where she oversaw development rules around the Boise metro area. “For us, it’s going to be a great adventure,” Hess said of his family’s move. “It’s going to be totally different. I’m coming up there with a young family. Our kids aren’t in school yet. It feels like this perfect kind of Goldilocks time to bring them somewhere new, and let them experience something that my wife and I have experienced for years.” Bybee Lakes homeless shelter opens in Portland presents Established July 1, 1873 the Warrenton City Commis- sion in the November elec- tion, called it a neighbor- hood issue and believes he is being personally targeted by the county. He said he and his wife live off of S ocial S ecurity and that fi rewood sales are how he pays for his medications. “It’s not a county issue,” he said. “(County offi cials) made it a county issue.” Commissioner Mark Kujala, who lives nearby, said neighbors who feel the stand is a disruption brought the issue to him about a year and a half ago . Kujala questioned whether right-of-way permits should be issued in residential areas where there is a lot of traffi c . “That wood stand is where Warrenton hires new community development director By LIZZY ACKER The Oregonian TUESDAY Clatsop County Board of Commissioners, noon, work session, (electronic meeting). Port of Astoria, 4 p.m., workshop, (electronic meeting). Seaside Library Board, 4:30 p.m., 1131 Broadway. Clatsop Care Health District Board, 5 p.m., (electronic meeting). Astoria Planning Commission, 5:30 p.m., City Hall, 1095 Duane St. Astoria Library Board, 5:30 p.m., Flag Room, 450 10th Street. Seaside Planning Commission, 6 p.m., City Hall, 989 Broadway. Miles Crossing Sanitary Sewer District Board, 6 p.m., 34583 U.S. Highway 101 Business. WEDNESDAY Gearhart City Council, 7 p.m., 698 Pacifi c Way. THURSDAY Warrenton Planning Commission, 6 p.m., City Hall, 225 S. Main Ave. Gearhart Planning Commission, 6 p.m., Gearhart fi rehouse, 670 Pacifi c Way. Hailey Hoff man/The Astorian Allen Berry points to the fi rewood stand in the front yard of his home off of Ridge Road in Warrenton. Pre order by calling 503-440-9002 The facility will be run by Helping Hands, a nonprofi t that does outreach with the homeless and other low-in- come people struggling with housing. Bybee Lakes will be the group’s fourth homeless reentry center in the state, including Clatsop County. Alan Evans, CEO of Help- ing Hands, said his company had created a “data-driven, trauma-informed home- less reentry program” that it will use at the Bybee Lakes facility. “This is a tad bit surreal for me,” Evans said as he took the mic at the press con- ference, “because 20 years ago I was sleeping under the Burnside Bridge where I nearly froze to death one night.” Evans said during his time on the streets, it was dif- fi cult to get all his needs met in place. “If you want to get some- thing that you need, you have to go to multiple places in multiple directions,” he said, “and when your life is falling apart that’s impossible.” The new center will work to address the needs of peo- ple experiencing homeless- ness on many levels, he said, using an individualized approach to everyone who walks through the door. Some doubted the project would ever come to fruition, said Raven Russell, director of data and major projects for Helping Hands. “Sometimes you have to prove people wrong,” she continued, “and we have.” On concern with the site was a lack of public transit access, Russell said. “TriMet called us,” she said. “We said we need a bus stop to make this happen.” She told the gathered group, “You guys drove past it on your way here.” Russell said the timeline of the center was sped up in an effort to help people affected by coronavirus. Several offi cials were on hand for the ribbon-cutting ceremony, including Port- land Mayor Ted Wheeler, and state Sen. Lew Frederick, Sen. Betsy Johnson and Sen. Elizabeth Steiner-Hayward. “We had many years where this incredible pub- lic asset was just sitting vacant,” Wheeler said. “It really took the leadership of the community.” “Government couldn’t do it alone, he added, “Here we now stand together and we’re seeing the best of what this community has to offer.” Frederick said he was “incredibly pleased” about the opening of the center. He said in a two-block walk earlier in the morning, he saw six tents with people living in them. “These are folks I would like to be able to say, here’s an opportunity, here’s a place where you can go,” Freder- ick said. “It’s not just a pro- gram, it’s not just a facility, it’s a basic concept that we do care.”
