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About The Columbia press. (Astoria, Or.) 1949-current | View Entire Issue (March 1, 2019)
8 March 1, 2019 T he C olumbia P ress Fort Clatsop Visitor Center to get renovation Lewis and Clark National Historical Park is preparing an Environmental Assessment to analyze the impacts from a proposed improvement proj- ect at the Fort Clatsop Visitor Center. The Visitor Center at Lewis and Clark National Park was constructed in 1963 as part of the National Park Service’s “Mission 66” initiative and underwent a major expansion and renovation in 1991. Numerous safety and acces- sibility issues have developed that need to be corrected, park officials said, and energy ef- ficiency in its operation also needs improvement. The Fort Clatsop Visitor Cen- ter welcomed 200,000 visitors in 2018. The Park is looking at im- proving the visitor experience and the building in the follow- ing areas: • Renovating the existing re- strooms, including a new fam- ily restroom area. • Expanding the enclosed entryway to improve visitor orientation and correct acces- sibility issues. • Upgrading the energy ef- ficiency of the building by re- placing outdated heating and cooling systems, replacing light fixtures, improving the building’s insulation, and re- placing some windows. • Improving safety with fire sprinkler changes and mod- ernized exits. • Increasing the storage ca- pacity of the curator’s storage room. • Creating a space for groups to gather outside. The project has the potential to cause short-term impacts to visitors. Portions of the Visi- tor Center could be closed to visitors and staff for up to 6 months. The park is considering bringing in trailers to serve as a temporary visitor center and office space. A tanked trailer restroom system will Courtesy Fort Clatsop The Visitor Center at Fort Clatsop was built in 1963 and is pro- posed for a major renovation. be used to provide accessible restrooms during construc- tion. Ranger programs at the fort site and access to the fort are not expected to be impacted. After an in-depth look at the project, an Environmental As- sessment will be prepared. It will provide an analysis of alternatives to meet proj- ect objectives, evaluate is- sues and impacts to Lewis and Clark National Historical Park’s resources and values, and identify ways to minimize the impacts. Public comments are wel- come until March 15 at the fol- lowing website: parkplanning. nps.gov/FortClatsopVCScop- ing or in a letter to Superinten- dent, Lewis and Clark Nation- al Historical Park, Attention: Visitor Center Improvements, 92343 Fort Clatsop Road, As- toria, Oregon 97103. Comments will be consid- ered during preparation of the Environmental Assessment. Astoria Sunday Market in- vites young people from kin- dergarten through 12th grade to tour the Astoria Studio Col- lective on Saturday, March 16, to meet artists and enjoy a hands-on activity. Afterward, the group will gather in the upstairs confer- ence room to talk about cre- ating a product to sell at the market as a Biz Kid project for the 2019 season. The event is free and includes a sack lunch. Reservations should be made by March 12 by email to AstoriaSundayMarket@ gmail.com or by calling 503- 325-1010. Biz Kidz earn business expe- riences by selling their goods at Astoria Sunday Market, which provides them with tents, tables, and chairs. Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent, will be observed with the dis- tribution of ashes at noon on March 6 at St. Francis de Sales, 867 Fifth Ave., Ham- mond. Stations of the Cross begins at 3 p.m. Friday, March 8, also at St. Francis. Stations of the Cross also will be ob- served at 6 p.m. Friday at St. Mary, Star of the Sea, 1491 Grand Ave., Astoria, followed by a soup and bread dinner in the auditorium. Young entrepreneurs sought St. Francis begins Stations of Cross