OUR 112th Year
December 13, 2019
SEASIDESIGNAL.COM
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Parking amendment aims to
ease city’s housing crunch
Developers seek to
enhance ‘downtown feel’
By R.J. MARX
Seaside Signal
To spur downtown and workforce
housing, the Planning Commission con-
sidered a new zoning amendment to
reduce the required number of park-
ing spaces for studio, one-bedroom and
two-bedroom apartments for downtown
core areas of the city.
In future meetings, they will also con-
sider a reduction in parking regulations in
all zones.
“If you want to modify things or adjust
things and be more specific about what
this is applying to, then you’ve got latitude
to do that,” Planning Director Kevin Cup-
ples said at the Tuesday, Dec. 3, Planning
Commission meeting.
The current standard specifies two
spots per dwelling unit, regardless of the
number of bedrooms. Commissioners con-
sidered language to bring those numbers
down, possibly to one parking spot for stu-
dios and one-bedrooms and one-and-a-
half spaces for two-bedroom units.
Vacation rental dwellings, condomini-
ums and townhomes would still require
two parking spaces per unit.
Members of the public and commis-
sioners spoke on behalf of the proposed
ordinance.
See Parking, Page A6
Foundation
raises nearly
$200,000 at
Festival of Trees
Photos by R.J. Marx
TOP The Rosenbauer fire truck has a ladder
stretching 100 feet. BOTTOM Fire Chief Joey
Daniels inspects the new truck.
New fire truck
comes to Seaside
By KATHERINE LACAZE
For Seaside Signal
E
ach year during the Seaside Fes-
tival of Trees, families are invited
to view the lavishly decorated
trees and enjoy a variety of hol-
iday-themed activities, such as
decorating cookies and making orna-
ments, without having to purchase a
ticket to the gala that follows in the
evening.
“For us, it’s a gift to the commu-
nity,” Providence Seaside Hospital
Foundation Executive Director Kim-
berly Ward, said.
During the event Saturday, Dec. 7,
about approximately 1,200 people fil-
tered through the Seaside Civic and
Convention Center to vote on their
favorite of the 17 festive trees, visit
with Santa Claus, and take a stroll
down Candy Cane Lane.
The doors upstairs were deco-
rated with ribbons and bows, and
each room featured a special activ-
ity sponsored by a community part-
ner. Inside the Star of Wonder room,
sponsored by Inland Electric, fami-
lies created a selection of ornaments
to take home for the holidays. Bank
of the Pacific sponsored Cookies with
Santa’s Elves, where children slath-
ered bright frosting on sugar cookies
and topped them with rainbow-col-
ored sprinkles.
Susan Romersa, who helped
attendees put together necklaces
for the Jingle All the Way activity,
had volunteered the previous year,
as well. Her favorite part, she said,
is “the kids, they’re happy,” as they
participate in the various activities,
from story time with Mrs. Claus to
face-painting.
See Festival of Trees, Page A6
In five-year process, new
ladder truck pulls into station
By R.J. MARX
Seaside Signal
R.J. Marx
Auctioneer Mark Schenfeld of Stokes Auction Group at Saturday’s Safeway/
Providence Festival of Trees Gala.
Katherine Lacaze
Daniel Clark, of Astoria, helps his children Hazel, 5, and Fisher, 2, frost cookies
during the 2019 Seaside Festival of Trees Community Open House at the Seaside
Civic and Convention Center on Dec. 7.
The fire truck is here.
On Friday morning, Dec. 6, firefighters wel-
comed delivery of the new Rosenbauer 100-
foot ladder truck.
The nearly $1.2 million firefighting appara-
tus provides five functions: pump, water tank,
fire hose, aerial device and ground ladders.
“It will reach the top of WorldMark,” Div.
Chief David Rankin said.
The tractor-drawn aerial quint — a combi-
nation fire truck and fire engine — “meets and
exceeds our expectations,” Seaside Fire Chief
Joey Daniels said as he inspected the vehicle.
The truck delivers navigability down the
city’s narrow one-way streets and more versa-
tility for firefighters.
At 60-feet long, the ladder truck is still “very
maneuverable,” Daniels said, because of the
steering capabilities of the rear tires. The truck
seats six and can store four air packs.
And the bell is “great for parades,” Rankin
added.
The new arrival comes after a five-year pro-
cess, approved by the City Council in late 2017.
The department’s 75-foot ladder truck
remained in use while the new vehicle was built
to specifications.
“I want to thank the voters and our commit-
tee for the five years it’s taken us to put this
together, and make it the best utilization for the
city of Seaside,” Daniels said.
A formal debut will follow. “Our goal is to
get it in service and trained on as soon as pos-
sible,” Daniels said. We want all our people
to feel comfortable on the ladder and driving
around.”
Making Christmas a little brighter to those behind bars
By EVE MARX
For Seaside Signal
Did you know there are people serving time in prison
who never get a visitor, never get a letter, or receive a
Christmas card?
Shirley Yates and her husband Carl are aware of this
sad situation and, seven years ago, decided to do some-
thing about it.
“Daily, every inmate must stand for mail call whether
they have mail or not,” Yates said. “Imagine how it feels
to never get a letter? To feel, especially at Christmas,
to feel so alone and forgotten?” It was a Wednesday
night the first week of December and Yates and her hus-
band and about thirty others were at Seaside Coffee on
a Christmas card writing mission. “Recently I received
a note from an inmate thanking us again for last year’s
card. She wrote, ‘It was the only gift I got. I read and
re-read it; I can’t thank you enough for remembering
me.’”
Shirley Yates
See Inmates, Page A6
Volunteers Brooke Edgar, Sondra Gomez and Alicia Luna write Christmas cards to those behind
bars.