A6
THE ASTORIAN • SATuRdAy, JuNE 11, 2022
OPINION
editor@dailyastorian.com
KARI BORGEN
Publisher
Founded in 1873
DERRICK DePLEDGE
Editor
SHANNON ARLINT
Circulation Manager
JOHN D. BRUIJN
Production Manager
GUEST COLUMN
An old house gets a brighter future
O
n a busy stretch of W. Marine
Drive, John Harper is spinning
gold from dross — though it
doesn’t look like it.
The faded blue house at 441 Marine
is distinguished by flaking paint, grass
in the gutters and a barren yard that has
been littered with garbage, much of it
pulled from the interior. This week, an
industrial-sized dump-
ster sits in front, receiv-
ing the contents left
by tenants and visitors
through the years.
The house has been
the subject of neighbor-
hood consternation for
MIKE
a long time. Property
FRANCIS
records show it has been
carved up into six bed-
rooms with two baths. In recent years,
it became known as a place where peo-
ple who had few other options could
live for a while. But some of those who
stayed or visited created problems,
both for the house’s owner and for its
neighbors.
The combination of heavy turnover,
noise, strewn syringes and trash caused
neighbors to register numerous com-
plaints to City Hall, which couldn’t do
much except send police to the address.
But patient work by city officials and
the willingness of Uniontown’s John
Harper to take on the daunting project
means the old house can look toward a
brighter future. Harper’s plan is to con-
vert the 1918 junker into an attractive
long-term rental for workers like the
ones he employs at Under the Bridge
Smoke Shop, Kick Ass Koffee and other
businesses.
“I didn’t need this house; I have
enough houses,” Harper said. But he
decided to take on the daunting project
when a relative of the former owner got
in touch to ask if he was interested.
First there was the matter of nego-
tiating the price. The family looked
at size, vintage and location and sug-
Mike Francis
John Harper is restoring a house with a troubled history off W. Marine Drive.
gested one figure. Harper looked at the
work that needed to be done to make
the house habitable again and suggested
a lower figure. Eventually, they met at
$237,500.
Part of the negotiation was Harp-
er’s argument for why the former own-
ers should sell to him rather than to
someone who might offer more money:
Because he cares for the neighborhood
and is deeply invested in it already.
Not only does he own and operate the
nearby smoke shop, but he owns a cou-
ple of houses along Marine, including
the attractive, well-maintained rental
immediately next door to 441.
The sellers were persuaded, and now
the work is underway. The house joins
Harper’s stable of about a dozen proper-
ties he owns around the county.
He has a track record of taking over
troubled properties, renovating them
and turning them into attractive res-
idences. And at a time when Astoria
and Clatsop County are struggling to
increase the supply of housing — espe-
cially affordable rental housing at or
below market rates — Harper’s work is
especially important.
Mike Francis is a longtime Oregon
journalist who has extensively covered
military and veterans issues. He resides
on Astoria’s South Slope.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Change course
athy and I are extremely grateful that
by a supermajority vote, Gearhart res-
idents put the sanctity of our sleepy village
first by rejecting an oversized, unnecessary
and extremely expensive resiliency emer-
gency station.
While Gearhart affirmed common sense
and logic, it also presented a resound-
ing vote of no confidence in our current
leadership.
This landslide vote comes after six
long years of costly effort, and tumultuous
debate, where the city and the Gearhart Vol-
unteer Fire Department ignored much of the
opposition’s concerns to such an extent that
many Gearharters question the city’s cred-
ibility, and wonder if irreparable harm has
come to the fire department.
It’s clear our city leadership failed in
staying in touch with the mainstream of
Gearhart — let’s hope they find the courage
and common sense to change course and
represent all Gearhart residents.
JACK ZIMMERMAN
Gearhart
K
Moving forward
or decades, the No. 1 complaint about
Astoria I hear, from visitors and locals
alike, is the lack of parking.
As much money that comes through the
doors of Astoria as a whole, and the amount
of wealth that calls Astoria home, and now
infrastructure assistance from the federal
government, where are the plans and sites to
solve this problem?
Even more than one parking structure
may need to be built.
I think most feel this wheel has been
greased enough. What is the holdup on
moving forward with something Astoria
has needed for an exceedingly long time?
Unfortunately, if the parking structure had a
brewery or distillery in it, I believe I would
not be writing this today!
TROY HASKELL
Astoria
F
Ray of sunlight
am so appalled at the animosity taking
over my beautiful little town of Gearhart.
It seems to be tearing us apart. It is fueled
by the hatred of its citizens towards one
another. Why? Because we have different
opinions? That is the beauty of a democracy.
We have the right to have different opinions.
I believe a ray of sunlight has appeared.
Our designated mayor, Kerry Smith, will
hopefully be able to mediate a truce. I know
I
him. He is a fair, thoughtful man. He will
listen to both sides. He will try to make
sense of all this.
Please. Let’s all get behind him. He
needs our support.
PENNY SABOL
Gearhart
Betrayal
any of us who live in Cove Beach
feel betrayed by our Clatsop County
Board of Commissioners. It seems that the
commissioners are not interested in what
residents in our part of the county want
— in what we were promised, over past
decades, in the Coastal Residential zone,
meaning that short-term rentals were not a
permitted use in this zone (nor in other resi-
dential zones in the county).
The commissioners are hellbent on
changing every residential zoning ordi-
nance in the county to allow short-term
rentals in every zone. Once this new ordi-
nance is passed, as has already occurred in
our neighborhood, residences will be con-
verted to commercial short-term rental or
“mini-motel” businesses by property owners
and investors who can make a ton of money
M
from their business property. No more
neighbors, and no more neighborhood.
Why are the commissioners making such
a sweeping, life-altering change to every
residential zone in the county?
If this callous, dictatorial behavior con-
cerns you or alarms you (as it does us), then
please contact your commissioner and ask
them why they are taking this action. Please
let us know that you are not happy with this
dramatic and unwarranted change by email
at NorthCoastNeighborsUnited@gmail.com
CHARLES DICE
Arch Cape
What representation?
t’s a sad time for representative govern-
ment in Clatsop County. “Our” board of
county commissioners is poised to approve
a sweeping ordinance, despite overwhelm-
ing opposition from impacted county resi-
dents, that will allow short-term rentals in
every residential zone in the county.
Amazingly, in just a couple of weeks,
county planning staff was able to gather
enough “data” to convince the commis-
sioners to disregard both the 2019 Housing
Strategies Report, cautioning against short-
I
term rentals in residential zones, an in-depth
study comprising months of research in col-
laboration with county and city representa-
tives, and the March 2022 recommendations
of the county’s own Planning Commission,
also objecting to allowing short-term rentals
in residential areas not capable of sustaining
this kind of commercial activity.
At least one commissioner didn’t need
convincing, stating in the April 27 pub-
lic hearing on the matter that she wouldn’t
change her mind regardless of any data
obtained. Does this reflect the open-mind-
edness we expect in our government
representatives?
So, when your neighborhood has
become a resort, and you’re awakened in
the middle of the night by the vacationers
in the house next door, you can thank the
Board of Commissioners, who care more
about the tax revenue brought in by inves-
tors’ commercial endeavors than the quality
of life of the county’s residents.
If you oppose this travesty, please make
your objections known to “our” county
commissioners at commissioners@co.clat-
sop.or.us before the June 22 public hearing
on short-term rentals.
JEFF and DENISE DAVIS
Arch Cape