SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2022
149TH YEAR, NO. 127
$1.50
Astoria senior
Colton McMaster
broke the meet
records in the discus
and shot put events
at The Astorian
Invitational on
Thursday at Astoria
High School. It was
the fi rst time the
meet had been held
since 2019 due to
the pandemic. See
the story on A5.
Lydia Ely/The Astorian
City’s listening
sessions explore
housing options
State law directs city to make changes
By NICOLE BALES
The Astorian
Astoria held the fi rst
of four listening sessions
designed to inform devel-
opment code changes that
remove barriers for new
housing construction.
Since the city’s popu-
lation tipped over 10,000,
Astoria has been desig-
nated as a medium-sized
city, meaning it must com-
ply with state legislation
for similar sized cities,
which includes allowing
duplexes on residen-
tial lots that allow sin-
gle-family homes. The
city must also expand mid-
dle housing land division
opportunities.
The changes in state law
are designed to increase
housing aff ordability and
availability across Oregon.
Over the next several
months, the city hopes to
adjust the code to satisfy
state law and incorporate
recommendations made
in Clatsop County’s 2019
housing study. The city has
until the end of the year
to adopt the changes, oth-
erwise the state code will
automatically take eff ect.
Arch Cape acquires timberland
to help protect drinking water
‘ARCH CAPE FOREST
IS A GREAT EXAMPLE
FOR ALL THE SMALL
COMMUNITIES ON
THE COAST. SHOWING
THERE IS A WAY TO
SECURE A CLEAN,
CLEAR ABUNDANT
WATER FUTURE FOR
OUR TOWNS.’
Katie Voelke | executive director of the
North Coast Land Conservancy
A $4.7 million purchase by the water district
By NICOLE BALES
The Astorian
The Arch Cape Water Dis-
trict B oard on Thursday signed
off on a $4.7 million purchase of
1,441 acres of commercial tim-
berland in the Arch Cape water-
shed, a move to protect drink-
ing water that was years in the
making.
During the meeting, the b oard
also accepted $2 million in fed-
eral American Rescue Plan Act
funds from Business Oregon,
the fi nal funding needed to pur-
chase the property. The purchase
is primarily funded by the U.S.
Forest Service , which invested
$3.5 million in the conservation
project through the forest legacy
program.
The project will turn the tim-
berlands around the source of
Arch Cape’s drinking water into
a community forest. The water
district, which oversees 295
water connections, plans to sig-
nifi cantly scale back logging
and provide recreational oppor-
tunities while protecting water
and wildlife habitat.
See Arch Cape, Page A2
See Housing, Page A3
WARRENTON
City commissioner
faces ethics probe
Newton accepted infi ll on vacant lot
By ETHAN MYERS
The Astorian
WARRENTON — City
Commissioner Rick New-
ton is under investigation
by the Oregon Government
Ethics Commission for the
infi ll he received from a
city-approved project.
Last summer , Big River
Construction removed the
infi ll from a road recon-
struction project on S.W.
Alder Avenue. The project
manager communicated
with Newton before dump-
ing the infi ll on a neigh-
boring vacant lot owned
by Newton and his girl-
friend, who were planning
to build housing units.
After a preliminary
review of the case, the
E thics C ommission voted
unanimously this month
Colin Murphey/The Astorian
See Probe, Page A3
Arch Cape will take greater control over its watershed.
Candidates for state House represent GOP’s diff erent paths
Javadi, Gaither
compete in primary
By ERICK BENGEL
The Astorian
Lydia Ely/The Astorian
Cyrus Javadi is a dentist in Tillamook.
Glenn Gaither is a retired corrections offi cer in
Seaside.
In the Republican primary
for state House District 32,
Cyrus Javadi, a
dentist in Tilla-
mook, and Glenn
Gaither, a retired
corrections offi -
cer in Seaside,
represent the dif-
ferent paths their
party has taken in
recent years.
Javadi, who has lived in
Astoria, believes that, as a
small-business owner, he has
insight into the needs of the
North Coast’s business com-
munity and workforce in the
wake of destabilizing pan-
demic shutdowns.
If elected, Javadi said he
would work to be responsive
to people in the district and
try to ensure that proposed
bills won’t harm
constituents. “I
want the impact
to be as small as
possible and look
for ways to get
government out
of the way when
it is doing noth-
ing other than obstructing
and slowing things down,” he
said.
Another priority, he
said, would be reexamining
land use laws to address the
region’s lack of aff ordable
housing.
Gaither is more focused
on social and cultural issues.
He was initially motivated to
run, he said, because of what
he saw taking place in Ore-
gon school districts, partic-
ularly around topics such as
sexuality and race.
A graduate of Knappa
High School, Gaither has
worked with the Knappa
See Candidates, Page A2