T he C olumbia P ress
May 8, 2020
3
Warrenton will take hard look at commercial, industrial land
The Columbia Press
City commissioners have
dissolved one advisory panel
– Warrenton Business Asso-
ciation – while establishing
another – the Economic De-
velopment Strategy Advisory
Committee.
Thirteen business and com-
munity leaders were appoint-
ed to the new committee, de-
signed to guide and provide
feedback on available com-
mercial and industrial prop-
erty in the city.
In the fall, the city learned
it had been approved
kind of economic de-
for a $70,000 Eco-
velopment opportuni-
nomic Opportunities
ties do we have based
Analysis grant from
on the land we have,”
the state to plan and
Mayor Henry Balen-
designate an adequate
sifer said.
amount of land for
During the past two
future
commercial
years, the city con-
and industrial de-
ducted an available
velopment. Another
housing
inventory
Cronin
$10,000 in matching
and also participated in
funds were kicked in by the a countywide housing needs
city’s general fund and urban assessment.
renewal district.
While this survey is similar,
“We want to know where it’s limited to business and
in our community and what industrial land.
“We have a lot of undevel-
oped industrial land,” Balen-
sifer said. This type of land
provides “high-paying and
has been changed to en-
long-term jobs.”
hancing the city’s “economy
Community Development
and livability.”
Director
Kevin Cronin is ne-
Other new uses for the
gotiating
a contract and scope
fees:
of
work
with Seattle-based
•Purchases of public safe-
Community
Attributes Inc.
ty equipment.
to
conduct
the
survey. And a
•Blight and nuisance
group
of
area
business
lead-
abatement, including im-
ers
was
appointed
April
28
provement projects that
to
put
the
survey
into
action,
will increase property val-
which could include devising
ues or visibility for busi-
strategies for marketing the
nesses.
available land.
•Grants to the local Main
“Success for this project,
Street program.
in
my mind, depends on our
•Grants
to
nonprofit
ability
to have a ‘strategic’
groups whose efforts im-
perspective
in terms of the
prove the economic value
types
of
business
sectors that
or viability of businesses or
we
should
…
support”
with
business districts.
city
policy,
Cronin
said.
“It
•Events that celebrate
needs
to
be
feasible,
reason-
national, state or local hol-
able, and based on good data
idays or festivals, such as
and economic trends.”
public movies or games.
Larger businesses that lo-
cate in Warrenton should be
a “good fit,” he added. They
should respect local culture,
offer living-wage jobs of $17
to thank them for their pa- per hour or more, offer ca-
triotism to the community reer advancement, and, ide-
ally, produce a product that’s
and country.
To date, the post has given exported outside the county.
Those appointed to the
85 awards to Warrenton cit-
committee are:
izens.
•David Reid, executive di-
To nominate yourself or
someone else, contact VFW rector of Astoria-Warrenton
members Mel or Betsy Jas- Area Chamber of Commerce.
•Jeannie Smith, Main Street
min at 503-861-2030.
City leaders disband WBA
Warrenton city commis-
sioners took final action
April 28 to disband War-
renton Business Associa-
tion, a group of appointed
business
representatives
who provided input on how
money collected through
business license fees should
be spent.
Those doing business in
the city pay annual fees of
$60, plus $5 per employee.
The task of deciding how
business fees can be spent
now will be decided solely
by the commission, which
also chose to change what’s
eligible for business licence
fee money.
The purpose of the fee
initially was to provide rev-
enue for “enhancing the
business community.” That
Post seeks patriots flying flag
The Veterans of Foreign
Wars, Fort Stevens Post
10580, is on the lookout for
those flying the flag.
VFW members will stop
by the homes of those
spotted flying the Ameri-
can flag in Warrenton or
Hammond and return with
a Patriotic Citizen Award
Market owner and member of
Spruce Up Warrenton.
•Mike Moore, a supervisor
at Hampton Lumber.
•John Nygaard, Nygaard
Logging/Warrenton Fiber.
•Kevin Leahy, CEDR/Small
Business Development Cen-
ter.
•Andrew Bornstein, co-own-
er of Bornstein Seafoods.
•Matthew Vineyard, repre-
sentative of Pacific Fabrica-
tion.
•Tom Rogozinski, superin-
tendent of Warrenton-Ham-
mond School District.
•Mark Popkin, commercial
real estate broker.
•Gary Kobes, airport man-
ager for Port of Astoria.
•Melanie Olson, regional
development officer for Busi-
ness Oregon.
•Lisa Phipps, North Coast
representative for Depart-
ment of Land Conservation
and Development.
•Lylla Gaebel, Warrenton
Planning commissioner.