4A | TUESDAY EDITION | NOVEMBER 10, 2020
Siuslaw News
P.O. Box 10
Florence, OR 97439
NED HICKSON , EDITOR
| 541-902-3520 | NHICKSON @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM
Opinion
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We can all agree on appreciation for our veterans
ranging from whimsy to precious right to vote.
woe.
I understand that this
As I listened, I noticed election has been as con-
one topic that was missing troversial as it is historic,
from today’s discussion necessitating a deeper con-
versation about the state of
topics:
our nation and its divided,
Our veterans.
Driving to work this
morning, talk radio sta-
tions were full of the con-
tinuing discussion and
Ned Hickson
debate over the Nov. 3
elections.
Hosts grilled pollsters,
questioned campaign strat-
Without the funda- evolving identity.
But tomorow, let’s make
egists and prognosticated mental right we have as a
about what could happen democracy to vote, there sure that we put those
in the weeks and months would be no election to conversations on hold and
leading up to Jan. 20.
discuss — and without the recognize those who have
Guests expressed either service and sacrifice made protected our right to have
their exuberance or dis- by others in defense of our those conversations in the
may over the results while nation, there would be no first place.
Generations of Ameri-
pundits made predictions republic to afford us that
From the Editor’s Desk
cans have given their time
and their very lives so that
we could cast a vote and ex-
ercise our right, as Ameri-
cans, to disagree openly
with each other under the
Constitution.
Just for tomorrow, let’s
put our differences aside
and agree that our veter-
ans — of all eras, branch-
es of service, at home and
abroad — deserve our at-
tention, respect and appre-
ciation.
Thanks to them, there
will be plenty of time in the
days ahead to disagree with
one another.
But tomorrow, we can all
agree on the appreciation
we share for our veterans.
Quince Street project will require investment in more than just bottom line
(Editor’s Note: Viewpoint submis-
sions on this and other topics are al-
ways welcome as part of our goal to
encourage community discussion and
exchange of perspectives.)
As one of the leading hoteliers in
Florence, we took interest in the Sat-
urday, Oct. 31 article, “FURA selects
development partner: Proposal
could lead to 90-room hotel on
Quince.”
Hoagland Properties is looking
forward to the time when Florence
can expand its hospitality capacity
with additional tourism, conven-
tions, tradeshows and concerts. A
hotel directly across the street from
the Florence Events Center would be
fabulous — under the right conditions
and with the right supporting infra-
structure.
We have expressed interest to the
city for more than a year about pos-
sibly expanding our hotel operations
at the Quince Street location. That is
why we were surprised that our first
knowledge of the Requests for Ex-
pressions of Interest (REI) process
was when we read the Siuslaw News
article.
The city apparently met the neces-
sary minimum legal requirements for
announcing and receiving proposals,
but we believe a little extra hometown
due diligence involving more local
businesses would have been nice.
There are no delusions of grandeur
that we would have necessarily sub-
mitted the best REI for the city. Yet it
stings that, as a vital part of Florence’s
hospitality industry, we weren’t part of
the process, nor did decision-makers
bother to reach out to us: a phone call,
email or a courtesy “heads-up.”
It wouldn’t have taken much.
Additionally, we’ve found other ho-
teliers, as well as some of the city’s big-
gest realty companies, were unaware
of the city’s REI search. Poor commu-
nication and impeccably bad timing
during a global pandemic which sent
the hospitality industry into a tailspin,
predictions of a projected slow recov-
ery, and many hotel developers in a
holding pattern — all are substantial
reasons for the city to have delayed its
REI process.
All this considered, the city has not
done anything wrong, we just believe
tember. Keep in mind that the city’s
existing tourism supporting cast
and infrastructure, such as restau-
rants, can barely handle our current
summer-time visitors — and there
is abundant hotel capacity the other
nine months of the year.
Our industry, and the community
at-large, deserves to understand all
the concessions the city is willing to
give a new player that they won’t be
giving to local existing businesses.
By Ron Moore
Many of these existing businesses
President, Hoagland Properties, Inc. have been ardent supporters of the
River House Inn, Old Town Inn
city and the FEC over its 24 years of
existence.
they didn’t get all interested parties to
The oft-misquoted “If you build it,
the table, paid little attention to mar- they will come” from the 1989 mov-
ket dynamics, and didn’t communi- ie “Field of Dreams” is a poor model
cate well enough with the local inter- for the city to follow. Florence should
ests. This leaves us wondering about not risk its existing businesses hoping
the urgency of the deal, and the un- a “legacy project” makes guests and
necessary concessions they might be conventions magically appear.
giving up to get this deal done.
If the city wants to get this right,
Hotel expansion in Florence should they should develop high-density
be based only on current and rea- housing, including a large selection of
sonably projected future communi- studio or small single-bedroom apart-
ty needs and include the following: ments used exclusively for the work-
a reasonable analysis of a project’s force. Combine this with mid-size
short- and long-term impact on exist- living spaces, geared toward mid-level
ing Florence businesses; fact-based as- wage earners, and a selection of luxu-
sumptions regarding the FEC’s ability ry river-view spaces that could either
to draw conventions and events caus- be sold or used as short-term vacation
ing a need for extra hotel capacity; and rentals. Then adding a hotel to the site
complete transparency and commu- would make more sense for the city.
nication with all interested members
Unfortunately, to do it right means
of the city’s lodging industry, as well the developer, owners, and investors
as others that serve the city’s tourism have to be more interested and in-
industry.
vested in the Florence community
Each year, Florence experiences an than their bottom line. Had we known
annual tourism recession. We call it a formal REI was being sought, we
fall, winter and spring. The city also would have worked in the direction
suffers from a shortage of entry level of providing for a better Florence, not
workers for its tourism industry. This just a profitable enterprise.
is further compounded by Florence’s
We openly invite members of the
shortage of affordable housing which, city and FURA to meet with us, and
along with its geographic location, other interested parties of the local
prevents our labor pool from growing lodging industry, to discuss current
significantly.
trends and realistically examine future
Extra hotel rooms might be filled projections.
from late June through mid-Sep-
Guest Viewpoint
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WHERE TO WRITE
Pres. Donald Trump
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, D.C. 20500
Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461
TTY/TDD Comments:
202-456-6213
www.whitehouse.gov
Oregon Gov.
Kate Brown
160 State Capitol
900 Court St.
Salem, Ore. 97301-4047
Governor’s Citizens’ Rep.
Message Line:
503-378-4582
www.oregon.gov/gov
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden
221 Dirksen Senate Office
Bldg
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-5244
541-431-0229
www.wyden.senate.gov
U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley
313 Hart Senate Office Bldg
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-3753
FAX: 202-228-3997
541-465-6750
www.merkley.senate.gov
U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio
(4th Dist.)
2134 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515
202-225-6416
541-269-2609
541-465-6732
www.defazio.house.gov
State Sen. Arnie Roblan
(Dist. 5)
900 Court St. NE - S-417
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1705
FAX: 503-986-1080
Email: Sen.ArnieRoblan@
oregonlegislature.gov
State Rep.
Caddy McKeown
(Dist. 9)
900 Court St. NE
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1409
Email: rep.caddymckeown
@oregonlegislature.gov
West Lane County
Commissioner
Jay Bozievich
125 E. Eighth St.
Eugene, OR 97401
541-682-4203
FAX: 541-682-4616
Email: Jay.Bozievich@
co.lane.or.us