Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Columbia press. (Astoria, Or.) 1949-current | View Entire Issue (June 26, 2020)
T he C olumbia P ress 1 50 ¢ C latsop C ounty ’ s I ndependent W eekly www.thecolumbiapress.com June 26, 2020 Vol. 4, Issue 26 Brewpub coming to downtown Warrenton b y c indy y ingst Dog park, ducks, recycling center part of city plans The Columbia Press Warrenton is about to get its first brewpub. Partners Jonathan Elliott and Eric Lane are putting the small brewery, Battery 245, in the 1925 Fenton Grocery Building, soon to be the centerpiece of downtown Warren- ton. The partners signed a lease in March with building owner Rus- sell Maize and are working with the Fenton building’s project manager, Weston Roberts. “There were a lot of people interested in the space, but none were the right fit,” Roberts said. “It’s fi- nally the last piece of the puzzle, really. We think it’s going to be Roberts so cool and a great ad- dition to downtown.” Battery 245, named for a World War II gun battery at Fort Stevens, plans a public house with a family side and a 21-and-older side where they’ll serve their craft beer. Even- See ‘Fenton’ on Page 4 The Columbia Press The 1925 Fenton Grocery building in the heart of downtown War- renton will get a grant to help with exterior renovations. Right: A view down South Main Avenue from First Street with Fenton Grocery and Wilson Drugs in the foreground. Photos courtesy Allen Fenton Coronavirus turns budget process into an ordeal The Columbia Press This year’s budget process hasn’t been fun for anyone. Cities, counties and other public- ly run entities have had to scramble and get creative to come up with bal- anced budgets – a requirement of the state, but especially hard during the COVID-19 uncertainty. “While we were very conservative across all funds, it will be necessary to closely monitor expenditures,” War- renton City Manager Linda Engbret- son said. “There was a lot unknown as we were preparing this. … We also budget conservatively all the time, but more so this year.” The pandemic caused unexpected purchases – such as protective shields at counters -- and a decrease in some funds, such as the waiving of penalties on late utility payments. City commissioners approved a $42.19 million budget. The money will go to the water fund and water fund capital reserves, $11.2 million; storm/sewer funds, $5.4 mil- lion; the general fund, $4.95 million; sanitation fund, $1.47 million; and a variety of other funds for parks, mari- nas, vehicle replacement, and more. U rban r enewal a gency Last year, the city’s urban renewal agency completed landscaping proj- ects at Veterans Park, in the power pole bulb-outs on South Main Avenue and at the intersection of South Main with Alternate Highway 101. A small water- See ‘Budget’ on Page 8 Street and park renovation, sewer projects and improved equipment for the police and fire departments are included in the capital improve- ment plan approved Tuesday night by the Warrenton City Commission. The plan, a blueprint for major spending during the next five years, was approved unanimously. There were few changes from the previous year. “It’s important to note on this one that we did not have a CIP work ses- sion,” Mayor Henry Balensifer said. “We decided to keep the programs funded the same. It’s really kind of a carry over.” Carruthers Park is one of the proj- ects that made the list for the 2020- 21 fiscal year. The viewing dock will be removed and replaced, parking will be added, and the dog park will be reconfigured – the small-dog area will move up the hill and muddy ar- eas with drainage issues fixed. The sludge system at the wastewa- ter treatment plant will be netted to keep ducks from diving in and mud- dying up the waters, so to speak. The recycling center behind El Compadre Restaurant will get new lighting and will be paved, with a designated entrance and exit. There are several large road-relat- ed projects slated for the coming fis- cal year. Fourth Street between Main Ave- nue and Robinson Community Park will be widened, sidewalks installed and power lines placed underground. The intersection of Main Avenue with Ninth Street – a primary route and current bottleneck for drivers See ‘Improvements’ on Page 6