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About The Columbia press. (Astoria, Or.) 1949-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 27, 2017)
T he C olumbia P ress 1 50 ¢ C latsop C ounty ’ s I ndependent W eekly n eWspaper 503-861-3331 October 27, 2017 To protect and serve Two new police officers sworn in Photos by Cindy Yingst Vol. 1, Issue 43 Plans approved for apartments near food bank B y C indy y ingst The Columbia Press Plans for Pacific Ridge, a 68-unit upscale apartment complex next to the regional food bank, have been approved with minor conditions, a move that will chip away at the area’s housing shortage. The approval did not come without some fuss by Warrenton planning commission- ers, who wanted to see a park, playground and covered bus stop as part of the 8.8-acre project. “If certainly fills a need in the county for workforce housing,” Commissioner Chris Hayward said. “That’s been one of our big- gest concerns. These guys have spent the money (on design) and it’s a nice plan.” The strangely shaped tract on the west side of Ensign Drive has high-voltage power lines, wetlands and a 100-year storm reten- tion pond within its boundaries, making it Clockwise from top right: Sheridan Crutcher, 29, (left) and Christopher Beem, 25, take the oath of office at difficult to design and locate the buildings Tuesday night’s City Commission meeting. Crutcher smiles as his wife, Brooke, struggles to affix his badge. and parking areas. Beem, a former supervisor in the tire department at Costco, is pinned by his wife, Kristen, as Chief Matt “We talked about this (playground issue) Workman -- and Beem’s daughter, Eliana -- stand by. previously,” said John Edwards, an engi- neer with Otak working on behalf of devel- oper Dick Krueger. “The high-voltage lines bisect the property. Honestly, the only place Best Storage north of Harbor Drive. them,” Leitch said. “This ordinance you could site a park is under those lines.” B y C indy y ingst “The ordinance as written amounts treats my small business as if I’m a The developer already donated an adja- The Columbia Press cent tract of land to the city for a future park, to a regulatory taking of a business See ‘Apartments’ on Page 4 A push by Warrenton’s mayor to owner’s property,” Raju said. “It’s as troublemaker and a blight on the eliminate mini-storage facilities if a surgeon walked into the surgical city. It’s anti-business and way too downtown backfired when the Plan- theater and brought a hatchet with broad.” Several other property owners ning Commission rejected a propos- him instead of his surgical tools. It’s spoke against the proposed change al that would have banned them ev- poorly drafted, … overly broad and to the city code, which deletes erywhere west of Highway 101. overly generalizing.” “mini-warehouses or similar stor- About 20 people came to a hearing Leitch said he owns a second piece age uses” from the list of businesses last week to speak against the plan. of property adjacent to his storage “This raises significant legal con- units near Warrenton Marina and is allowed in commercial areas west cerns,” said Sunil Raju, a lawyer in negotiations for a third with plans of Highway 101. “I don’t understand why you representing Paul Leitch, who owns to expand his business. would cut such a harsh line,” said Sturgeon Paul’s as well as America’s “It’s not fair to simply prohibit See ‘Mini-storage’ on Page 5 Artist’s rendering of Pacific Rim Apartments. City considers restricting locations of mini-storage units
