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About Seaside signal. (Seaside, Or.) 1905-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 11, 2016)
4A • November 11, 2016 • Seaside Signal • seasidesignal.com SignalViewpoints Bike lanes in the tsunami zone SUBMITTED PHOTO Bob Cook takes the plunge. Crossing one off the bucket list fter examining my bucket list, I decided it was time to check something off or kick it and no- body wants to kick the buciet. Since elder Bush did it at the age of 85, why couldn’t I at the young age of 82! I thought of a lot of reasons why I couldn’t or shouldn’t, but there was nobody to tell me how dumb it was, so I called the club at the Molino Airport and made arrange- ments to go sky diving on my GUEST COLUMN 82nd birthday. BOB COOK The fi rst thing I was told was that it should be tandem (student tied to the instructor) and the main reason is that an older person’s memory and refl exes are not as good as they used to be, of which I can attest to. After a lot of instructions and reminds of safety, we started the long walk. During this time I was reminded that just because I’d paid my way didn’t mean I had to go. Upon close examination of the airplane I noticed there was neither seat for me or a parachute. I was im- mediately reminded of the briefi ng I had just received. During our take off, I sat on the fl oor and halfway to 14,000 feet the instructor got behind me and secured us together to the point that all of my movements were controlled by him. When the moment of truth arrived the exit door was opened and loced in position. I was moved to the door and positioned so that I had no choice. It was a long way down and so i thought it best to just don’t look. At this moment I thought this is a young man’s game and that is why “God made young men.” I was thankful that he did as I had no intention of jumping again. Once we left the airplane there was no stopping us. But we did slow down when the chute was deployed. A few maneuvers caused us to spin and to go to our right or left, which caused a bit of vertigo. Fortunately I had no control so consequently we landed in a sitting down position within 50 feet of our designated point. I was apprehensive at fi rst but since my will was already made out, meant there was only one thing left to do. I wrote my obituary and left it on my counter top. When I returned home I tore it up. Bob Cook Seaside A FILE PHOTO Jim Mendenhall, owner of Triangle Towing, upends a 2006 Ford Escape that came to rest on its roof after nosediving in the Dairy Queen parking lot in 2014. The intersection by Dairy Queen could see changes under proposals from the city. A Gearhart Transportation System Plan makes a lot of sense. But in a place due within the next 15 years to experience a 9.0 earthquake and tsunami plan, there are some special consider- ations. City Planner Carole Connell and city staff were able to win the $100,000 grant about two years ago, Connell said at an October presentation at City Hall. Gearhart’s grant proposal had the usual requests for side- walks and bike paths, but “the one that got their attention was the tsunami evacuation plan,” Connell said. After the grant was awarded, the process of hiring a consultant followed. The city contacted the Portland-based consulting fi rm DKS. “We’re telling a story,” Kevin Chewuk of DKS said at the Gearhart presentation. “Each part is a basic part of the story.” Consultants present an “aspirational project list” to ad- dress all of the city’s transportation needs, whether the city can pay to fund them or not. Analysis is geared to the next 20 years, to 2040. They considered state, county and local rules and identi- R.J. MARX fi ed areas of “transportation enhancement” and “transporta- Gearhart Planner Carole Connell and consultant Kevin tion improvement.” Chewuk discuss the city’s proposed Transportation System Elements of the enhancement project consider traf- Plan. fi c-calming devices on city streets, tsunami route identifi ca- tion, bike parking, “way-fi nding” signage for bicyclists and pedestrians and Ridge Path enhancements. Chewuk is right: the plans will tell a story: how the city perceives its audience and its users. SEEN FROM SEASIDE There are those needing bus transport to Warrenton and Astoria. Hikers and walkers who want to trek through the R.J. MARX city’s magnifi cent sheltered trails. Parents who want to drive the babysitter home without making two dangerous left- hand turns to go one block, from Salminen to Hillila and home again. Even with a signal at Highway 101 and Pacifi c Way, funding. If grant funds are acquired, the city can start priori- “You’re standing in that little space waiting for the light,” tizing them by importance. Connell said. “So far, the east side people are frustrated by While analyzing options, city and residents should con- those constraints. We know that’s where the problems are.” sider not only the memo at hand, but future what-ifs. Fifty-two improvement projects are listed in the consul- Will the Gearhart fi re hall be replaced, and if so, where? tant’s Sept. 29 document. They connect walking and biking When Gearhart Elementary School relocates, what will facilities and address the need to cross the highway. “A lot replace it? of the projects we identifi ed are trail projects that could Where will residents fi nd the greatest access to cache facilitate tsunami evacuation, but also act as recreational sites in case of a long-term need for emergency supplies? facilities through the year,” Chewuk said. Could new construction east of the highway call for addi- About 10 people a day use Sunset Empire Transportation tional, previously unconsidered roads and crossings? District buses in Gearhart, according to the memo. Improve- Most towns don’t need it, but for Gearhart, which lies ments to bus stops near Wild Rose or Cottonwood lanes almost entirely within the tsunami zone, the emergency could make the prospect more appealing, featuring “new component should be an opportunity to meet multiple goals sheltered stops” to keep riders out of the rain while they — emergency evacuation, pedestrian safety and improved wait. roads for bicyclists and drivers. Another proposal suggests a traffi c signal is considered City Administrator Chad Sweet said last month the state at Highway 101 and Gearhart Loop Road, what the state responded to the city’s ideas about planning for tsunami identifi es as a high-collision location. and quake hazards, “which was part of the reason we were “Biking and walking on the highway are dangerous,” selected for the grant.” Connell said in October. “Cross- The other reason, he add- ings don’t exist.” ed, was that the city didn’t The highway — innocuously have a transportation systems called “Park Avenue” on maps plan. — gets the bulk of consideration We think, as the state did as the city seeks to make it easi- awarding the grant, the fi rst er for bikes and walkers to cross reason — the threat of hazard the 80-foot roadway. Options in the Cascadia Subduction include narrowing portions to Zone — is the most com- three lanes, buffered bike lanes pelling. The tsunami safety and widening for sidewalks. aspect of the program drew The most costly approach the state to funding this would widen the highway to fi ve grant. A bike lane is terrifi c, lanes with a sidewalk and bike but in a tsunami, drivers may Kevin Chewuk lanes. swerve. consultant for DKS The least expensive alterna- Here’s my plan: Put tive? Do nothing. money into scooters and The memorandum now goes motorbikes for emergency before the Planning Commis- getaways. Install large, read- sion, where they’ll be presented with the fi rst draft, consider able maps. Test loudspeakers to make sure they are clear options and narrow down the list. Their fi ndings will be and can be heard throughout the city. Give each residence refi ned to maximize funds, minimize impacts to environ- an individualized evacuation plan. Establish an emergency ment, and “balance investments across all modes of travel,” database accessible by registered users. Construct pedestrian according to Chewuk. bridges over every waterway. Inform every resident about “They’re going to fi nish the plan and hopefully get it tsunamis, landslides and quakes. adopted,” Connell said. And while we’re at it, put a covered shelter on that bus Once adopted, Gearhart is eligible for additional state stop. EDITOR’S NOTE: Claire Lovell’s column “Scene and Heard” will be back in the Nov. 25 Signal. LETTERS Don’t shut off Avenue U I am writing in response to a letter that was printed in the Sept. 16 edition of the Seaside Signal. In the letter, the writer expressed his thoughts about the upcoming local election and outlined some ideas that he thinks would be good to help reinforce and protect the city and it’s residents against a possible tsunami and other natural disasters and problems. Some interesting ideas were presented in the letter, however, there is one point on which I disagree and that is the comment that the Avenue U bridge has absolutely no value in the event of a tsunami evacuation and that money that has been set aside to strengthen and retrofi t the Avenue U bridge should be used for something else. I disagree with this idea because there are many homes and residents who live in this area and several businesses who use this bridge on a daily basis. The Avenue U bridge aids with the improved fl ow of traffi c in the Seaside area and offers many people an effective way to get out of the area and into the town and other surrounding areas without having to drive through the crowded downtown area. I agree that it would be good to begin retrofi tting the bridges and securing the schools, they are both import- ant areas but it is important to take care of the Avenue U bridge too. It would not be good to cut off one end of the city by not fi xing the only bridge that serves that area. Thank you for publishing my letter and giving me a chance to respond and express myself. Carrie Paldanius Salem ‘A lot of the projects we identified are trail projects that could facilitate tsunami evacuation, but also act as recreational facilities through the year.’ PUBLISHER EDITOR David F. Pero R.J. Marx ADVERTISING MANAGER PRODUCTION MANAGER Betty Smith John D. Bruijn CIRCULATION MANAGER SYSTEMS MANAGER Heather Ramsdell Carl Earl ADVERTISING SALES Brandy Stewart CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Katherine Lacaze Claire Lovell Eve Marx Esther Moberg Jon Rahl Susan Romersa SCENE & HEARD CLAIRE LOVELL Lost rentals I told you so. The rental housing market in Seaside was totally destroyed by the conversion of long-term rentals into vacation rentals in the early 1990s. At the time the City Council and Planning Commission had members who See Letters, Page 5A Seaside Signal Letter policy The Seaside Signal is published every other week by EO Media Group, 1555 N. Roosevelt, Seaside, OR 97138. 503-738-5561 seasidesignal.com The Seaside Signal welcomes letters to the editor. The deadline is noon Monday prior to publication. Letters must be 400 words or less and must be signed by the author and include a phone number for verifi cation. We also request that submissions be limited to one letter per month. Send to 1555 N. Roosevelt Drive, Seaside, OR 97138, drop them off at 1555 N. Roosevelt Drive or fax to 503-738-9285. Or email rmarx@seasidesignal.com SUBSCRIPTIONS Annually: $40.50 in county • $58.00 in and out of county • e-Edition: only $30.00 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Seaside Signal, P.O. Box 210, Astoria, OR 97103. Postage Paid at Seaside, OR 97138 and at additional mailing offi ces. Copyright 2015 © by the Seaside Signal. 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