149TH YEAR, NO. 56
WEEKEND EDITION // SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2021
$1.50
Riverwalk
Inn unlikely
in future
plans for
waterfront
The aging hotel faces
structural challenges
By ETHAN MYERS
The Astorian
The Astoria Riverwalk Inn is unlikely to
be part of future plans for the waterfront in
Uniontown.
During a virtual public meeting hosted
by the Port of Astoria and the city on
Wednesday night, Walker Macy, a consult-
ing firm, outlined the concepts for a water-
front master plan from Pier 1 to the Astoria
Bridge. Mike Zilis, a principal and a land-
scape architect at the firm, said the hotel
has too many structural and maintenance
concerns to fit within their vision.
“Our recommendation to the Port is
they think about a replacement,” he said.
“It doesn’t have to happen in the next cou-
ple years but, again, the amount of rehab
and money that would have to go into
this building to really bring it up to good
standards — today’s standards — is just
excessive.
“And always being over the water,
the Port will continue to fight the
marine
environment.
So
we’re
suggesting long term, the building get
replaced.”
See Riverwalk Inn, Page A6
WATERFRONT MASTER PLAN
View slides of the potential redevelopment
options at: https://www.astoria.or.us/
Astoria_Waterfront_Master_Plan.aspx
Vote count
narrows on
food tax
Automatic recount is possible
By KATIE FRANKOWICZ
The Astorian
CANNON BEACH — A food tax that
has divided the community is hanging by
a thread.
The margin narrowed significantly
since Tuesday night’s vote count. The
ballot measure was passing by 23 votes
on election night. Now the measure is
holding on by two votes — 369 to 367 —
according to an update released by Clat-
sop County on Thursday.
A gap that narrow — 50.14% to
49.86% —would trigger an automatic
recount.
Photos by Lydia Ely/The Astorian
After a four-story hotel was approved in 2018, the city adopted new height limits and other restrictions on development along
the riverfront.
Riverfront hotel project
prompts more code changes
City wants clarity after
state sides with developer
on permit extension
By KATIE FRANKOWICZ
The Astorian
A
t City Hall, the meaning of
a small section of Astoria’s
development code seemed
clear until the state ruled in favor of a
developer on a permit extension for a
riverfront hotel.
It might come down to a few sim-
ple, sticky words: “may” versus
“must” and the phrase “in lieu of.”
So now city leaders are tweak-
ing the code. They say they want to
be able to address future legal chal-
lenges, but this isn’t the first time the
developer behind the hotel project has
played an unwitting role in changing
city standards.
Distaste for Mark Hollander’s pro-
posed Fairfield Inn and Suites — a
four-story, 66-room Marriott-brand
hotel at the base of Second Street
approved in 2018 — influenced new
height limits and other restrictions
on development along the riverfront.
In April 2020, citing economic hard-
ship during the coronavirus pandemic,
Hollander requested a one-year exten-
sion on his permits. The City Council
denied the request, arguing Hollander
had done nothing to advance the proj-
ect and questioning his claim that the
pandemic was the reason for the delay.
The state Land Use Board of
Appeals sided with Hollander in a
September ruling and challenged how
the city applied the code.
Astoria has chosen to appeal the
Rainwater rolls off the old Ship Inn restaurant, where a Fairfield Inn and Suites is planned.
ASTORIA HAS CHOSEN TO APPEAL THE
STATE’S RULING BECAUSE, AS MAYOR BRUCE
JONES HAS SAID, ‘WE BELIEVE THAT THE
CITY’S PREROGATIVE TO INTERPRET ITS OWN
CODE REASONABLY OUGHT TO BE UPHELD.’
state’s ruling because, as Mayor Bruce
Jones has said, “we believe that the
city’s prerogative to interpret its own
code reasonably ought to be upheld.”
In its read of the code, the appeals
board argued the city could only con-
sider economic conditions that existed
at the time of Hollander’s request for a
permit extension.
According to city planners and
City Attorney Blair Henningsgaard,
the code asks applicants to show why
economic conditions prevented them
from making an effort to proceed with
a project.
The code says an applicant can
show effort by submitting permit appli-
cations to relevant agencies or setting
up contracts to deal with site-specific
issues, among other steps.
See Code changes, Page A6
See Food tax, Page A6
Poll finds widespread support for school mask mandates
‘WE’RE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE’S
LIVES HERE, AND THAT DOESN’T SEEM
TO BE THE MAIN FOCUS.’
Vaccine mandate
more divisive
By NICOLE BALES
The Bulletin
Despite some vocal opposi-
tion, there is widespread support
for K-12 school mask mandates
to deter the spread of the coro-
navirus, according to a survey by
the Oregon Values and Beliefs
Center.
The survey showed that 70%
of Oregonians support mask man-
dates in schools, while 23% are
Donna Casey | mother of a senior at Summit High School in Bend
opposed and the rest are unsure.
Support among people without
school-age children is 72%, while
support among parents of school-
age children is 65%.
Gov. Kate Brown announced a
mask mandate for K-12 schools in
July to slow the spread of the virus.
People living in urban areas
are more likely than people liv-
ing in rural areas to support mask
mandates in schools, accord-
ing to the survey. The majority of
Oregonians do not believe wear-
ing masks jeopardize children’s
health and safety, learning capac-
ity, potential or outcomes, teach-
ers’ instructional effectiveness and
children’s and families’ freedom.
Amaury Vogel, the associate
executive director of the Oregon
Values and Beliefs Center, called
the data “surprising.”
People opposed to the gover-
nor’s mask mandate have inter-
rupted school board meetings
throughout the state, and even some
superintendents and school boards
have challenged the mandate.
“To see that many people sup-
port it was kind of surprising,” she
said.
Jim Fields, a Deschutes County
resident and grandparent of two
kindergartners, characterized oppo-
sition to the mask mandate as a
divisive political lever. He said he
supports the mask mandate, espe-
cially since it means his grandchil-
dren can stay in school.
“It doesn’t seem like mask
wearing bothers them at all,” Fields
said. “The most important thing for
I think both of them is that social-
ization that school gives them.”
The Oregon Values and Beliefs
Center is an independent, non-
partisan organization. The cen-
ter’s online survey, conducted
from Oct. 8 to Oct. 18, was sent
to 1,403 residents. The margin of
error is between 1.6 to 2.6 percent-
age points.
The survey also gauged Orego-
nians’ support of vaccine mandates
for children 12 years and older,
which significantly fewer people
favor.
About 57% of Oregonians sup-
port vaccine mandates for chil-
dren 12 and older, while 33% are
opposed and the rest are unsure.
See Poll, Page A6