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About Seaside signal. (Seaside, Or.) 1905-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 16, 2019)
Friday, August 16, 2019 | Seaside Signal | SeasideSignal.com • A7 Demolition: Seaside to raze property Continued from Page A1 from the city. Now, she added, she was “desperate” for that action to be taken. Over the months, she said she has spotted rats in her garden, which she considers her “refuge,” and they were trailed from the neighboring property with the charred remains. Additionally, Trexler said, plants are overgrown and invading her property. She requested an update on the city’s timeline for addressing the issue, adding, “I’m asking for the health and safety of the entire neighborhood.” According to Winstan- ley, the city had made mul- tiple attempts to contact the property owner and work with them to address the issues, which is “the normal process” for dealing with an abandoned property. “Our letters are all being returned at this point. We’re not in a position to make the prop- erty owner comply.” “That’s been a big part of the delay,” Mayor Jay Bar- ber said. On July 15, Barber had sent out a memo regarding the burned and abandoned house, stating, “It is past time to declare the above reference property a nui- sance.” Chapter 96 of Sea- side city ordinance outlines a process and includes pro- visions for dealing with a public nuisance, which is perceived as the last step when a property owner will not address a problem iden- tifi ed by the city. City Councilor Steve Continued from Page A1 Property in Seaside after a fi re in early 2018. Neighbors sought a cleanup. Wright asked at the July meeting for more infor- mation regarding the esti- mated cost for cleaning up the property in order for the council to “make an informed decision.” At the Aug. 12 meet- ing, Winstanley shared that he put out for bids to get an estimate to bring back to the council. The contract was awarded to Keith Ker- anen Excavating, the low- est of three bids at $13,700. The costs cover “total demo and clean up of structure,” according to their Aug. 1 estimate, including hauling away and dumping in a legal dump site. Asbestos abate- ment testing will be con- ducted prior to demolition. Work has yet to be scheduled. The city will put a lien on the property, which cur- rently is up for sale. The home, on one-third of an acre, is assessed at $85,764, with a real market value of $114,032. “Sometime in the future, we should be able to recoup our costs for doing this work,” Winstanley said. The only issue at this point, he added, is uncertainty about how long that might take. City Councilor Tita Mon- tero agreed it’s important for the city to recover the expense of the project. “I’m hoping they will sell it quickly, especially if we clean it up,” she said. The owner, listed by the Clatsop County assessor’s offi ce as Robert F. Boucher, was unable to be reached by the Signal at his property or a listed phone number. Wheelchairs: ‘Big step’ for accessibility Continued from Page A1 at the Bob Chisholm Com- munity Center, east of U.S. Highway 101 on Avenue A, and out of distance for users. Gooch said the district receives about 20 phone calls a day about wheel- chair rental, but only about half of those interested had the capacity to bring them from the rec district’s Bob Chisholm Center or Sunset Pool to the beach. The city’s Public Works Director Dale McDow- ell started the grant pro- cess, delivering his applica- tion only two days before the deadline. “The next word was we were awarded the grant and we were all smiling,” McDowell said. “This was an ideal loca- tion because we did have the room. It’s centrally located to where people will park, handicapped stalls, nice wide sidewalks and restrooms.” The storage units came in boxes “about 8 inches tall,” McDowell said, with assem- bly by the street depart- ment’s Jeremy Strimple, Matt Long and Scott Hanna. Users reserve the wheel- chairs for four-hour periods. Using a locker key, those with disabilities can head up Oceanway to the Prom, then south toward Avenue A beach access. Gooch said he hears heartwarming tales was the fi rst time they’d ever seen the ocean, we have a 7-year- old daughter who was dis- abled and can’t walk, he said it was “absolutely a god- send.” “We get those stories all the time,” Gooch said. “I can’t count on two hands the times people have called back and said ‘thank you,’ and sharing their experience, which is fantastic.” The Travel Oregon grant covered $9,000 for the stor- age lockers, McDowell said. With permits and other fees, the total slightly exceeded that, with the rec district coming up with about $500 in additional costs. Anderson, who put the program in motion, said he didn’t envision the pro- gram taking off as he has. “It’s been a good collabora- tion between us and the city and Park and Rec,” Ander- son said. “In June alone, the chairs were checked out 65 times. That’s just amazing. It tells me the need is there, and it’s been there a long time.” Tsunami zone: Bucking state changes, Gearhart passes overlay zone The city has been work- ing with the state’s Depart- ment of Land Conserva- tion and Development to update the amendments, Mayor Matt Brown said at the August meeting, initi- ated by the Gearhart Plan- ning Commission for the state Coastal Resiliency Grant process. This process could help to allow grant funds to be available for emergency preparedness projects in Gearhart, he added. Projects that have been discussed are new evacua- tion route signage including painted signs on the road surfaces, tsunami evacua- tion towers, new evacua- tion maps and emergency supply storage. According to the Offi ce of Coastal Management for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra- tion, four jurisdictions — Coos County and the cities of Florence, North Bend, and Reedsport — incor- porated the tsunami haz- ard overlay zones into their land-use planning pro- grams. Regulations limit development of critical facilities within tsunami inundation zones, encour- age stronger building tech- niques, and offer fl exi- ble options to people who want to make their devel- opment designs even more tsunami-resilient. Coos County and the cit- ies of Reedsport and Flor- ence have also completed improvement plans for tsu- nami evacuation facilities. The coastal program col- laborated often with com- munities to ensure that different evacuation per- Passage of the tsunami hazard overlay zone amendments could lead to grants for signage and other wayfi nding materials. AT A GLANCE The city’s decision comes after a state legislative session in which lawmakers overturned a 1995 prohibition on constructing new public facilities within the tsunami zone. spectives and needs were included. Gearhart is the fi rst city on the North Coast to pass a tsunami hazard overlay zone ordinance. At a state level, with the passage of the HB 3309, restrictions on new pub- lic buildings in tsunami zones has been lifted. Gov. Kate Brown signed the bill in June, adding in a sign- ing letter “House Bill 3309 restores much needed fl ex- ibility, while ensuring that our coast communities remain safe.” “It’s really our local rule,” City Attorney Peter Watts said. “I’m not sure why that law was passed. It seems counter to every- thing you’ve been doing, but I’m sure there’s some story somewhere.” Gearhart’s new rules come with “exceptions built into it” and will not impact the decision of where to place a new fi re station, should voters approve a new bond to fi nance it, City Administrator Chad Sweet said. If there was no appropri- ate location outside the tsu- nami hazard zone “it could be inside the overlay zone, so we could put it pretty well anywhere we need it to,” Sweet said. “We’re doing our best to place it in the place that’s best.” Want a fresh new look for summer? Call your local, neighborhood experts! We’re Budget Blinds, and we’re North America’s #1 provider of custom window coverings. We do it all for you; design, measure and install — because we think everyone, at every budget, deserves style, service, and the peace-of-mind of the best warranty in the business. Call now for your free in-home consultation! Oregon Coast 503.738.5242 R.J. Marx Lincoln City 541.994.9954 Patrick Duhachek of Wheel Fun Rentals; Mayor Jay Barber, and Randy Anderson, who fi rst proposed the wheelchair program in Seaside. Visitors are “really grate- ful” for the opportunity to access the beach, Ander- son said. “They’ve wanted to do this for years. All ages from young children to older people. And everybody in between. It’s an amazing experience.” The demand is already high, Gooch said. “Wheel- chair No. 1 is already out in the next few minutes,” he said. “No. 2 will go out at 4 p.m.” Faux Woo d on select window coverings Save up to 20 % on select window coverings Blinds SW Washington 503.738.5242 • Blinds • Shutters • Shades • Drapes • Home Automation *Applies to selected window treatments from Budget Blinds. Restrictions may apply, ask for details. Valid for a limited time, not valid with any other offers, discounts, or coupons. Offer good at initial time of estimate only. At participating franchises only. ©2018 Budget Blinds, LLC. 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