6A • October 13, 2017 • Seaside Signal • seasidesignal.com
Voters split over rental rules
tion to lodging taxes and fees,
short-term rental homeowners
pay more than $300,000 per
year in property taxes.
“That is a total of a
half-million dollars per year
paid by 84 homeowners in the
vacation rental program … all
to local government.”
The city budget for this
fiscal year anticipates col-
lections of about $360,000,
Sweet said.
Sharp divide
over new
regulations
By R.J. Marx
Seaside Signal
Just whose rights are at is-
sue in Gearhart as voters con-
sider repealing vacation rental
rules in November?
Supporters of Measure
4-188 want to repeal and re-
place rules enacted last fall
related to off-street parking,
appearance, garbage service,
septic inspections and cess-
pool prohibitions. The measure
would require home inspec-
tions and make owners respon-
sible for self-reporting issues.
More than 200 voters
signed a petition in support of
the measure, short-term rental
owner Jim Whittemore said.
Meanwhile, Gearhart is
heavily dotted with “Vote No”
lawn signs in a campaign led
by a coalition of residents,
including Mayor Matt Brown
and former Mayor Dianne
Widdop.
A “no” vote will continue a
balanced and responsible cap
on rental properties, Brown
said, and safety inspections
keep visitors safe.
“I was elected to protect
our citizens’ rights,” Brown
said. “Our quality of life
shouldn’t be compromised for
the sake of profit.”
Septic regulations will
“protect neighbors from high
commercial use,” he added.
Both sides say property
rights are at risk.
COLIN MURPHEY/EO MEDIA GROUP
Signs in regards to Measure 4-188 dot U.S. Highway 101 in
Gearhart.
Whittemore said the flaw
in the current law “is that it
takes away property rights
from all homeowners.”
Measure opponent Jeanne
Mark said “common-sense”
caps to short-term rentals and
safety rules protect residential
private property rights.
Unintended
consequences
According to the ballot
summary by David Townsend,
Brian and Joy Sigler and
County Commissioner Sarah
Nebeker, the measure would
repeal special regulations on
vacation rentals not required
of other residents.
Nebeker, a Gearhart resi-
dent, spoke in opposition to
the city’s short-term rental
ordinance in April, when she
said the ordinance was too
harsh and with modifications
could be made more equitable.
“Ordinances and laws are
only as good as the ability to
enforce them,” measure sup-
porter Katherine Schroeder
said in a letter to The Daily
Astorian.
The city has failed to regu-
larly and consistently enforce
ordinances which already reg-
ulate garbage, septic, parking
and appearance of properties,
she said.
According to Schroeder,
an overly restrictive vacation
rental ordinance will force
rental homeowners under-
ground.
“A likely unintended con-
sequence of the City Coun-
cil’s ordinance is just this:
unpermitted, uninspected and
possibly unsafe homes,” she
wrote.
As of the end of Septem-
ber, 81 vacation rental dwell-
ing permits have been issued,
57 of which are complete and
processed, six pending park-
ing plans, 15 working on up-
grades after inspection and
three awaiting initial inspec-
tion, City Administrator Chad
Sweet said.
Whittemore said in addi-
Quality of life
The November vote is the
latest step in the conversation
started in 2013 when members
of the Planning Commission
and City Council considered
changes to the way short-term
rental properties are taxed and
regulated within the city.
At the time, Gearhart had
no ordinance requiring in-
spections or occupancy limits
for vacation rentals.
Fourteen property owners
filed an appeal with the state
after adoption of regulations
last fall. The state Land Use
Board of Appeals upheld the
city’s short-term rental rules
in June.
Meanwhile, supporters of
repeal and replace gathered
enough signatures to put the
countermeasure on the ballot.
Vacation rentals have al-
ways been a part of Gearhart,
Townsend said in a September
letter to The Daily Astorian.
“They are not a threat to our
‘quiet residential community,’
nor are they ‘high commercial
use’ as the mayor claims.”
Ballots will be mailed to
voters Oct. 18. Election Day
is Nov. 7.
City Council decision clears the way
for Seaside school campus rezoning
Third reading of
ordinance sends
campus plan
forward
By R.J. Marx
Seaside Signal
Before shovels can hit
ground for a new high school
campus, the city needed to re-
zone two parcels, one 40 acres
and the second 49 acres.
With the third council read-
ing of two ordinances, the
council opened the door for
development of the campus,
designed to replace old and
vulnerable buildings in the
Cascadia Subduction Zone.
“It’s one more step in the
process of moving forward,”
Seaside School District Su-
perintendent Sheila Roley said
after Monday’s Seaside City
Council meeting. “The meet-
ing tonight was really about
clarification of wording and
setting up clearly stated ordi-
nances that reflect the urban
growth boundary change.”
The property, located at
R.J. MARX/SEASIDE SIGNAL
Consultant Greg Winterowd
and Seaside School District
Superintendent Sheila Roley
after the third and final read-
ing of an ordinance rezoning
89 acres for a high-school
campus.
2000 Spruce Drive, includes
the residential portion of the
existing Seaside Heights El-
ementary School site outside
the wetlands zone.
The new campus, approved
by a $99.7 million bond vote in
November, will be built on 89
acres, 49 of that designated as
county forest and the other 40
zoned residential. Both these
designations will be changed
to institutional campus, or as
a result of Monday’s approval,
clearing the way for the cam-
pus, with a total project budget
of almost $113 million.
In making their decision,
city officials relied on testimo-
ny and input from the school
district, the comprehensive
plan and planning commission
decisions.
Late changes and updates
to the ordinance contained re-
vised tax lot numbers and oth-
er minor changes, consultant
Greg Winterowd of Winterowd
Planning said.
“What the new ordinance
does is make sure we are
talking about the right proper-
ties,” Winterowd said.
Planning Director Kev-
in Cupples delivered revised
findings, along with a response
sheet directed to public con-
cerns.
Findings determine the
council’s adoption of the two
ordinances comply with state
planning goals as well as city
and county review standards.
During a public comment
period, Seaside resident John
Dunzer presented a summa-
ry of an appeal he planned to
submit to the state’s Land Use
Board of Appeals.
In previous meetings, Dun-
zer said the city could find al-
ternate sites within the urban
growth boundary that did not
require building a new campus.
Mayor Jay Barber, council-
or Tita Montero, Dana Phillips
and Steve Wright voted for the
rezoning and comprehensive
plan change. Randy Frank,
Tom Horning and Seth Mor-
risey were absent.
Architects Dull Olson
Weekes anticipate the design
phase to reach next June, when
construction could begin. The
campus is slated for opening in
the fall of 2020.
“We’re still in the de-
sign-development phase and
that’s a long complex process,”
Roley said. “The City Council
has been very helpful in guid-
ing us through this process
properly.”
Approval is subject to the
Clatsop County Board of Com-
missioners and takes effect
upon board approval.
Gearhart councilors
like green energy plan
Support shown
for Portland-
based request
By R.J. Marx
Seaside Signal
Gearhart heard a request
from Multnomah County
and the city of Portland to
consider support for a Pa-
cific Power commitment to
renewable energy.
PacifiCorp, parent com-
pany of Pacific Power, which
delivers power to customers
in Oregon, Idaho, Washing-
ton and California, is work-
ing on their 2017 integrated
resource plan, a document to
guide how that utility makes
their investments over the
next several years.
“They are considering
a considerable investment
of $3.5 billion in renew-
able energy resources, part
of that new wind facilities,
transmission capacities and
upgrade technology to in-
crease energy output,” City
Administrator Chad Sweet
said at the Oct. 4 City Coun-
cil meeting. “They are ask-
ing for support at the Public
Utility Commission for this
plan as they increase their
renewable portfolio.”
The request was made
at the request of Mayor Ted
Wheeler of Portland and
Multnomah County Com-
missioner Jessica Vega Ped-
erson based on the negative
impacts of climate change.
Multnomah County and Port-
land jointly committed to
transitioning to 100 percent
renewable energy by 2035.
Clatsop County became
the first county in Oregon and
the second nationwide to join
the Environmental Protec-
tion Agency’s Green Power
Partnership. The designation
recognizes the county gov-
ernment’s commitment to
purchase at least 10 percent
of its annual electricity sup-
ply from renewable sources
for its operations. The Coun-
ty Board of Commissioners
voted in March to make the
pledge. Councilors unani-
mously endorsed the propos-
al to support the request.
“I would like to point out
to our citizens, Clatsop Coun-
ty will be the first county in
Oregon and only the second
nationwide to achieve the
designation of ‘Green Pow-
er Community,’” Councilor
Dan Jesse said. “I’m proud
of us as a community that we
decided to step up.”
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Deal from Page 1A
“This is a lot different than
two years ago,” Floyd said
after the meeting. “The sen-
timent and the feeling has re-
ally changed dramatically and
in a very positive way.”
“They’ve addressed situa-
tions that in the past years that
were negative and have turned
them into positives,” Brian
Owen, executive director of
the Seaside Chamber of Com-
merce said. “It’s a good, strong
partnership. We all win.”
Future meetings with
Hood to Coast organizers
will determine details about
the 2018 race, including
compensation and a poten-
tial long-term deal, City
Manager Mark Winstanley
said.
In the meantime, the coun-
cil approved the one-year ex-
tension.
“I am fully confident that
we will be working together
for a long time,” Floyd said.
The 2018 race is scheduled
for Aug. 24 and Aug. 25.
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Excellence in family dining found
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Annual event seeks to raise earthquake awareness
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American Shakeout,” Horn-
ing said at the City Council
meeting. “Thanks very much
for that.”
“It’s an event we should
take very seriously,” Mayor
Jay Barber said. “This is cer-
tainly more relevant to us in
the aftermath of Mexico City.”
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