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JULY 22
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149TH YEAR, NO. 10
DailyAstorian.com // THURSDAY, JULY 22, 2021
A vacation rental turns
into a burr for Warrenton
$1.50
County weighs
term limits
for planning
commissioners
One of several potential
revisions to bylaws
By ERICK BENGEL
The Astorian
City Commission had made
an exception for homeowner
By ETHAN MYERS
The Astorian
W
ARRENTON — In Janu-
ary, t he City Commission
granted an exception for a
vacation rental in a residential neigh-
borhood on Honeysuckle Loop .
That decision would come back to
bite the city as neighbors have com-
plained of noise and overcrowding .
“The thing that really bothers me
Henry, is, once again, we help somebody
and it bites us in the butt. Every time,”
City Commissioner Rick Newton told
Mayor Henry Balensifer during a City
Commission meeting last week. “I don’t
have a problem revoking it because we
did her a favor letting her do that and we
didn’t get what we should’ve.
“It’s time for us to pull the cord and
say, ‘Nope. ’”
The city is moving forward with a
stop-work order on the vacation rental.
Marissa Lauren, the homeowner, did
not participate in the commission meet-
ing last week and could not be reached
for comment.
Tensions over vacation rentals in res-
idential neighborhoods on the North
Coast have led to calls for tighter gov-
ernment restrictions. Short-term rentals
have become increasingly popular as
the region evolves into a tourist destina-
tion, but rentals help drive up housing
prices and contribute to Clatsop Coun-
ty’s housing crunch.
The vacation rental on Honeysuckle
Loop, a duplex that sits in a neighbor-
hood that also includes apartments and
other multi unit housing, is one small
example of the challenge.
Griffi n Reilly/The Astorian
A vacation rental on
Honeysuckle Loop has been
a challenge for the city.
‘THE THING THAT REALLY BOTHERS ME HENRY,
IS, ONCE AGAIN, WE HELP SOMEBODY AND IT
BITES US IN THE BUTT. EVERY TIME. I DON’T
HAVE A PROBLEM REVOKING IT BECAUSE WE
DID HER A FAVOR LETTING HER DO THAT AND
WE DIDN’T GET WHAT WE SHOULD’VE.
Rick Newton | city commissioner
Despite vacation rentals not being
allowed in r esidential h igh d ensity
z ones, the City Commission made an
exception . Another vacation rental the
homeowner operates in Hammond,
which is also in a r esidential h igh d en-
sity z one, was granted an exception, too.
At the January meeting, Commis-
sioner Mark Baldwin noted that the city
reserved the right to rescind the excep-
tions if there were problems at either
location.
In a matter of time, problems began
to pile up when neighbors reported
excessive noise, an overfl ow of parked
cars and up to 12 people renting out
both sides of the duplex, when only one
side was supposed to be used as a vaca-
tion rental.
“Sometimes, there are a lot of people
that go in and out of there,” said Andrew
Dylan, who lives in an apartment across
the street . “It’s pretty ridiculous.
“I try to not get too bothered by it,
but it can be (a nuisance),” he said.
O ther neighbors said they had not
noticed anything unusual at the duplex.
S ome were unaware it was used as a
vacation rental. One neighbor said the
only noticeable noise came during the
Fourth of July, but it was expected for
such a holiday.
During the City Commission meet-
ing last week, c ommissioners deliber-
ated what to do .
“It’s ridiculous people come from
out of town and do this in our neighbor-
hoods,” Baldwin said .
Newton pointed to the potential safety
hazard if the reports from neighbors
were accurate. “Having 12 people in that
house at one time is no diff erent than not
having smoke detectors,” he said.
Balensifer said “t here is anguish,
angst, damages being incurred by that
neighborhood by the use of this facil-
ity that had specifi c requirements upon
it that we agreed to and not being
followed. ”
If the homeowner does not comply
with the stop-work order, the city could
seek to revoke the other vacation rental
in Hammond .
“This is a clear violation and we have
to take care of the residents fi rst,” the
mayor said.
At a joint work session Tuesday, the
Clatsop County Board of Commissioners
and the Planning Commission debated
the merits of term limits for planning
commissioners .
The meeting came at a moment of
political friction .
Commissioners have fl oated the possi-
bility of tightening the rules within which
the Planning Commission operates, ini-
tiating a discussion of specifi c bylaw
changes.
The Board of Commissioners has the
power to appoint and remove planning
commissioners. The new rules would limit
planning commissioners to two, four-year
terms, or 10 years if a commissioner has
been appointed to fi nish out an unexpired
term unless the board extends it.
Other possible bylaw revisions include
allowing the Planning Commission chair
to impose time limits for public hearings,
and removing planning commissioners
for failing to attend at least two meetings
without good explanation.
Robert Stricklin, a longtime planning
commissioner , said he opposes term lim-
its, in part because there has long been a
shortage of applicants with a background
in land use or other relevant disciplines.
See Term limits, Page A6
City repeals old
‘no swimming’
rule near parks
One swimmer routinely
braves the river
By KATIE FRANKOWICZ
The Astorian
Tim Kennedy is about to break the law.
On a sloping, debris-strewn beach just
east of the Astoria Bridge, he steps past
a dead cormorant, a waterlogged bicycle
seat cover and two discarded oranges.
He slides ear plugs into his ears and
wades out under a trestle. He pauses to
stash his sandals up among the beams and
fi x goggles over his eyes. A commercial
fi shing boat motors by, trailed by gulls.
Kennedy takes a breath and dives into
the Columbia River.
City leaders don’t know how the rule
came to exist, or why, but until Mon-
day night, it was illegal for anyone to
wade or swim in waters adjacent to a
city park.
See Repeal, Page A6
Nonprofi t fi nds a buyer for Hawaiian Chieftain
Ship sold for $150,000
By GRIFFIN REILLY
The Astorian
The Hawaiian Chieftain, a
replica of the tall trading ships
from the 19th century, has been
sold.
The vessel had fallen into dis-
repair and was docked at Pier 39
in Astoria while the Aberdeen,
Washington, based Grays Harbor
Historical Seaport searched for a
buyer.
Aubrey and Matt Wilson bought
the Chieftain for $150,000 and
hope to return the vessel to Hawaii
after a monthslong repair project in
Port Townsend, Washington.
“Really, it came down to
money,” said Brandi Bednarik, the
business operations manager at
Grays Harbor Historical Seaport.
They had already spent around
$300,000 on repairs for the Chief-
tain, she said.
“Lady Washington, our other
ship, is going to need restoration
over the next couple of years. We
also had taken over a 34-acre aban-
doned mill site in Washington in
2013 that we’re redeveloping,” she
said. “All three together was just
too much.”
Aubrey Wilson has experience
working as a deckhand on simi-
lar traditionally-rigged tall ships,
and was particularly interested in
the Chieftain because of its Hawaii
heritage.
“It was just like fate,” she said.
“We were like, ‘This is the one.
Let’s buy her and bring her home.’”
Once the repairs are complete,
they’ll sail the ship back to Hawaii.
There, they plan to take passengers
on sailing tours and provide train-
ing opportunities.
Built in 1988, the Chieftain is
not unlike similar steel-hull boats
at the time. One of its biggest
issues, according to Bednarik, is
that its hull wasn’t prepared for the
amount of electrical current in the
waters today. The Lady Washing-
ton was built just one year later.
“I have learned from that,” Bed-
narik said. “I would not have two
boats the same age. Once they get
over 30, they really start to need
more work. It’s a typical age for
a boat to really start needing that
serious restoration.”
The nonprofi t has owned the
Chieftain since 2005. The ves-
sel was a familiar sight in Astoria,
where it was featured for tours and
sailing excursions.
Repairs to the Chieftain could
cost as much as $800,000 over
six months to a year to replace
The Hawaiian Chieftain had fallen into disrepair.
engines, treat the hull’s electrol-
ysis issue and address any other
concerns.
“We understand many people
are emotionally invested in the
Chieftain’s future, and a change
like this can be hard, but we hope
everyone will be as excited as we
are about our plans,” said Aubrey
Wilson. “We’re super excited.”