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About Cannon Beach gazette. (Cannon Beach, Or.) 1977-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 24, 2018)
4A • August 24, 2018 | Cannon Beach Gazette | cannonbeachgazette.com Views from the Rock Watching costs, assessing permit delay I n a region where generations have venerated the spawning salmon of Coho and China creeks as they traveled to the Neawanna River, salmon pro- tection looms large in the $100 million campus building project that has ballooned to more than $123 million. Caution flags are flying for both the schedule and budget of the new Seaside middle and high school campus in the Seaside School District 10’s project sum- mary. Scheduling changes for fall and winter work, size reductions in the campus and tough deci- sions on building materials have already been logged in the project approved by voters in 2016. Regulatory delays, along with unforeseen impacts like weather and the economy, could shape a project that aims to have all district students in their seats at the new campus by September 2020. R.J. MARX View from the new campus site in early July. Army Corps A June timeline anticipated permit approvals by July 18 from the Department of State Lands and Army Corps of Engineers. The school district had proposed a combination of stream enhance- ment, wetland and swale creation to meet regulatory concerns about on-site waterways. The Department of State Lands signed off on the permit applica- tion July 26. The Army Corps has yet to do so. “The initial mitigation plan sub- mitted by Seaside School District didn’t adequately offset the im- pacts to wetlands and streams that their proposed construction would incur,” said Army Corps’ Public Affairs Specialist Jeffrey Henon earlier this month. “We are waiting for them to submit a revised mitiga- tion plan that meets those impacts. “We have been working with quality people that just kind of pushed (up) their sleeves and said, ‘OK, let’s figure it out another way,’” Seaside School District Su- perintendent Sheila Roley said. While Army Corps’ approv- al delay is not unusual, Project Manager Jim Henry said its timing could have the greatest impact. In their latest submission, de- livered in mid-August, the district pivoted to “compensatory mitiga- tion” — offering environmental actions at other locations to offset impacts to the original site. School district consultant Jack Dalton designed a trade-off designating more wetland mitiga- tion at school property along U.S. Highway 101, Henry said. The revised application calls for a perimeter on district-owned land behind the bus barn along Neawanna Creek, into which China Creek and Coho Creek both flow. “We’re in the same watershed,” Henry said. “Now everything seems to be running on the right path.” Budget caution In November 2016, district voters approved a bond of $99.7 million to build a new campus to replace schools located in the tsu- nami zone. That price tag original- ly included professional services and district expenses. According to the July 2018 progress report, the total project cost stands at more than $123 million. Expenses for construction alone totals almost $100 million. Professional services and district expenses comprise the remainder. Construction for the middle and high school building has been adjusted from $43 million in 2016 to almost $59 million today. The per-student cost, estimated at $82,034 in 2016, is now above $96,000. ‘Efficiencies’ Despite the increases, the bud- get is “on track,” Henry said. Part of that comes from project cutbacks. Earlier this year, architects CANNON SHOTS R.J. MARX reduced the building footprint by about 15 percent, trimming square footage and adding a third-floor to the middle- and high-school build- ing to reduce foundation costs. Additional “efficiencies” announced this month come in plumbing fixtures, roof drains, floor tile and construction materi- als — about 40 items at $30,000 or $40,000 each, Henry said. To match expenses, the district lists revenues of $110 million in bond sales, with $5.4 million in state matching bonds and interest. Property assets — disposition of the current high school building, Broadway Middle School, Cannon Beach Elementary and Gearhart Elementary School — are antici- pated to total $7 million, a “conser- vative estimate” Henry said. Work on the Seaside Heights Elementary School renovation and addition is scheduled for mid-Sep- tember. Site-clearing, erosion-con- trol, excavation and foundation work will continue throughout the winter and the access road from the Heights to the new campus site is tentatively rescheduled for 2019. Hoffman Construction is work- ing six days a week to get as much done as possible before the rainy season. An approval date of Aug. 24 SEASIDE SCHOOL DISTRICT In a revised submission to the Army Corps of Engineers, the Seaside School District seeks to provide wetlands mitigation measures in this area behind the school bus barn. from the Army Corps is “hope- ful thinking,” Henry said. “The volume of work taking place in Dog days in canine-friendly Cannon Beach T he high season is in full swing, at least for a few more weeks. Venture into Can- non Beach and be prepared to encounter people, lots of people; people waiting in line for coffee; people lining up in the bakery; peo- ple crowding into every restaurant for lunch; people trying to make last-minute dinner res- ervations; people on the beach. In addition to human beings, there are also lots of dogs. Even the hastiest perusal of the local po- lice log reveals there’s no shortage of people who failed to book a hotel room, attempting to slip past the overnight camping laws to illegally pitch tents or lie quietly in a sleeping bag in a hidden part of town. During the so-called dog days of sum- mer — Cannon Beach is absolutely a canine-friendly summer town — July and August can be maddeningly busy. Downtown gets the most foot and vehicu- lar traffic as everyone wants to grab a burger at Bill’s, or share a famously delicious Ice- berg Wedge at The Driftwood, which has an especially dog-friendly outside area, perfect for people-watching. The no reservation policy at the Harding Trading Co. can make it tough to get a table, if that’s what your heart’s set on. Many year- round Cannon Beach residents lament during the summer they don’t even try to come downtown, unless it’s to hang at Cheri’s, where locals can almost always score a table. I probably shouldn’t be leaking this infor- mation, but I have my favorite midtown Can- non Beach haunts. Even on the most crowded summer days, midtown is not impossible. Nothing pleases me more than browsing the home décor store, Found. Publisher Kari Borgen Editor R.J. Marx Circulation Manager Jeremy Feldman Production Manager John D. Bruijn Advertising Sales Holly Larkins Classified Sales Danielle Fisher Staff writer Brenna Visser EVE MARX Oyster shooters, a coastal treat, at the Cannon Beach Hardware Store, aka Screw and Brew. VIEW FROM THE PORCH EVE MARX Sure, there’s usually a line in the morning for coffee at Sleepy Monk, but if you hit it just right, you can likely wrangle one of those choice tables on the porch. Not only is Sleepy Monk an outstanding coffee roaster (my personal fave is the dark roast Monastery Blend, but if you favor something lighter, try Fiddler’s Fusion. Sleepy Monk also bakes Contributing writers Rebecca Herren Katherine Lacaze Eve Marx Nancy McCarthy CANNON BEACH GAZETTE The Cannon Beach Gazette is published every other week by EO Media Group. 1555 N. Roosevelt, Seaside, Oregon 97138 503-738-5561 • Fax 503-738- 9285 PUBLIC MEETINGS TUESDAY, Sept. 4 their own pastries. I’m partial to the ginger molasses cookie, which is large enough to share. The Cannon Beach Hotel is a beautiful boutique bed-and-breakfast. I don’t hesitate to recommend it not only as a hotel accom- modation, but the adjacent café is also a sophisticated and intimate dining destination. Folks with big appetites will want to hit the Pig ’N Pancake for an awesome breakfast or lunch. (This location is not open for dinner.) For a special meal, like for an anniversary or birthday fete, definitely try the Stephanie Inn or Newmans at 988. My favorite midtown place on a Thursday or Friday afternoon is Screw and Brew, where they not only make a dynamite bloody Mary, but also have the best (in my opinion) oyster shooters. I admit when I first arrived on the North Coast, oyster shooters freaked me out. I’m from the East Coast where raw oysters — petite, delicate, sweet briny things —are served on ice on the half shell. So the first time I encountered the large, meaty, can I say LARGE again, classic PNW oyster shooter I was … shocked. I am happy to report I’m completely on board with the oyster shooters at Screw and Brew. Their delectable, sweet brine oysters are sourced from Willapa Bay. The kitchen also makes a mean Tillamook cheese grilled- cheese sandwich. The halibut ceviche is a fabulous choice, if you’re trying to watch your calories. I’ll be hitting midtown more often after Labor Day when the tourists depart, but even on a busy summer weekend, Cannon Beach’s midtown totally rocks. www.cannonbeachgazette. com • email: editor@cannonbeachgazette.com SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Annually: $40.50 in county, $58.00 in and out of county. Postage Paid at: Cannon Beach, OR 97110 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Cannon Beach Gazette, P.O. Box 210, Astoria, OR 97103 Copyright 2018 © Cannon Beach Gazette. Nothing can be reprinted or copied without consent of the owners. Oregon has everyone associated with construction stretched beyond capacity.” Cannon Beach City Council, 5:30 p.m., City Hall, 163 E. Gower St. TUESDAY, Sept. 11 Cannon Beach City Council, 5:30 p.m., work session, City Hall, 163 E. Gower St. MONDAY, Sept. 17 Ecola Creek Watershed Committee, 4:30 p.m., City Hall, 163 E. Gower St. TUESDAY, Sept. 18 Cannon Beach Public Works Committee, 9 a.m., City Hall, 163 E. Gower St. THURSDAY, Sept. 20 Parks and Community Services Committee, 9 a.m., City Hall, 163 E. Gower St. Cannon Beach Design Review Board Meeting, 6 p.m., City Hall, 163 E. Gower St. THURSDAY, Sept. 27 Cannon Beach Planning Commission, 6 p.m., City Hall, 163 E. Gower St. TUESDAY, Oct. 2 Cannon Beach City Council, 5:30 p.m., City Hall, 163 E. Gower St. TUESDAY, Oct. 9 Cannon Beach City Council, 5:30 p.m., work session, City Hall, 163 E. Gower St. TUESDAY, Oct. 16 Cannon Beach Public Works Committee, 9 a.m., City Hall, 163 E. Gower St. THURSDAY, Oct. 18 Parks and Community Services Committee, 9 a.m., City Hall, 163 E. Gower St. Cannon Beach Design Review Board Meeting, 6 p.m., City Hall, 163 E. Gower St. THE NATIONAL AWARD-WINNING