Page 10A
SEASIDESIGNAL.COM • COMPLIMENTARY COPY
OUR 111th YEAR • August 18, 2017
SPIKE! Tourney is a winner
Seasiders
lukewarm
on urban
renewal
Issues raised about
traffi c, growth
By Brenna Visser
Seaside Signal
PHOTOS BY JEFF TER HAR/FOR SEASIDE SIGNAL
The event is a major summer attraction for downtown Seaside with 154 volleyball courts set up on the beach.
Seaside beach volleyball
delivers sun, fun, sand
By Kaelia Neal
EO Media Group
T
he 36th annual Seaside Beach Vol-
leyball tournament was full of sand,
sunshine and spikes.
After two extremely close sets, Chelsea
Ching, Garrett Wilson, Kacey Losik and
Wyatt Harrison won the fi nal quads coed
open on Sunday, Aug. 13, the last champi-
onship game of the tournament.
“It was incredible,” Ching said of her ex-
perience at the tournament. “You hang out
and have a good time.”
In the fi nal match, every player was es-
sential for the team win. Considering this
was their fi rst time playing together as a
team, it was impressive to see their chem-
istry.
Wilson, Losik and Harrison fought hard
on the net as blocking and hitting machines.
Ching took care of the defense and was an
asset for picking up tips.
After back and forth rallies, Ching, Wil-
son, Losik and Harrison won set one 24-22
and set two 21-19.
The team travels with a crew from Santa
Cruz of about 35 people.
“It’s kind of a tradition,” said Ching ,
who has been to the tournament three times.
“It was an epic year,” Wilson said. “We
had a really good group of people.”
In a heated public hearing, residents ex-
pressed concerns to the Seaside City Coun-
cil Monday about the impact of a proposed
s outheast urban renewal p lan .
The hearing was a chance for city coun-
cilors to consider whether the urban renew-
al district is in compliance with city goals.
It also is the last stop before city councilors
vote Aug. 28 whether to adopt the urban re-
newal plan, which has been in development
since January.
While the city has heralded the $68 mil-
lion program as an effi cient way to pay for
long-term infrastructure projects, some res-
idents and the Oregon Coast Alliance argue
that plans to include unincorporated forest-
land outside of the urban growth boundary
do not follow the city’s comprehensive
plan.
Others were concerned about overde-
velopment, traffi c and how projects would
be implemented . But the largest sentiment
coming from the audience was the feeling
there was not enough public comment lead-
ing up to the vote.
“All we want to do is be heard. I don’t
think people are necessarily against devel-
opment — we just want it to be smart,” Ma-
ria Pincetich, a resident, said in the hearing.
City councilors said there were multiple
public meetings on the issue .
“Urban renewal is a proven tool in Sea-
side for infrastructure. How many enjoy
the North Holladay boulevard? If we didn’t
See Renewal, Page 7A
The amateur beach volleyball tournament is considered the largest of its
kind in the world bringing in more than a thousand teams.
Below: Volleyball players
hit the beach in Seaside
over the weekend.
See Spike, Page 10A
Gearhart to
dive deep into
the weeds
Tree-topping at core of
beach dune controversy
By R.J. Marx
Seaside Signal
GEARHART — City councilors agreed
to consider recommendations from the
Dunes Vegetation Committee after fi nding
that city rules on tree trimming, removal of
noxious weeds and invasive species failed
to provide clear guidance.
“In my opinion there is nobody in this
debate who is right or who’s wrong there
are just differences of opinion,” committee
member George Van Hoomissen said at the
Wednesday, Aug. 4 , City Council meeting.
Mayor Matt Brown acknowledged the
ordinance, which allows for “thinning or
pruning of 50 percent of the plant’s pres-
ent growth,” was unclear and offered little
guidance to offi cials.
PAID
PERMIT NO. 97
ASTORIA, OR
PRSRT STD
US POSTAGE
See Gearhart, Page 7A
Cannon Beach Academy is a go with temp permit
said. “We are blessed to have all
Volunteer efforts help tor,
of the support from the community.”
charter school meet
The road here
building deadline
Because the location for the school
By Brenna Visser
Seaside Signal
CANNON BEACH — Cannon
Beach will have an elementary school
again.
It’s a project that supporters of the
charter school have been working to-
ward for almost four years after the
old elementary school was closed for
tsunami safety reasons and a budget
shortfall. But as of Tuesday, Aug. 15,
the a cademy, a tuition-free, public
charter school offering kindergarten to
second grade, has secured a temporary
occupancy permit that will allow the
school to open for classes on Sept. 5.
“I’m over-the-moon excited,” Amy
Moore, the school’s executive direc-
was secured only two months ago, vol-
unteers, academy board members and
Coaster Construction worked down to
the wire to meet the Tuesday deadline
set by Seaside School District. The
last-minute need to fi nd a new location
came when the board received an es-
timate of $150,000 over the $90,000
they budgeted for construction costs
at the original location on Sunset Bou-
levard. Costs were driven up because
the space would need to be renovated
extensively to meet state school fi re
codes.
The academy was able to fi nd an al-
ternative in the former Preschool and
Children’s Center at 3781 S. Hemlock
St. But by the time lease negotiations
See Academy, Page 7A
BRENNA VISSER/ SEASIDE SIGNAL
Volunteers helped sweep up leaves at a clean up event in July for the new
Cannon Beach Academy at the former Preschool and Children’s Center.