April 15, 2016 • Seaside Signal • seasidesignal.com • 5A
LETTERS
Letters from Page 4A
Community needs
When I learned that the
Gearhart grocery store, from
which I live around the cor-
ner, was to become a brew
pub, I was delighted. I imme-
diately relived, in memory,
the afternoons and evenings
my wife, our three grandchil-
dren and their parents enjoyed
in the brewpubs of Portland
— the world’s best beers, the
inexpensive, tasty fare, and,
best of all, the kid-friendly
atmosphere and menus. The
high-spirited conviviality, for
all ages, is not often matched
in commercial enterprises of
any kind.
Then I thought of the
summers-to-come: outdoor
tables under a blue sky, fol-
lowing or preceding a day on
the beach, many people with
families and others without
enjoying the center of our
beautiful town, with the pros-
pect of the vast majesty of the
Paci¿ c 2cean but a block or
two away. Who could not be
cheered by such a tableau of
multi-generational human
gaiety?
“A handful of residents,”
that’s who, I learned from
R.J. Marx in The Daily Asto-
rian “Residents ¿ ght Gear-
hart brew pub plans,” March
30). And they attire what is
nothing more than their per-
sonal disfavor in the garb of
concern for the “needs” of the
community, as if any person,
or “handful” of persons are
Tuali¿ ed to decide what are
my needs, or my neighbor’s
or my neighbor’s neighbor’s.
And, if it is really “needs”
we are talking about, what
community “needs” more
than a ¿ re department, a po-
lice station and a post of¿ ce?
And what individual “needs”
more than a glass of water,
a bowl of soybeans and a
waterproof jacket in winter?
Who needs a dog, or a car, or
a church? I don’t.
Shall I go then, through
legal channels and attempt
to have them banned from
the city of Gearhart? And if
each of us persuaded the au-
thorities to ban everything we
either disliked or had no use
for, what would remain? A
pretty picture Gearhart would
be then, wouldn’t it?
Louis Sargent
Gearhart
Brew pub will add to
Gearhart community
Every town needs busi-
nesses that help build a sense
of community. You may not
like brew pubs, but they fall
into that category. Places
where locals can get out of
the house, not have to cook,
watch 2regon sports teams
on TV, have a couple of
beers, get some food, and be
around a lot of fun people.
This is what Molly Lowen-
berg, the owner of the Gear-
hart Grocery store, is propos-
ing. What is the problem?
Those who would rather
have Molly’s business fail
than add a little life to the
town’s core are shortsight-
ed, and completely off base.
I’m guessing these people
have a net worth in the mil-
lions, have bypassed their
local grocery store for years
to save a few bucks, and now
scream when a business plan
has to change.
The proposal for the
Gearhart Grocery is perfectly
reasonable, and will add to
the community. Those op-
posing it, I guess, can build
a wall and have Seaside pay
for it.
Jim Spurr
Cannon Beach
Grandfather rentals
We vacationed in Gear-
hart several years ago as a
family, and fell in love with
the Tuaint little town. 2ne
of the reasons we could pur-
chase the home in Gearhart
was because we could oper-
ate it as a short term rental
to help with the expenses,
but our long term plan is to
spend much more time there
once we are retired. The re-
cent developments by the
Planning Commission and
the City Council have us very
concerned.
First of all, we acknowl-
edge that change is unsettling
for everyone. We also believe
that the efforts to reduce or
eliminate short term rentals
are not personal attacks, and
as we express our views we
hope that folks will under-
stand that this is not person-
ally targeted at anyone.
We understand there are
currently 85 short term rent-
als in the Gearhart area. It
is proposed to reduce those
to 35. That seems drastic, in
our opinion. 2ur proposal is
that the existing operators be
grandfathered in, since this
was a valid use of the prop-
erties at the time of purchase.
Reductions would happen or-
ganically over time.
Since short term rentals
are a historic use in Gearhart,
they should be allowed to
operate as viable businesses
without arbitrary or punitive
restrictions. By arbitrary and
punitive, we mean that if a
home moved from short term
rental to another use, would
the outcome be better, or
worse, or no change?
For example: If there were
extra landscape maintenance
required for short term rent-
al, would the non-short term
rental use (the desired out-
come) be better, or worse,
or no change? In the case of
landscape maintenance the
outcome would be no change,
at best, and likely worse.
So a landscape require-
ment would be judged ar-
bitrary and punitive by this
criteria. Many of the pro-
posed ordinance items are
of this nature. It would seem
that it would be better, for
the neighborhood, to have a
house occupied by approved
renters than to have the house
sit vacant.
We are appealing to a
voice of reason and fairness
to all involved. We are a part
of the community by being a
property owner and part-time
resident. We want to operate
harmoniously, making it a
win/win for everyone.
Mike and Janet Cranston
Beaverton
Vote for McIntosh
Judge Phillip Nelson is
retiring in January 2017 af-
ter 24 years on the Clatsop
County bench. Dawn McIn-
tosh is the best person to ¿ ll
his shoes.
Dawn was born and raised
in Banks, 2regon and attend-
ed Willamette Law School.
She has been a trial attorney
for 24 years, 12 years as a
prosecutor in Multnomah
and Clatsop counties, and
12 years in private practice
for civil and criminal mat-
ters in Clatsop County and
throughout 2regon. As a trial
attorney she has earned the
respect and endorsement of
judges, attorneys and clients.
No other candidate possess-
es Dawn’s experience in the
courtroom.
Dawn is well versed in
both criminal and civil law;
she is intelligent and is a tire-
less worker. She is the most
quali¿ ed candidate to suc-
ceed Judge Nelson. I enthu-
siastically endorse Dawn and
urge everyone to vote for her
when ballots come out later
this month.
Blair Henningsgaard
Astoria
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Gearhart Planning Commission
underestimated anger over rentals
I
believe that everyone within the
city of Gearhart, including the City
Council, the city staff and residents,
has been surprised by the increase in
short-term rentals and the impact on the
city.
I also believe the City Council has
underestimated the anger and frustra-
tion experienced by many residents
regarding this issue.
The change came lightning quick. It
can be traced to the use of the Internet,
professional marketing companies, in-
vestors entering the market and unfor-
tunately a change in peoples’ attitudes.
In 1994, the city adopted a com-
prehensive plan with a clear vision for
the future to preserve the low density,
semi-rural character. The plan states,
“The city will recognize the impor-
tance of the city’s neighborhoods and
the need to protect them from negative
impacts of the transient rental property
and to discourage increased levels of
traf¿ c and similar disruptions.”
Contrary to the policies in the com-
prehensive plan, the Planning Commis-
sion is considering a proposal to amend
the city’s zoning ordinance to allow
short-term rentals in neighborhoods
now zoned R-1 and R-2. The intent
of the zones is to protect residential
neighborhoods from commercialization
and direct businesses into areas zoned
for commercial use. The comprehen-
sive plan outlines seven speci¿ c uses
for R-1 and R-2 areas and short-term
rentals aren’t among them.
So why have short-term rentals been
allowed to exist, and in some recent
cases take over our residential neigh-
borhoods? That has happened because
for many years the city has turned a
blind eye to their existence, though they
GUEST COLUMN
TERRY GRAFF
are clearly for commercial gain and not
expressly permitted as an outright use.
The proposal the Planning Commis-
sion is considering would À y in the face
of the intent of the comprehensive plan
and its policy to protect the neighbor-
hoods. I am not aware of any analysis
or discussion by the Planning Com-
mission regarding the impact such an
amendment would have on the property
values in such neighborhoods.
Common sense tells me that it would
be more dif¿ cult to sell your home if it
is next to a short-term rental.
Another option the city might con-
sider is a proposal to amend the zoning
ordinance to ban short-term rentals in
neighborhoods zoned R-1 and R-2.
The Planning Commission is also
considering restrictions on short-term
rentals should the zoning be changed.
These restrictions would include limits
on occupancy, minimum stay require-
ments and a cap on the number of
short-term rentals allowed.
The question becomes would the
proposed restrictions be enough to stem
the tide of renters À ooding into Gear-
hart on a typical summer day? In order
to answer that question, one only need
look at the number of short-term rentals
currently operating in the city.
City staff has been tracking those
numbers the best they can, and as of
November of last year there appears to
be 85. These are not properties owned
just by residents of Gearhart. Seven
Patrick Joseph Doyle
March 12, 1934 — April 10, 2016
Patrick Joseph Doyle
was born March 12, 1934,
in Spokane, Washington,
where he was educated in
the local Catholic schools.
After high school he entered
the Jesuit novitiate, remain-
ing with the Jesuits 11 years
without ordination, and ob-
taining a bachelor’s degree
from Gonzaga University.
He began his teaching
career at Bellarmine High
School in Tacoma, Wash-
ington. After leaving the
Jesuits, he moved to As-
toria, 2regon, where his
brother-in-law, Joe Neren-
berg, offered him a job as
a salesman at Hildebrand’s
Furniture Store. There he
met his wife, Rose Marie
Lyons, a high school teach-
er and librarian at Star of
the Sea. They were married,
June 13, 1966.
After their ¿ rst child was
born they moved to Gear-
hart, where Pat took a job at
Gearhart Grade School. For
the next 14 years he taught
in all the grade schools in
the Seaside School District,
and in the summer worked
in construction for local
builders.
He then decided to fol-
low his father’s footsteps
and become a cross country
trucker. After three years,
he concluded he needed to
be home with his family
of (then) nine children. He
took a job as resident ad-
viser at Job Corps, and then
as a teacher, for the next 13
years. He ended his profes-
sional teaching career at the
2regon Youth Authority,
where he taught until his
early 70s.
Pat and Rose Marie
raised 12 children, and
were generous in sharing
their large home in Clatsop
Plains with others needing
shelter and guidance. Pat
was also a respected Bible
teacher in the local Chris-
appear to be owned by residents, but
others are owned by people living in
California, Minnesota, Arkansas, Ha-
waii and Georgia.
The city also tracks the number of
people being advertised to occupy each
of those 85 short-term rentals. Based
upon those numbers, on any given
night, there could be 751 additional
people staying in the rentals.
Consider the traf¿ c. The city’s septic
system could be a whole other problem.
Some may argue that the rental
market never reaches capacity. Even
at 90 percent, the numbers are still
signi¿ cant.
Unless the Planning Commission
and the City Council can pass very
strong restrictions on short-term rentals,
which would completely protect the
residential character of its neighbor-
hoods, I cannot support amending the
zoning ordinance to include short-term
rentals in areas now zoned R-1 and R-2.
I believe that we all understand that
the issue is very divisive and that there
will be very strong opposition to any
controls whatsoever. That opposition
will come from professional market-
ing companies, investors who bought
property just to rent, homeowners who
now see they can make large sums of
money by renting property that they
have never rented before, and from
people who think that since they own
a property they can do anything they
want with it.
However, the Planning Commission
must keep in mind that the primary
obligation is to put controls in place
that carry out the intent of the Gearhart
comprehensive plan.
Terry Graff serves on the Gearhart
Planning Commission.
Spiritual group meets at the library
This month, a new group
will hold authentic spiritual
conversation meetings every
Sunday from 3:15 to 4:15 p.m.
at the Seaside Public Library.
All faiths, including spiritual
but not religious, agnostic and
atheist are welcome.
For more information, email
info@cgifellowship.org, or call
916-307-9790. Seaside Public
Library is at 1131 Broadway.
Memorial
Saturday, April 16
FULMER, Wayne Calvin
— Memorial at 3 p.m., Sea-
side Elks Lodge, 324 Avenue
A in Seaside. Fulmer, 64, of
Seaside, died in Portland.
Hughes-Ransom Mortuary
& Crematory in Seaside is in
charge of the arrangements.
Visit www.hughes-ransom.
com to share memories and
sign the guest book.
Patrick Doyle
tian community.
Pat is survived by his
wife, Rose Marie; 12 chil-
dren, Jon Doyle of 2maha,
Nebraska, Lt. Col. (Ret.)
Lewis Doyle of Portland,
2regon, Marty Doyle of
University Place, Wash-
ington, Christian Doyle of
York, Pennsylvania, Sister
Della Marie Doyle, T2R,
of Tallahassee, Florida,
Amy Elizabeth Schmitt of
Beaverton, 2regon, Alicia
Davis of Riverton, Utah, Dr.
Peter Doyle of Fort Drum,
New York, James Doyle
of Gladstone, 2regon, Na-
talie Duffy of Warrenton,
2regon, David Doyle of
Portland, 2regon, and Pa-
tricia Nguyen of Minneap-
olis, Minnesota; two sisters,
Irene Trier of Ryderwood,
Washington, and Mau-
reen Schauble of Spokane,
Washington; 30 grandchil-
dren; and one great-grand-
child.
A funeral Mass will be
held at 2ur Lady of Victory
Catholic Church in Seaside
at 11 a.m. Saturday, April
16, preceded by a rosary at
10:30 a.m. A reception will
follow in the parish hall.
An online guest book
may be signed at www.
2ceanViewAstoria.Com
Memorial donations can
be made to www.students-
forlife.org or www.francis-
cansisterstor.org
ROBERT CAIN LD,
45 Years of Experience
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