SEASIDESIGNAL.COM • COMPLIMENTARY COPY
OUR 111th YEAR • September 1, 2017
Seaside
approves
urban
renewal
plan
Some racers walk, don’t run in Hood to Coast Relay
CROSSING THE
FINISH LINE
Forestland eliminated
from proposal
By R.J. Marx
Seaside Signal
City councilors unanimously adopted
the Southeast Seaside Urban Renewal Plan
on Monday, with one important change —
the elimination of 33 acres of Weyerhae-
user-owned forestland from the 560-acre
project.
“We heard concerns about the particular
piece of land that is included in the plan that
is not in the city property and not in the ur-
ban growth boundary,” City Councilor Tita
Montero said.
“When all is said and done, I think the
right thing to do is diminish the boundar-
ies and reduce the size of the urban renewal
district by removing the forest land outside
the city limits.”
The Weyerhaeuser property had been
considered a way to provide additional in-
frastructure — water, sewer lines and roads
— to the Seaside School District’s new
campus, City Manager Mark Winstanley
said. “That was the thought behind putting
that piece of property in — it gave more op-
tions to the agency.”
Revenues fund improvements
Urban renewal is a fi nancing program
authorized under state law and implemented
locally, allowing the use of property tax rev-
enues from city and regional taxing districts
to grow the economy in blighted or under-
developed areas.
Funding comes through increases in as-
sessed values of local properties.
As new development arrives and exist-
ing properties are improved, assessments
rise and see property tax increases. Property
taxes on the growth in assessed value in the
urban renewal area are frozen and increas-
es are allocated to the city’s urban renewal
agency and not the taxing districts.
The urban renewal plan sets a limit on
the amount of money which can be used to
fund projects, with a maximum indebted-
ness of $68.5 million. The plan has a dura-
tion of 25 years.
City data indicated the prior urban renew-
al area’s assessed value grew at 5 percent
annually from 2008 to 20 14, even during the
recession, consultant Elaine Howard wrote
in a report Monday .
The city’s past urban renewal programs
helped provide fi nancing for The Turn-
around and Prom, the city’s sewage plant,
12th Avenue improvements and construc-
tion of a new library.
The urban renewal district could provide
up to $45 million in funds for improvements
to four bridges vulnerable to tsunamis, on
Avenue A, G, S and U. Other projects could
bring street and infrastructure improvements
to the city’s south end, business assistance,
property acquisition and workforce housing.
Relay raises $700,000 for
Providence hospitals
By Brenna Visser
Seaside Signal
A
fter two years of cloud cover and
windy woes, Seaside welcomed
19,000 runners and walkers from the
36th annual Hood to Coast R elay with
a clear and sunny day.
Runners came from all 50 states and 43
countries Saturday to compete in the race that
spans from Timberline Lodge to Seaside’s
P romenade, covering 199 miles and raising
$700,000 for Providence hospitals, Chief Op-
erating Offi cer Dan Floyd said.
After the race, thousands celebrated on the
beach with beer, pop-up food stands and musi-
cal performances from Radical Revolution and
the Brian O’Dell Band until the sun set over
the horizon.
While Hood to Coast is known for featuring
world-class athletes capable of Olympic-style
race times, a chunk of the money raised for
cancer research comes from groups like “You
walkin’ to me?” — one of the 400 race walking
teams who participate in the Portland To Coast
Walk Relay portion of the event.
See HTC, Page 10A
JEFF TER HAR/FOR SEASIDE SIGNAL
A little splash of water needed at Hood to Coast.
Sunny skies provided a backdrop
for the 2017 Hood to Coast.
JEFF TER HAR/FOR SEASIDE SIGNAL
PAID
PERMIT NO. 97
ASTORIA, OR
PRSRT STD
US POSTAGE
See Renewal, Page 6A
A love for wolves Divided council
Author Beckie Elgin chronicles
approves resolution
wolf’s trek across the landscape
By Rebecca Herren
For Seaside Signal
REBECCA HERREN/FOR SEASIDE SIGNAL
A fan receives her signed copy of
“Journey: The Amazing Story of
OR-7, the Oregon Wolf that Made
History” by author Beckie Elgin at
the author reading at the Seaside
Public Library.
The wolf called OR-7 (aka Journey) is known for
his three-year, 4,000-mile trek across Oregon into Cal-
ifornia to fi nd a mate. Since OR-7 was 10 months old
when collared, scientists were able to document his
range, and as his popularity grew, people worldwide
followed his arduous journey. Medford author Beckie
Elgin discussed his journey and her new book “Jour-
ney: The Amazing Story of OR-7, the Oregon Wolf
that Made History” during her presentation on Aug. 12
at the Seaside Public Library.
Elgin’s interest in wolves began at age 12 in Des
Moines, Iowa. Her father was a zoo director there and
Elgin helped care for a variety of animals, including
wolves.
Her love for wolves never changed; however, life
eventually took over. Elgin worked as a nurse and
See Wolves, Page 8A
Supporters
disappointed by
lack of unanimity
By R.J. Marx
Seaside Signal
The City Council endorsed
an inclusivity resolution Mon-
day night recognizing the
contributions of immigrants,
but resistance by two coun-
cilors led to an uneasy feeling
among some in the Hispanic
community .
While a majority support-
ed the resolution in a 5-2 vote,
City Councilor Seth Morrisey
said it was ambiguous and in-
tentionally vague.
Councilor Randy Frank
called it political and unnec-
essary.
“I don’t understand why
we have a resolution for this,”
Frank said. “I’ve lived here 52
years. I went to school here. I
don’t know of anybody being
excluded on any basis. … I do
know these inclusivity move-
ments are part of a political
alignment and this is what I
object to.”
Minerva Moulin, of La Voz
de la Comunidad, an advisory
committee to the Lower Co-
lumbia Hispanic Council, said
she was happy Seaside passed
the inclusivity resolution, but
would have been happier had
See Council, Page 6A