August 4, 2017 • Seaside Signal • seasidesignal.com • 7A
Pearl of Seaside owner pulls the plug
Sale prompts
exit of Seaside
hotel plan
By R.J. Marx
Seaside Signal
Some neighbors may rest
a little easier as plans for a
luxury hotel on the Prom were
scrapped in July.
After a year of Planning
Commission and City Council
review — and a challenge to
the state’s Land Use Board of
Appeals — an application for
a variance for the proposed
45-room Pearl of Seaside at
341 S. Prom was withdrawn
because of the pending sale of
the property.
City councilors took action
Monday, July 24, to suspend
any further action on the ap-
peal, according to City Plan-
ner Kevin Cupples.
Owner Antoine Simmons
indicated the purchaser was
not planning to pursue the
proposed development proj-
ect, so the request for an
8-foot property variance “has
effectively been withdrawn
from consideration at this
point,” Cupples said.
Two other Simmons prop-
erties, Seaside’s Gilbert Inn
and the Inn at the Prom, are
included in the sale.
“The offer came out of
R.J. MARX/SEASIDE SIGNAL
The Gilbert Inn in Seaside will see new ownership in September as part of the deal ending a
new hotel on the Prom.
left field and was too good to
pass up,” Simmons said. “I
couldn’t say ‘no.’”
Neighbors object
Simmons and his wife,
Rocio, own and operate four
boutique hotels in Seaside and
Cannon Beach.
Plans for the Pearl of Sea-
side called for three stories, a
penthouse floor and tower roof.
A two-level parking garage
on Beach Drive with 41 inside
spaces would have been sup-
plemented with an additional
10 outdoor spaces on Avenue
A.
But stall lengths, back-
out and lane widths required
a variance from the Planning
Commission. Simmons also
requested a height variance of
7 feet because of grade differ-
ences on various parts of the
property.
After several months of tes-
timony, the Planning Commis-
sion granted both variances.
During the 2016 planning
process, neighbors — including
Dan and Susan Calef — said
the proposed building would
eliminate natural light, reduce
parking spaces and could “dis-
rupt property values.”
After a fall appeal was
upheld by City Council, Sim-
mons and architect David
Vonada returned to the Plan-
ning Commission in January
with revised plans, leaving
only the 8-foot grade differ-
ence needed to allow the in-
crease to 60 feet for the roof
height at the west building
wing, an addition of 15 feet
above the 45 feet allowed by
city zoning. Without a height
variance, the building would
have lost two floors and been
limited to 30 rooms, Simmons
said.
The Planning Commis-
sion’s granting of the vari-
ance was again challenged by
neighbors.
The proposed resort, the
Calefs wrote, “will dwarf our
house, invade our privacy by
placing hotel balconies feet
from our upstairs bedroom
and generally diminish the
value of our property.”
This time, the City Council
upheld the Planning Commis-
sion’s granting of the height
variance.
The Calefs challenged the
decision with the state’s Land
Use Board of Appeals.
September sale date
After the city received no-
tice of the sale, City Attorney
Dan Van Thiel filed a with-
drawal from the state pro-
ceeding in order to suspend
any further action on the ap-
peal, sending the matter back
to the city.
On July 24 the council
approved the Calef appeal
“based on a finding of no fur-
ther contest.”
Councilors Seth Morrisey,
Tita Montero, Randy Frank
and Dana Phillips, along with
Mayor Jay Barber, voted in
favor of the revised final or-
der. Councilors Tom Horning
and Steve Wright recused
themselves.
“We felt that the proposed
hotel was simply too big
and we are pleased that the
plan has been withdrawn,”
Calef said in an email after
the meeting. “We wish Mr.
Simmons good luck with his
future endeavors and appreci-
ate the civility he has shown
through a process that easily
could have been very acrimo-
nious.”
The identity of the pur-
chaser was not available at
press time.
The sale of the properties
will be completed by Septem-
ber, Simmons said.
His properties in Cannon
Beach, including the Blue
Gull Inn and the Inn at Hay-
stack Rock, are unaffected by
the sale.
“I am now working on
building a 37-unit apartment
complex in Warrenton,” Sim-
mons added.
New Sweet Shop a blend of sweet and savory
Sweet Shop from Page 1A
KATHERINE LACAZE/FOR SEASIDE SIGNAL
Children experiment with paper plates and small round
game pieces to get a sense of how far away the moon is
from the sun in order for a solar eclipse to occur.
Games, activities
teach about eclipse
Eclipse from Page 1A
performances and events
for families; Teen Tuesday
events; and six Thursday
afternoon events for el-
ementary-aged
children.
The most recent, and final,
was themed “Solar Eclipse:
Moon and Sun Experi-
ments,” and about 60 people
attended.
During the event, stu-
dents decorated cookies
with frosting and sprinkles
to resemble suns, watched
informational videos, and
explored how far away the
moon is from the sun to cast
an umbral shadow, consider-
ing the significant size dif-
ference.
During a question- and-
answer period led by youth
services librarian Marian
Rose, one young attend-
ee accurately noted how a
solar eclipse involves the
moon’s shadow passing
over the planet. Rose further
informed listeners the North
Coast does not fall in the
path of totality — in which
the sun will be completely
obscured by the moon — but
rather the path of a partial
eclipse. The National Aero-
nautics and Space Adminis-
tration estimates viewers in
Seaside will experience the
sun being covered about 96
to 98 percent, according to
an online map.
“We will see the moon
pass over the sun,” Rose told
the students. “It’ll be pretty
cool.”
Observers within the
path of totality, she said, will
be able to see the sun’s coro-
na, the outermost part of the
sun’s atmosphere that nor-
mally is hidden by the bright
light of the sun’s surface.
In all phases of the eclipse
besides totality, however,
viewers need to wear special
eclipse glasses when look-
ing directly at the sun.
“Only when the moon
has completely blocked the
sun is it safe to look,” Rose
said.
The last time a total so-
lar eclipse passed across the
continental U.S. from coast
to coast was June 1918. Af-
ter the 2017 solar eclipse,
the next total eclipse visible
over the continental U.S.
will be April 8, 2024, ac-
cording to NASA.
As the library’s event
drew to conclusion, each
attendee was given a pair of
eclipse glasses and led out-
doors to experiment look-
ing through them at the sun,
much to the delight of the
young observers.
This year’s Summer
Reading program, based on
the theme “Build a Better
World,” wraps up Aug. 31.
More than 300 children and
teenagers in Clatsop Coun-
ty signed up to participate.
Through donations made by
local businesses and orga-
nizations, participants will
receive rewards for meeting
certain milestones through-
out the summer program.
“We have a really amaz-
ing community that rec-
ognizes the importance of
summer reading,” Rose
said. The other events host-
ed in conjunction with the
program — including the
eclipse activity, a scaven-
ger hunt in mid-July, a pup-
pet show in June and more
— further engage students,
along with their whole
families. Showing the con-
nections that can be made
through reading “helps pull
them into literacy,” Rose
said, adding the library is
the ideal spot for providing
these various opportunities.
“This is a place we can
get things to families that
are helpful to them,” she
said. “Keeping kids engaged
with literacy in any form is
important.”
salon in the 1950s, later an an-
tique shop and finally a board-
ed up office space across from
Pops.
The closed space still had
remnants of the beauty salon
— tall mirrors, workstations
and ornate columns. Williams
left the mirrors for the ambi-
ance and was able to utilize
the stations to display prod-
ucts, and the columns separate
the larger room from a lounge
area.
The extended side of the
building has become a gather-
ing place with its inviting sofa
of warm-colored leather and
oversized coffee table stacked
with books and games. She
has added Wi-Fi, a workspace
and a big screen TV. Williams
refers to it as “an extension of
my home,” adding, “I want it
to be open and homey, a place
to bring the grandkids.”
Realizing Pops was known
for its coffee, homemade waf-
fle cones and breakfast scones,
Williams wanted to main-
tain that sentiment, yet, lay a
foundation of her own. In a
few short months, she creat-
ed a new look, new menu and
brought in new products. She
emphasizes highlighting local,
organic and homemade items.
She also supports products
made by women and by people
through her advocacy work.
In addition to selling cof-
fee, ice cream and scones,
her homemade soups, tuna
salad and wraps have become
word-of-mouth famous. She’s
added a sizable wine selec-
tion with wine accessories.
There’s also growler jugs and
covers; picnic baskets; condi-
ments, sauces and jams; teas;
candy and baked goods. She
sells books, games and beach
toys for kids. Williams noted
it’s one of the last stops before
the beach where shoppers
can buy almost anything they
need for a beach outing.
Williams admits she is
no chef and her homemade
soups, salads, wraps and
baked goods are as organic
as she can make them. She
changes up the recipes to keep
the offerings fresh and trendy,
simple to decadent. Her expe-
rience comes from cooking
for a large family, children
with allergies, and her trav-
els where she experienced all
kinds of foods, calling her-
self and daughters “foodies.”
During those travels, she took
a baking class in France and a
cooking class in Italy.
Williams has begun to es-
tablish herself into the com-
munity. The Sweet Shop has
become part of the Gearhart
ArtWalk, supporting local
artists. She supports local
organizations and wants to
offer employment to people
REBECCA HERREN/SEASIDE SIGNAL
The Sweet Shop in Gearhart.
Evan Uritt helps customers
make a selection from a
variety of ice creams flavors
at the Sweet Shop.
Love Heals from Thistle
Farms is one of several
product lines Traci Williams
supports at the Sweet Shop
in Gearhart.
Original columns are revealed during the remodel and sepa-
rates the lounge area for a gathering place.
who are working on rebuild-
ing their lives. At some point,
she would also like to work
with the culinary students
at Seaside High School, and
future plans include having a
farmers market in the garden
area west of the building. “It’s
about paying it forward,” said
Williams.
Her purpose for the Sweet
Shop is to build the business
for success and to support
her family. At the same time,
she’s all about supporting
local businesses and being
neighborly
As part of her support and
being neighborly campaign,
Williams would like to form a
merchants group for Gearhart
businesses. “Seven business-
es have expressed interest in
a business round table along
with the mayor and a coun-
cil member,” said Williams,
“there are many possibili-
ties to support each business
here.”
Though Williams does not
believe the Sweet Shop is the
last chapter in her life, she
does see it as a gathering place
and an anchor to the town.
She loves living on the coast
and sees it as a magical place
where people can connect
with the earth. She also views
Gearhart as a bit quirky and
stays neutral when it comes to
its politics. “I always say I’m
Switzerland.”
With a background in pub-
lic relations, marketing and
sales, Williams is well on her
way to becoming a contribut-
ing member of the commu-
nity. The new Sweet Shop is
a blend of sweet and savory,
world travels and the love of
family, gatherings and food;
offering something for every-
one from the price conscious
to the free-spirited spender,
the simple to the decadent and
everything in between.
She offers a stress free en-
vironment for both custom-
ers and employees. “We give
free water and our prices are
really reasonable and honest.
If people leave happy, they
come back. Besides, we offer
ice cream, wine and coffee —
there shouldn’t be any stress,”
she added with a smile.