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About Cannon Beach gazette. (Cannon Beach, Or.) 1977-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 24, 2018)
6A • August 24, 2018 | Cannon Beach Gazette | cannonbeachgazette.com New housing goal is to focus on deed-restricted rentals Housing from Page 1A The incentives would have only applied if a developer agreed to put a deed restric- tion on a project that would forbid the units from ever turning into vacation rentals or condominiums. The two argued the changes would remove roadblocks from de- velopers looking to build affordable housing, as they help drive construction costs down, which would in turn keep rents lower. But in April the majority of the City Council disagreed, arguing that the changes in no way guaranteed that rents would be affordable and in- stead would have led to de- velopers tearing down and re- building single-family homes to rent at market prices in the residential zone. FILE PHOTO A design option for affordable housing in Cannon Beach from 2016. At the urging of Mayor Sam Steidel and City Council- or Brandon Ogilvie, who both voted for the original pack- age, the city is considering a scaled-back version of the amendments. The new goal is to refocus on encouraging de- velopment of deed-restricted long-term rentals. “I feel there is a need for long-term housing across all strata,” Ogilvie said. Under the new proposal, the deed restriction is kept. Park- ing requirements would still be reduced and height restric- tions for multifamily dwellings would still be increased from 28 feet to 32 feet to match the current standard for hotels — but only for properties in the limited commercial zone. Be- cause multifamily housing is a conditional use in this zone, the Planning Commission would still have discretion to approve or deny variances related to parking and height on a case- by-case basis. With almost 90 percent of commercial land already developed in Cannon Beach, limiting changes to this zone would be a relatively low-risk way to experiment with new regulations, City Planner Mark Barnes said. “It’s not identical to work- force housing, but broadly in the rental market, this kind of housing is not made or mar- keted for the upper market,” Barnes said. While City Councilors Nancy McCarthy and George Firefighters get to meet people they help Firefighters from Page 1A Over the next four days, the main work for the task force was to patrol for spot fires and protect homes by clearing out surrounding brush and wetting down yards and rooftops. But during the night of Aug. 2, the task force was sent out to a road that turned out to be one of the main fronts of the now-contained 20,000 acre fire. Spencer re- members all the firefighters falling silent, as everyone started to pull line and pre- pare for the flames creeping forward 200 yards away. Eventually, the wind shifted in their favor. “We don’t normally end up right in front of the flame front,” Spencer said. “It’s a very surreal experience to have flames shooting up over the tree line at you.” One of the most reward- ing aspects of the job is get- ting to meet the people you are serving, Savage said. In Dufur, much of what was be- ing protected was farmland, and firefighters were often working side by side with ranchers. “They don’t have a bunch of rules and standards to follow like we do. They are just kind of winging it with their own equipment,” Sav- age said. “It was amazing to see them risk their own work trucks and lives to help out their neighbors.” Though the days and nights are long, often ending only in a few hours of sleep in a tent, what makes going on trips difficult is rarely the firefighting itself. For James Hutchinson, of the Gearhart Volunteer Fire Department, watching some- one’s cash crop singe into black dust was often a hum- bling and somber experience. “I remember on one fire someone came up to me and asked to use my phone to call home. Their phone wasn’t working and they needed to let someone know the farm was gone,” Hutchinson said. “In those moments you take a step into their shoes, and it can be hard. But you have to make it a motivation and remember you are there to help.” Gearhart Fire Lt. Josh Como, who has been de- ployed three times, said leav- ing home can be difficult. Finding employers who are flexible enough to allow un- planned deployments, as well as balancing family dynam- ics, can be a challenge. “Life goes on while you Vetter both recognized the need for long-term housing, they remain lukewarm on the changes. McCarthy said she still takes issue with the fact the proposal has no way to guarantee rents on deed-re- stricted properties would stay affordable, which is ultimately the problem the council set out to address. Vetter agreed, adding that it is a gamble to possibly loosen standards for a developer that may not build housing that is accessible to workers and year- round residents. “(Developers) are going to rent out units at the highest val- ue they can,” Vetter said. “Our best hope is another employer in town who wants to build employee housing sees this and says, ‘I could make this work now.’” Steidel urged the council to Cleanup event got ‘huge response from our employees’ Plastics from Page 1A JOSH COMO Ron Britton, left, works in the smoky haze of the South Valley Fire on Aug. 2. ‘I remember on one fire someone came up to me and asked to use my phone to call home. Their phone wasn’t working and they needed to let someone know the farm was gone. In those moments you take a step into their shoes, and it can be hard. But you have to make it a motivation and remember you are there to help.’ James Hutchinson, of the Gearhart Volunteer Fire Department are out there,” Como said. “Everything is going on at home, plus the people you love are worrying about whether you’re OK. That’s why it’s important to take lots of photos to let them know you’re safe.” But the challenges are overshadowed by what ev- eryone agreed was the best part of the job: gratitude. “You see these things hap- pen on TV, but until you’re actually there, meeting the people you’re helping face to face … that kind of gratitude you can’t understand or see unless you’re there.” A new reality With conflagration calls on the rise, local fire depart- ments are adjusting to a new reality. Every request from the state means a local chief is making a judgment call on whether the department can afford to lose person- nel — often at the height of the summer tourism season, when first responders are the busiest. “The biggest challenge is making sure that when we send crews out we’re making sure there’s enough crew to respond to our own emergen- cies,” Lewis and Clark Fire Chief Jeff Golightly said. Fire departments have yet to face any issues answering emergency calls, as they all have an interagency agree- ment to help each other. But whether the department has enough people available is something Gearhart Fire Chief Bill Eddy always has on his mind. “That’s always a concern with a volunteer department. In a volunteer department you have no way to backfill when people go,” Eddy said. “You just plan, train and pre- pare the best you can.” Fire departments have also had to adjust how they budget as the costs of con- flagration continues to rise. While the state reimburses local departments, local de- partments have to be ready to foot the bill ahead of time — some now even creating a line item in the budget in anticipation. Some depart- ments, like Gearhart, are still waiting on some portions of reimbursement for work done at the California fires, and have had to request tem- porary general fund transfers to make it through. Golightly estimates more than half a million dollars was paid out to Clatsop County departments last year. While there may be some inconvenience, Cannon Beach Fire Chief Matt Ben- edict thinks the connections and skills volunteers bring back from these trips make the county more prepared. “A lot of the citizens are thanking us for helping out, and offering to be there for us if we ever need help,” Ben- edict said. “I love getting to send people out. You don’t get to use all those skills you train for until you’re out there.” see the amendments as a frame- work they could build upon in the future to incentivize afford- able projects. Without some regulatory shifts, Steidel said, the city won’t get developers even interested in coming to the table. “For a developer, these changes could make a project pencil out,” the mayor said. Councilor Mike Benefield, who voted against the original package, said he is willing to try the changes in the commercial zone, since it would not impact the majority of residential areas. But the council needs to call it what it is, he said. “Let’s stop calling it afford- able housing amendments. I don’t see this as affordable housing — this is long-term housing,” Benefield said. “We still need a long-term effort to address affordable housing.” “We believe social re- sponsibility as a commer- cial entity is very import- ant,” Wolfington said. “The other part of it is that our employees, they come here to Cannon Beach. They do a lot of day trips here … We’re not just helping Can- non Beach, but our employ- ee family.” Wolfington said the com- pany met Sea Turtles Forev- er at their annual weeklong Earth Day fair, where they saw the buckets of plastics the team had already re- moved from previous clean- ups. With 35 nieces and nephews herself, Wolfing- ton couldn’t help but think about them and other chil- dren who play in that sand and how putting contami- nated plastics in their mouth could affect them. Professional Affairs Man- ager Sharon Sipprell also felt compelled to help after see- ing the group’s demonstra- tion. “I’m a native Oregonian and I’ve watched the beach change over the years. There is more garbage and fewer birds, seals and even shells than I saw as a kid,” she said. “This event has gotten a huge response from our employees and I think it’s because we all want to do something that’s going to make a difference, even if it’s a small impact on a much larger problem.” Although their day at the beach came to a close, the company volunteered to do- nate video services to help Sea Turtles Forever develop some content to promote on social media. “We want to help them get the word out,” Wolfing- ton said. Fire danger shuts Ecola Creek Reserve to public Public will be notified when conditions are safe for go in Cannon Beach Gazette The Ecola Creek Forest Reserve has been closed to public entry. Cannon Beach City Manager Bruce St. De- nis announced the closure Tuesday because of high fire danger. A statement will be released once conditions are safe enough for public entry. The forest reserve typi- cally closes this time of year. The city often times closures with Greenwood Resources, the company who manages neighboring timber proper- ties. “They do a lot more forest management than we do, so they are very knowledgeable about assessing this,” St. De- nis said, “So we rely on them as a partner.” The reserve will be re- opened when the city deems there has been enough con- sistent rainfall to reduce fire danger. Experience Family Dining in a Relaxed & Friendly Environment Serving Seafood, Pizza, Sandwiches, Espressos, Beer, Wine, Ice Cream and our Homemade Desserts We have a fabulous patio where you can enjoy the weather and your meal. “TO-GO” Orders Welcome 156 N. 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