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January 11, 2019
T he C olumbia P ress
Dorms: Pacific Seafoods’ plan approved
Continued from Page 1
owner) is attempting now to
get our city to roll over, play
dead and help him increase
his profits by putting one of
our neighborhoods at risk of
lowering home values, safety
and a peaceful existence our
citizens have earned and de-
sire,” wrote Loren Gramson,
who formerly worked in the
seafood industry. “It matters
not if he didn’t plan ahead for
‘seasonal’ workers.”
Mike Balensifer, Mayor Hen-
ry Balensifer’s father, spoke
in support. His mother owns
property near the project on
Northwest Warrenton Drive
that he may develop.
“I lend my support for histo-
ry repeating itself,” Mike Bal-
ensifer said. “It would be nice
to be able to process all of our
seafood here. … I’m not here to
say ‘no.’ I’m here to say ‘yes.’ ”
Sixteen other residents
signed a letter asking for spe-
cific limits on the project,
should the amendment be ap-
proved.
Commissioners chose to
make company dormitories
a conditional use in the zone,
allowing them to place condi-
tions on the construction and
operation. These include:
• All dorm residents must
work for the industrial wa-
ter-dependent company and,
should the ownership change
on either the lot or the sea-
food company, the specialized
Pam Ackley, Broker
Pacific Sea-
foods plans to
turn a portion of
its metal fabri-
cation shop off
Warrenton Drive
into dorms for
employees.
Peggy Yingst
The Columbia Press
housing will cease to operate. ton said he’d spoken recently
• The company must pro- with an administrator at Fort
vide bus transportation to and Stevens State Park who told
from the work place for dorm him the park would love to
residents.
do something similar since
• The company must de- housing is so hard to find,
velop a plan for running the especially for lower-income
dorm that includes removing seasonal workers.
terminated employees.
“This could affect other in-
• The company must have dustries, so I want to get it
a good-neighbor agreement right,” Newton said.
with both the city and the
Many property owners in
neighbors.
the I-2 Industrial Water-De-
• The conditional-use agree- pendent Shorelands zone
ment will be reviewed by the have found it nearly impos-
commission two years after sible to get projects approved
approval and, if the company because of the restrictions,
shows violations, there could Commissioner Pam Ackley
be additional conditions said.
placed on it.
“Making it a conditional use
“The evidence is over- gives us the most protection,”
whelming that housing is she said. “If this works, we
both expensive and difficult have a lot of I-2 properties
to find,” said Michael Rob- rendered useless that could
inson, an attorney working find a solution.”
on behalf of Pacific Seafood.
“Approving this … is a rea-
sonable approach to solving
a problem that, if not solved,
will have a direct and adverse
City Recorder Dawne Shaw
impact on the city.”
has been named Region I di-
Commissioner Rick New- rector of the
Oregon As-
sociation of
Municipal
Recorders.
She
also
recently was
promoted to
Shaw
her current
city position
after serving as deputy city
recorder.
She has served as acting
recorder since Linda Eng-
bretson, who previously held
the position, was named city
manager in October 2016.
City recorder gets
regional title