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About Seaside signal. (Seaside, Or.) 1905-current | View Entire Issue (April 1, 2016)
6A • April 1, 2016 • Seaside Signal • seasidesignal.com :LGGRSZRQ¶WUXQIRUPD\RUDJDLQ Gearhart leader says she has ‘no intention of running for offi ce again’ coxie Barn and guide- lines for recreational vehicles. She presided over By R.J. Marx the opening Seaside Signal of the city’s ¿UVW ZDWHU *HDUKDUW¶V 0D\RU 'LDQQH :LG t r e a t m e n t dop, who survived a divisive recall plant. election last year, will not run for :L G G R S Dianne Widdop re-election in November. also serves :LGGRS ZKR MRLQHG WKH &LW\ on the Sea- Council more than two decades ago, side Munic- was elected mayor in 2012 . ipal Airport Advisory Committee, a “Absolutely and positively, I role she will retain. have no intention of running for ,Q :LGGRS¶V ¿UVW ELG IRU RI¿FH DJDLQ´ VKH VDLG ³%HWZHHQ City Council ended in a tie. After a the Budget Committee and the City second election in 1995, she won by Council, I’ve been involved with the a substantial margin. city since 1993. This is 23 years of :LGGRSVHUYHGRQWKHFRXQFLOIRU volunteering for everything.” 16 years before running for mayor $V PD\RU :LGGRS¶V SROLF\ LQL in 2012 after the retirement of Kent tiatives have included new rules on Smith, who had served in that role short-term rentals , the improvement for 20 years. of the Ridge Path, regulation of Nea- “Kent Smith is a good friend of 9RWHUV VXSSRUWHG :LGGRS LQ WKH March 2015 special election, with 64 percent of voters opposing the may- or’s recall. $IWHU WKH YRWH :LGGRS VDLG VKH was glad there was a large margin. “There is no question as to how people have felt about this,” she said at the time. 7KLV ZHHN :LGGRS VDLG VKH GLG not know who would follow her as mayor, “but there is someone we’ve Gearhart Mayor Dianne Widdop been talking to.” Councilors Sue Lorain, who took :LGGRS¶VSRVLWLRQRQWKHFRXQFLOLQ mine, so I always knew that while he 2012, and Dan Jesse, who ran and was running, I wouldn’t run against won in 2012, are also up for re-elec- KLP´:LGGRSVDLGDWWKHWLPH tion in Gearhart. ,QWKDWHOHFWLRQ:LGGRSQDUURZO\ Candidates have until mid-Au- defeated opponent Bob Shortman. JXVW WR ¿OH IRU WKH 1RYHPEHU PD\ $IWHUDUHFRXQWRQO\¿YHYRWHVVHSD oral election. rated the candidates. $VIRU:LGGRSKHUSRVWPD\RUDO ,Q :LGGRS IDFHG D UHFDOO plans are uncertain. “I’m going to be challenge after Gearhart resident able to enjoy life, be off the hot seat, Harold Gable claimed “abuse of go to a City Council meeting, sit in leadership, lack of transparency and the back and voice my opinion,” she strong personal bias.” said. ‘I’m going to be able to enjoy life, be off the hot seat, go to a City Council meeting, sit in the back and voice my opinion.’ Neacoxie Barn remains shuttered now represented by Dean Al- Barn’s commercial terman of Folawn, Alterman & Richardson of Portland. future in hands of “She and I had a very pro- county court ductive meeting with the city two weeks ago,” Alterman By R.J. Marx VDLG 7XHVGD\ ³:H DUH ORRN Seaside Signal ing forward to working with the city to get the situation County Circuit Court Judge squared away.” Cindee Matyas extended a The injunction’s March 1 stipulated injunction at the extension follows a long and Gearhart barn used for parties tangled legal path. and special events. The exten- Smith repeatedly chal- VLRQZLOONHHSWKH3DFL¿F:D\ lenged the city’s demand for property off limits for com- a conditional use permit and mercial use until owner Shan- rented out the barn for wed- non Smith provides the city of dings, family reunions and Gearhart with plans to obtain a RWKHU VSHFLDO HYHQWV :LWKRXW YDOLGFHUWL¿FDWHRIRFFXSDQF\ toilets, sanitary facilities and And with a new attorney, safety measures, the city cited Smith hopes to reconcile with the barn for a string of build- the city. ing and zoning violations. Smith, the owner of Nea- Along with local zone and coxie Barn, a former livery sta- municipal code actions, Gear- ble turned into a party space, is KDUW RI¿FLDOV ¿OHG D PRWLRQ in Clatsop County Circuit Court to close the barn from commercial use until health and safety violations were DGGUHVVHG DQG D FHUWL¿FDWH RI occupancy delivered. An additional $5,000 ad- ministrative penalty is pend- ing, the ninth state building code violation delivered by the city to the barn for holding events without an occupancy permit, Gearhart’s City Ad- ministrator Chad Sweet said. A hearing on that matter is scheduled in Gearhart City Hall in late April, Sweet said. The stipulated agreement between the city and Smith was delivered New Year’s Eve. The March 1 extension gives Smith two more months to satisfy city requirements, Sweet said. Any commercial event at the barn would face a full injunction through the Cir- cuit Court. Alterman said Smith next steps will “probably include” submitting building plans and ¿OLQJIRUSHUPLWVWREULQJWKH event space up to code. “More than that I can’t tell you because I don’t know myself,” Alterman said. “It’s the sort of thing where the building and the zoning code are not quite in sync. They weren’t designed to work with unusual and unique properties such as this one.” Alterman said he is “as- suming” Smith will observe the terms of the stipulated in- junction prior to its expiration May 1. “There are a number of GLIIHUHQW ZD\V ZH PLJKW ¿QG agreement with the city,” Al- WHUPDQ VDLG ³:H¶UH MXVW QRW sure which ones they are yet.” Widdop Timeline 1994: Widdop’s fi rst bid for City Council ended in a tie. 1995: After a second election, she won by a substantial margin. 1996-2012: Widdop served on the council for 16 years before running for mayor. In that election, Widdop narrowly defeated opponent Bob Shortman by fi ve votes. 2014: Widdop faced a recall challenge after Gearhart res- ident Harold Gable claimed “abuse of leadership, lack of transparency and strong personal bias.” 2015: Widdop won the March 2015 special election, with 64 percent of voters opposing the mayor’s recall. DINING on the NORTH COAST Great Restaurants in: GEARHART SEASIDE CANNON BEACH 5HVLGHQWV¿JKW*HDUKDUWEUHZSXESODQV Appeal fi led challenging market transition ¿YHVLJQDWRULHVVDLG7XHVGD\ “I feel that the residents were not informed about this issue and did not have time to By R.J. Marx even respond,” 40-year Gear- Seaside Signal hart resident Susan Edy said. “There is no need for a brew :KDWLVWKHQHHGIRUDQHZ pub, nor is the location of the brew pub and deli in Gear- market an appropriate place hart? for a brew pub.” 1RW PXFK VD\ ¿YH UHVL Earlier this month , plan- dents seeking a review of a ning commissioners voted Gearhart Planning Commis- 4-3 to OK the transition of the sion decision to grant a condi- market to a brew pub. tional use permit to Gearhart Mark and her husband, Station, a 40-seat brew pub :LOVRQ ZHUH MRLQHG E\ (G\ and specialty deli. The restau- Vickie Abrahamson, Penny rant would replace the Gear- Sabol, Rick Sabol and Steven KDUW*URFHU\RQ3DFL¿F:D\ :HHGLQFKDOOHQJLQJWKH3ODQ “If they can’t prove a need ning Commission’s decision, for a brew pub, the City Coun- which they say was made cil has grounds to deny a con- with “minimal homeowner ditional use permit,” Gearhart and resident comment regard- resident Jeanne Mark, one of ing this major change in our downtown community core.” 7KHDSSHDOZDV¿OHG7XHV day at Gearhart City Hall, within the 15-day period to do so. “It was really odd the way that it happened in the middle of winter, hardly anyone was present, it almost just kind of popped up, no warning to speak,” Mark said. “This is a major, major thing that is going to affect the communi- ty. It’s not just an ‘Oh, by the way.’” The idea of a brew pub goes against the comprehen- sive plan and the goal of keep- ing tourism down to a mini- mum, Mark said. “It takes out of the picture a grocery store that we really do need.” In their appeal, residents say approval of the permit “sidesteps the intended pur- pose of the central city zone, to provide needed supporting services to the locals or resi- dent community. Mark Mead, who rep- resents Molly and Terry Lowenberg, the owners of the Gearhart Grocery, told the Planning Commission earlier this month the gro- cery was unable to com- pete with chains both to the north and south of Gearhart. The Lowenbergs had unsuc- cessfully sought to sell the property before deciding to alter its use, Mead said. The family intends to close the market and remodel for the brew pub and deli. Asked about the appeal Tuesday, Terry Lowenberg said he had “nothing to say.” By R.J. Marx Seaside Signal An additional room tax, business license and mini- mum rental terms are among the changes to Gearhart laws in an effort to curb issues with some short-term rentals. Property owners with short- term rental s received a letter about upcoming changes in city law, City Administra- tor Chad Sweet said. The QRWL¿FDWLRQ HVWDEOLVKHV WKH ¿UVW UHJXODWLRQV IRU WUDQVLHQW lodging , which is overnight occupancy of 30 days or less. The proposed ordinance requires short-term rental property owners to pay a 7 percent room tax, in addition to the 1 percent Oregon lodg- ing tax, Sweet said. The tax goes into effect April 1, and is paid quarterly . A $40 busi- ness license is also required by April 1. About 85 owners of short- term rental properties have been contacted about the pro- posed new rules. At a March Planning Commission work session, commissioners pro- posed a rule designating a minimum rental period of seven days . A public hearing is scheduled for April 14. 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