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About The Columbia press. (Astoria, Or.) 1949-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 22, 2017)
T he C olumbia P ress December 22, 2017 Fort Pointe project gets another approval The Columbia Press Fort Pointe ad e Ro Ridg Fort Stevens Wetlands Developers of Fort Pointe received unanimous approv- al in their first subdivision request for the 480-home planned-unit development south of the KOA. But it was not without a struggle. Developers initially had no plans to build neighborhood parks within the project, pro- posed sidewalks of asphalt on one side of the street only and requested narrower roads. “This is a planned-unit de- velopment; it’s not supposed to conform to the cookie-cut- ter,” Adam Dailey, an engi- neer working on behalf of the developer, told the Warren- ton Planning Commission in a Dec. 14 public hearing. But commissioners stuck to the conditions they’d placed on the project in August. “I think it’s a little bit cra- zy a development of this size wouldn’t have sidewalks on both sides,” Commissioner Ryan Lampi said. Members of the project KOA campground team contended the city was changing its conditions. “We have good ideas on what we’d like to put in and want to move forward,” Sur- veyor Dale Barrett said. The city imposed a new rule about parks 18 days af- ter the application was in, he said. “Keep in mind we’ve been trying to keep up with things as they’ve been passed … but that’s difficult with the changing goalposts.” After a brief break, devel- opers returned to the podium and told commissioners they agree to build 28-feet-wide local roads within the project and concrete sidewalks on both sides of the road. Their proposal Dec. 14 in- cluded 53,000 square feet of space for several small parks built among the homes, which will be maintained by homeowners association dues. “I think they’ve made a lot of concessions,” Planning Commissioner Paul Mitchell said. “They’re being a good steward for the community.” Commissioner Ken Yuill agreed. “The demand for building lots, I don’t think I’ve ever seen it this great be- fore.” Special election deals with health care funding Health care funding is the focus of a special election set for Jan. 23 throughout the state. State Ballot Measure 101 asks voters to approve or re- ject temporary assessments created as part of House Bill 2391, enacted by the 2017 Or- egon Legislature to address health care funding issues. Voters’ pamphlets go out Dec. 26, followed by ballots on Jan. 2. The bill provided funding to cover the cost of provid- ing health care to low-income adults, children, families and individuals with disabilities, and to stabilize premiums charged by insurance com- panies for health insurance purchased by individuals and Register to vote You can register at the Clatsop County Elections Office (820 Exchange St., 2nd Floor, Astoria), at a post office, public library or the state Department of Motor Vehicles office. You can also register online at sos.oregon.gov/ voting. families. The bill placed a 1.5 percent assessment on premiums charged by health insurance companies, the Public Em- ployees’ Benefit Board, and managed care organizations for a two-year period. It also added a 0.7 percent assessments on the net rev- enue of some hospitals from Oct. 6, 2017, through July 1, 2019. The measure asks voters to approve or reject the assess- ments and specifies that in- surance companies may not increase health insurance premiums by more than 1.5 percent to cover the assess- ments. If the measure passes, the assessments on some hospi- tals will be approved, subject to approval by a federal agen- cy. If the measure does not pass, the assessments will be rejected, or delayed until ap- proved by a federal agency. The last day to register to vote in the election is Jan. 2. Measure details can be found on the county’s website. 3 Wauna Credit Union will serve cannabis industry with new software For the first time since pot was legalized in Oregon, a local credit union has stepped in to serve their business banking needs. Wauna Credit Union an- nounced a partnership this week with Hypur, a finan- cial technology company in Scottsdale, Arizona. The partnership means Wauna can offer compli- ant, transparent banking services to cannabis-relat- ed businesses through Hy- pur’s software, the Clats- kanie-based credit union announced in a press re- lease. Wauna has more than 25,000 members in Oregon and Washington. “Wauna CU believes that providing banking access to CRBs benefits not only the businesses themselves, but the entire community by bringing transparency and accountability to the canna- bis industry,” Wauna wrote in their announcement. “As a new industry that poses unique banking challenges, Wauna CU has taken care- ful steps in ensuring their full compliance with state and federal law and policy.” Marijuana is listed feder- ally as a “Schedule I” drug – a designation that includes LSD, heroin and ecstasy. Despite its legalization in Oregon, Washington, Cal- ifornia and other states, it remains illegal on the fed- eral level. Some banks have feared they’d be held criminally lia- ble should a marijuana busi- ness run afoul of the law. Cannabis businesses have had to be cash-only, mak- ing them vulnerable to rob- beries. “Serving the CRB indus- try, we become part of the solution and not part of the problem,” said Robert Blumberg, chief executive officer and president of Wauna. Inquiries about Wauna Credit Union’s Cannabis Business Solutions account applications and opening procedures can be made by calling 800-773-3236. Subscribe A great last-minute Christmas gift to yourself or someone else. A full-year subscription to The Columbia Press is just $26 by mail in-county. A full-year subscription outside Clatsop County is just $30 by mail. An online subscription is only $22 for a whole year! 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