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About Cannon Beach gazette. (Cannon Beach, Or.) 1977-current | View Entire Issue (May 20, 2016)
MAY 20, 2016 • VOL. 40, ISSUE 11 WWW.CANNONBEACHGAZETTE.COM COMPLIMENTARY COPY Task force aims to meet housing need Aff ordable, workforce units to be considered By Lyra Fontaine Cannon Beach Gazette For the fi rst time, members of an a fford- able h ousing t ask f orce saw concept designs of potential housing developments for those who work in Cannon Beach and need an affordable place to live. Portland architect Brian Carleton of Car- leton Hart Architecture presented six drawings of what 49 affordable units could look like at two sites identifi ed by the task force: the Spruce Street downtown parking lot and the RV p ark. The shortage of affordable housing is a growing problem on the North Coast, but cit- ies have struggled to fi nd solutions. Economic experts have cautioned that the lack of housing could hinder job growth and economic devel- opment. The units in Cannon Beach would be for people in the area’s median-income, not low-in- come, range. The housing is for residents who make 75 to 105 percent of the county’s average income, City Manager Brant Kucera said. See Housing, Page 7A NEW FIRE CHIEF Cannon Beach boosts budget by a third City seeks to purchase former school building By Lyra Fontaine Cannon Beach Gazette Cannon Beach Fire Chief Matt Benedict familiarizes himself at the Cannon Beach fi rehouse. LYRA FONTAINE/CANNON BEACH GAZETTE New CB fi re chief wants to ‘bring out potential’ By Lyra Fontaine Cannon Beach Gazette A fter an in-depth selection process, former Pendleton fi re marshal and Helix fi re dis- trict chief Matt Benedict has accepted the position of fi re chief as Cannon Beach Ru- ral Fire Protection District. “I’m just excited to be here,” he said. “This is the last step for me, to become a fi re chief in a large organiza- tion.” Benedict, 47, will begin June 1, but is currently in Cannon Beach transitioning into his new position with interim Fire Chief Jim Stearns. His salary will be $80,000. Cannon Beach has been without a permanent fi re chief since October, when former Chief Mike Balzer was dismissed. See Fire Chief, Page 3A LYRA FONTAINE/CANNON BEACH GAZETTE Matt Benedict gets a leg up at the Cannon Beach fi rehouse. What can a city do with an elementary school located in the tsunami zone? Cannon Beach residents could soon fi nd out, as the city has budgeted a $665,000 loan for the purchase and remediation of the old Cannon Beach Ele- mentary School site. Staff recommended a signifi cantly larger proposed budget Wednesday at the fi rst budget committee meeting for the upcoming fi scal year. The budget includes acquisition of the former elementary school site and other capital projects. The budget is up 31 percent from the cur- rent year, mostly due to transfers, loan pro- ceeds and capital grants and projects, accord- ing to City Manager Brant Kucera’s report. “I believe this budget represents the true costs of maintaining and improving city - owned assets that have been neglected in the past,” Kucera said in the proposal, adding that the city is “investing heavily in our future.” The proposed budget for the upcoming fi s- cal year is $19. 7 million, compared to $14. 6 million for this fi scal year. Capital projects — like the City Hall reno- vation, water and sewer master plans, acquiring the old school property and constructing the pro- posed Fir Street pedestrian bridge — account for about three-fourths of the budget’s increase, Kucera said after the budget committee meeting. The proposed budget includes $100,000 for the City Hall remodel, $135,000 for the master plans and $250,000 for the city’s RV p ark in- frastructure project’s second phase. PAID Manzanita marijuana sales PERMIT NO. 97 ASTORIA, OR PRSRT STD US POSTAGE See Budget, Page 6A Up in the air Citizens will weigh in on what’s best for their city in November By Dave Fisher For the Cannon Beach Gazette DAVE FISHER/FOR CANNON BEACH GAZETTE Looking to expand their business, Hannah Hayes and Andrew Buck, owners of Oregon Coast Cannabis in Manzanita, have to await the results of this November’s election in or- der to do so. While the Cannon Beach City Council opened the door to dispensaries and recreation- al sales of marijuana earlier this spring, 13 miles to the south the future of marijuana sales in Manzanita is still very much up in the air, at least until the November election. In November 2014, Oregon voters approved Ballot Measure 91, which provided for the pro- duction, processing, wholesale and retail sale of non-medical marijuana under the direction of the Oregon Liquor Control Com- mission. The Pine Grove pre- cinct, which includes Manzanita and unincorporated Neahkahnie and Bayside Gardens, approved the measure with 66 percent of voters in favor. However, only 367 voters out of 998 who cast ballots lived within Manzanita’s city limits. According to Tilla- mook County election offi cials, there is no way to go back and determine what the vote was on Measure 91 within Manzanita. See Pot, Page 7A