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About The Columbia press. (Astoria, Or.) 1949-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 16, 2018)
T he C olumbia P ress 1 50 ¢ C latsop C ounty ’ s I ndependent W eekly n eWspaper www.thecolumbiapress.com Vol. 2, Issue 46 November 16, 2018 The struggles of developing along busy Highway 101 Proponents of Tractor Wendy’s and Panda Supply Co. say city has Express pose unique too many rules traffic headaches B C y y The Columbia Press New construction along Highway 101 can be a mixed bag. Arguably, it’s the best place for large com- mercial developments, but everything that goes in has the potential to disrupt traffic patterns and contribute to collisions. With a Wendy’s fast-food restaurant set to break ground, a farm store proposed off Marlin Avenue and more high-tech and commercial projects headed to the North Coast Business Park, it’s a busy time for city planners. And city rules that have been in place for decades don’t always have the teeth or depth needed to govern every situation. On Nov. 8, city commissioners and plan- ning commissioners held a joint meeting A developer wants to build a 19,000-square-foot farm and garden supply store along High- way 101 behind Les Schwab. See ‘Fast food’ on Page 6 B y C indy y ingst The Columbia Press A severe housing shortage has led to a creative solution by one large employer, but some residents contend Pacific Sea- foods’ idea stinks. “For the life of me, we cannot find enough units to house our workers,” said Mike Miliucci, the company’s spe- cial projects attorney tasked with solv- ing the problem. “Pacific Seafood is not really interested in entering the housing market … but we’re trying to solve an is- sue for our business.” ingst Developers of a farm and garden store off Highway 101 found themselves at odds with the city last week. Trondheim Acres LLC, a partnership be- tween Wes Giesbricht and Warrenton Fiber Co., owns the 16.5-acre property behind Les Schwab. The company seeks approval on a 2.7-acre portion of the site that would house the 19,000-square-foot Tractor Supply Co. store and become an anchor for the rest of the vacant land. Tractor Supply is a national retail chain based in Tennessee. The closest store to Warrenton is in Kelso, Wash. “There are a number of fatal flaws with their application,” Community Develop- ment Director Kevin Cronin told Planning Commissioners Nov. 8. “Right now, it’s a recommended denial.” See ‘Tractor Supply’ on Page 5 Company’s housing solution is ‘bold’ Some decry Pacific Seafood’s proposal indy The Columbia Press B y C indy y ingst The company has 92 full-time work- ers today, but needs 260 to 280 to run at full capacity, said Hiram Cho, the company’s production and staff man- ager. Seafood processing is seasonal and many of Pacific’s employees are tempo- rary, transient and unskilled. The com- pany proposes turning the former Pa- cific Fabricators’ metal shop, which it owns, into an employee-only dormitory with an on-site house manager, cook and house rules. Much of the area along the Columbia River is designated water-dependent industrial shorelands. Both the state and city must be convinced that allow- ing a bunkhouse for employees of wa- ter-dependent industries is a good idea. See ‘Pacific Seafood’ on Page 4 Warrenton’s Thanksgiving feast Residents are invited to a Com- munity Day of Thanks from noon to 3 p.m. Thanksgiving Day at Warrenton Community Center, 170 S.W. Third St. It’s the eighth year the group Thankful Hearts has offered the free community Thanksgiving meal. “We have received so many pos- itive comments from communi- ty members over the past seven years who are thankful we are here for them,” said Dianne Burk- hart who, along with other fami- ly and friends, has organized the event since 2011. “This year we will be working alongside the VFW Auxiliary, who we will pass the reins onto for the coming years,” she said. The group served just over 200 meals its first year. Last year, more than 300 attended. Home delivery is available from Knappa to Seaside for those who can’t make it to the center. To sign up for home delivery, call Carl Burkhart by Wednesday at 503-861-1355 and leave your name, address, phone number and the number of meals need- ed. If you’d like to volunteer to help prep on Wednesday or to serve in the kitchen or dining room on Thursday, call Dianne Burkhart at 503-739-0661.