T he C olumbia P ress
1
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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