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About Seaside signal. (Seaside, Or.) 1905-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 16, 2020)
Friday, October 16, 2020 | Seaside Signal | SeasideSignal.com • A5 Gearhart: Candidates debate site of new fi re station Continued from Page A1 Jack Zimmerman, Jes- se’s challenger, said he found it problematic the the city hasn’t disclosed issues Sweet faced regarding driv- ing citations in Clatsop County and Eastern Oregon. Zimmerman said he feels there is “a very defi nitive and clear requirement” to inform the public about eth- ics issues. “When people see you’re moving the decision for- ward, they’re looking back and they’re saying, ‘Wait a minute, the problems hap- pened years ago,’” Zimmer- man said. It raises questions about what “the remedy for the people of Gearhart” will be in terms of “this stain on (Sweet), but also on you folks,” Zimmerman said. Candidates also weighed in on the decisions being made surrounding the Reita Fackerell Paulina Cockrum old Gearhart Elementary School, which has received an offer of purchase. Reita Fackerell, who is running for Position 2 on the council against Bob Short- man, who did not attend the debate, said she feels the public should be given details about the potential buyer because of their love for the park on the property. “I really think they should be in the know all the time what is happen- ing with that area,” Fack- erell said. “I know it was the city manager and our mayor who said it was confi dential. And I understand that, but I would like to know what is happening.” Jesse disagreed, citing the fact that it’s Seaside School District property, not city property. Zimmerman expressed dissatisfaction with a missed opportunity for the city to purchase roughly 8.4 acres of property in the heart of Gearhart to use for open space, parks, public works, and other purposes aligned with the city’s comprehen- sive plan. “The logic on that is ter- rible and, personally, it’s unacceptable,” Zimmerman added. Another issue brought up during the forum involved the prospective site for a new Gearhart fi re station, as the city hopes to move the current station out of the tsu- nami inundation zone. Cur- rently, the city is considering the High Point property. According to Cockrum, they are pursuing due dili- gence to evaluate the site, the feasibility of build- ing the station and the cost. She is committed to com- pleting that process, espe- cially as High Point is “one of the best evacuation sites we have” within city limits because of elevation. Cock- rum said she remains very concerned about cost. Fackerell supports the High Point site for now, because the city did an exten- sive survey and respondents overwhelmingly selected the location. At the time of the survey, some data that could factor into the decision was not available, including cost, right of way, and ease- ment issues, she said. “As all these things come out and things are made more clear, maybe the position of the community will change. But until that, I have to go with what the community wants right now,” she said. Jesse said he would act on behalf of constituents and the public opinion. Although the park at the end of Pacifi c Way was preferable and the most fi scally responsible choice as it is already owned by the city, that was proven to be a not popular site by the majority of our citizens that did the survey. “That’s how democracy works,” Jesse said. Jesse said he would sup- port the public weighing in again once they are aware of the costs associated with construction at High Point. Zimmerman said he is unsure if the extra elevation at the High Point site war- rants the substantial increase of cost, and why the city expanded the project scope after the site was selected. The proposed scope of the project expanded to 13,000 square feet with “no expla- nation as to why that’s hap- pening,” he said. BUSINESS Directory FLOORING CCB# 205283 Seaside: Incumbents prioritize housing, COVID-19 Luxury vinyl planks and tile. Continued from Page A1 said, which prevents owners from renting out their prop- erties to the working com- munity. Seaside is not only in need of affordable housing for those below the poverty line, but “that middle ground, that achievable housing, that is there for the people who are working, who are maybe retired.” Kleczek said solutions include using federal tax incen- tives and credits to develop public-private partnerships and going to the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals to expand or change regulations. “There are tools and ways that other communities have done this,” she said. Wood said many Seaside workers can’t afford to live here. Wood said he recently saw a studio apartment going for $1,100 per month, which is “not affordable unless you’re making a lot of money,” he said. Wood said the city should work with the state, county and private developers to build smaller multifamily hous- ing complexes so people can afford to live in the community you walk on our reputation Flooring Installation 3470 Hwy 101 Suite 102 • Gearhart, Oregon 503.739.7577 • carpetcornergearhart.com Kathy Kleczek David Posalski Adam Wood they work in. “The city can do more,” he added. Candidates also weighed in on Seaside’s decision to reopen lodging and other busi- nesses on a different timeline than Clatsop County. “I would have liked to see them be more proactive and not just take a wait-and-see approach,” Wood said, add- ing the city needs to create an emergency response plan that includes a step-by-step pro- cess and protocol for keeping the public informed. “They missed the mark a little bit on that point,” he said. Posalski and Kleczek agreed the City Council made the best decisions they could and, so far, South County for- tunately has avoided a sub- stantial increase of COVID-19 cases, even with the infl ux of tourists this summer. Incumbents Randy Frank, who is up for reelection to City Council and running unopposed, said there have been extensive hous- ing studies done, and what the other candidates seem to mis- understand is there is not a lot of available land for develop- ment in Seaside. “We don’t have the prop- erty,” he said. Incumbent Tom Horn- ing also participated in the discussion. Frank, who represents the at large seat in Wards 1 and 2, said he has witnessed the trend of smaller, midrange res- idences suitable for a fi rst fam- ily home or workforce housing being bought by people only interested in investment. “They put a lot of money into (the houses) so they can turn them over and rent them for so much a night,” he said. “Those are vacation rentals. They take out of our housing market. It’s just a fact. … It’s unfortunate people in our area don’t have the opportunity to buy those homes.” Horning, also running unopposed to represent Ward 3, urged continued vigilance to fi ght the cornonavirus pan- demic. “Given the gravity of the situation, the possibil- ity that things can spin out of control, the city should always take the most conservative approach,” Horning said. “This is not something to fi nesse, it’s something to con- front directly, and enforce masks and distancing behav- iors. If everyone followed guidelines whole-heartedly, the threat of the virus could be eliminated in a matter of weeks,” he said. “All you have to do is follow the rules, but no one seems to do that.” FLOORING Randall Lee’s 0% FINANCING AVAILABLE Window Treatments, Fabric, Designer Wallpaper, Counter Tops, All Flooring and Miele Vacuums Visit Our Outlet! Randall Lee’s Seaside • 2311 N. Roosevelt Dr. • 503-738-5729 rlflooring@yahoo.com • www.RandallLeesFlooring.com Randall Lee’s Flooring Outlet • 3579 Hwy 101 Gearhart • 503-738-6756 Warehouse pricing • Open to the Public • Hundreds of instock rolls & remnants • In House Binding CONSTRUCTION B oB M c E wan c onstruction , inc . E xcavation • u ndErground u tiitiEs r oad w ork • F ill M atErial s itE P rEParation • r ock owned and operated by M ike and C eline M C e wan 503-738-3569 34154 Hwy 26, Seaside, OR P.O. Box 2845, Gearhart, OR S erving the p aCifiC n orthweSt S inCe 1956 • CC48302 LANDSCAPING Child care: Need will likely evolve but not dissipate Continued from Page A1 DINING on the 503-717-1454 NORTH COAST 3 4 1 5 4 HIGHWAY 2 6 S E AS IDE , OR Laurelwood Farm Great Restaurants in: GEARHART • SEASIDE ELECTRICAL CANNON BEACH WANT TO KNOW WHERE THE LOCALS GO? • Breakfast • Lunch • Dinner • Junior Menu RESTAURANT & LOUNGE • Lighter appetite menu E RIL Y’ BEST BREAKFAST IN TOWN! Fish ‘n Chips • Burgers • Seafood & Steak Friday & Saturday - Prime Rib All Oregon Lottery products available • Repairs • Generator installation & servicing • New construction • Remodels Serving the North Oregon Coast since 1950! Serving Clatsop & Tillamook Counties 503.738.8391 CCB#3226 ELECTRICAL 1104 S Holladay • 503-738-9701 • Open 9am-7pm, closed Tuesday • New Construction • Remodels Excellence in family dining found from a family that has been serving the North Coast for the past 52 years Seaside programs Encore Dance Studio has also expanded its program options to serve and support families through the public health situation. In addition to its typical weekly dance and tumbling classes and full-day performing arts preschool and kindergarten for 3- to 6-year- olds, Encore is also provid- ing a full-day program for fi rst- through-12th-graders. According to owner Denele Sweet, the latter includes academic support to help students with distance learning, mixed with dance and tumbling instruction. “Our academy is basically like my very own ‘Fame’ school,” she said. “Kids get homework and perform- ing arts with our all-in-one magical program. It’s been wonderful.” • La u re lwood C om post • S oil Am e nd m e nt s • Pla nt ing M a cM ix • M u lch S gaps as needed — is stretched thin. This is a reversal from past years, she added, when she had plenty of staff but limited space. Owen’s goal from the start was to have two adults per each classroom of 10 to answer questions, help with technology and get the kids logged into synchronous online meetings with their teachers at the right time. “We haven’t been able to reach that goal, but I’m hope- ful we’ll get there,” she said. “It’s challenging right now. Once we get more staff, it will go a lot smoother.” The whole program was established rapidly when the school district announced its decision to start instruction remotely for at least the fi rst six weeks of the school year. Even then, Owen was draft- ing plans for numerous differ- ent scenarios. “Two weeks before it started, I said, ‘Look, I just need to plan that this is going to go through the end of the year possibly, and I need to move forward with that in mind and how we’re going to make that work,’” she said. That sort of fl exible, mul- tifaceted scenario-plan- ning continues to defi ne her approach as she looks ahead not only through the end of 2020, but the end of the school year. There is no telling when students will resume in-per- son education. Even when they can reconvene on campus, the school district’s proposed hybrid model for elementary aged students suggests classes would have staggered sched- ules, meaning the child care needs of families would likely evolve but hardly dissipate. “I’ve got to consider all the different scenarios,” Owen said. She praised her staff for their dedication and will- ingness to take on new tasks to support families. As she pointed out, they are not edu- cators but “they’re going above and beyond anything they’ve ever done before.” “I’ve been so impressed with them,” she added. Additionally, since March, the park district has only experienced one virus case, which led to youth summer programs being shut down for two weeks. However, there was no report of related cases among the children, their families or other staff members. “That’s telling — we’re doing something right,” Owen said. 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