SEASIDESIGNAL.COM • COMPLIMENTARY COPY
OUR 110th YEAR • July 8, 2016
Rental
owners
ready to
battle
MEET MISS OREGON
Vote, legal action could
result from Gearhart decision
ASTORIA NATIVE ADVANCED TO PAGEANT AFTER EARNING TITLE OF MISS PORTLAND EARLIER THIS YEAR
MATHER WILL NOW TRAVEL TO NEW JERSEY TO COMPETE FOR THE TITLE OF MISS AMERICA
By R.J. Marx
Seaside Signal
GEARHART — As a result
of this week’s City Council deci-
sion, new short-term rental rules
could be coming to Gearhart, res-
idents are likely to challenge it at
the polls or in the courts, or both.
“I implore you to sit back, re-
fl ect and engage forward thinking
and clear vision to avoid a pro-
longed battle which could drain
resources and further divide this
community,” Jim Whittemore said
in opposing proposed rules regu-
lating short-term rentals. “Work-
ing together to resolve this issue
will be far more productive than a
prolonged civic and possibly legal
battle that could have lasting ef-
fects on the future of this city.”
The council convened at the
fi rehouse Tuesday night to hear
public comment on short-term
regulation in Gearhart, a process
initiated by the Planning Com-
mission. The zone code amend-
ments address transient proper-
ties renting for 30 days or less in
Gearhart, requiring property own-
ers to license their properties and
observe health, safety and parking
regulations, 24-hour contact in-
formation and neighbor notifi ca-
tion, among other conditions.
Two of the most contentious
items debated at length were a
proposal to limit one permit per
resident and the length of time to
apply. Councilors altered the lan-
guage to allow multiple licenses
for an owner of multiple proper-
ties ; they also requested an exten-
sion of the 30-day application pe-
riod to 60 days, with an additional
180-day period to allow short-
term property owners to bring
their properties into compliance.
Councilors also revised a
Planning Commission proposal
to limit the number of guests in a
short-term property to 10. If oth-
er conditions are met, that num-
ber could be higher.
JEFF TER HAR/FOR SEASIDE SIGNAL
Miss Oregon 2016 Alexis Mather
By Eli Stillman
EO Media Group
I
n its 70 years of existence, the Miss Oregon
competition has brought bright gowns, fl ashing
smiles and, for one young woman, the most
coveted headwear in the state.
At the end of Saturday evening, a packed
Seaside Civic and Convention Center saw Alexis Ma-
ther join the “Miss O Sisterhood.” The Astoria native
advanced to the pageant after earning the title of Miss
Portland earlier this year.
For Mather, the moment of being crowned came
after years of preparation, as she has been competing
in pageants since 2009. She was fourth runner-up last
year as Miss Clatsop County.
“The credit goes to the volunteers of the organi-
zation,” Mather said after claiming the crown. “I’ve
always looked up to Miss Oregon and looked up to
all the volunteers for what they do.”
See Miss O, Page 7A
See Gearhart, Page 7A
Budget unanimously approved as city looks ahead
By R.J. Marx
Seaside Signal
PAID
PERMIT NO. 97
ASTORIA, OR
PRSRT STD
US POSTAGE
Teamwork, strong reve-
nues and a road construction
project nearing completion
led to unanimous approval
of the Seaside budget at Sea-
side’s City Council meeting
Monday, June 27.
The budget calls for expen-
ditures of about $18.7 million,
an almost 20 percent reduction
from this fi scal year’s budget of
almost $23 million.
The decrease comes from
the near completion of a North
Holladay Drive reconstruction
process as crews fi nish curbs
and paving before power crews
install underground utilities.
Construction crews will vacate
some areas by the July 4 hol-
iday to accommodate parade
visitors, Public Works Director
Dale McDowell said, although
the parade route has been al-
tered because of the construc-
tion.
With North Holladay Drive
renovations complete, the city
could address other building
needs, City Manager Mark
Winstanley said after the meet-
ing. These include construction
of the Avenue U bridge and a
proposed renovation of Holla-
day between First Avenue and
Avenue A.
The city is in
the design phase
to replace the Av-
enue U Bridge,
at an anticipat-
ed cost of about
$3.5 million.
Mark
“We’d love
to get some Winstanley
money from the
Oregon Department of Trans-
portation to help us with that
bridge,” Winstanley said.
The next phase of the Holl-
aday Drive renovation has yet
to be scoped, but it is a much
smaller area. “We expect that
will be much more afford-
able,” he said. “The North
Holladay project was a huge
project and we’re not going to
be doing anything like that for
a few years.”
If a proposed $15 million
Seaside Civic and Conven-
tion Center renovation is ap-
proved, the budget could be
adjusted to get the project up
and running before the end
of this fi scal year, Winstanley
said.
The city could also play
a role in the development of
a new Seaside High School
campus, he added. If district
voters approve a bond to re-
locate geographically at-risk
See Budget, Page 6A
A star-spangled Fourth in downtown Seaside
Parade kicks off day of festivities
By Katherine Lacaze
For Seaside Signal
The downtown streets of Seaside came alive with rousing
music, fl amboyant colors and human activity Monday morning
as Seaside’s annual Fourth of July Parade wound through the
city’s core.
Hundreds of spectators lined the sidewalks from Holladay
Drive, down Broadway, to Columbia Street and across First
Avenue to watch the parade, formed from several dozen North
Coast businesses, families and organizations. Four drum and
bugles corps — the Santa Clara Vanguard, Oregon Crusad-
ers, Spokane Thunder and the Battalion from Salt Lake City
— were spaced among other fl oats and vehicles to contribute a
high-caliber musical performance to the traditional event.
Parades are a highlight of Fourth of July festivities, not only
in Seaside but in towns across America.
“It’s just an American thing,” said Julie, a visitor from Kel-
so, Washington, describing Seaside’s Fourth of July experience.
See Parade, Page 7A
KATHERINE LACAZE/FOR SEASIDE SIGNAL
Seaside’s annual Fourth of July Parade brought out
a sense of patriotism in participants and spectators.
KATHERINE LACAZE/FOR SEASIDE SIGNAL
Sasquatch made an appearance at
Seaside’s Fourth of July Parade.