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About Seaside signal. (Seaside, Or.) 1905-current | View Entire Issue (April 16, 2021)
OUR 114th Year Gearhart takes a second look at firehouse location By R.J. MARX Seaside Signal Threats of litigation at the proposed High Point location on North Mar- ion Avenue and a reluctant seller are among the reasons Gearhart is looking at new sites for the city’s firehouse. They may have found one at the Cottages at Gearhart, a proposed 30-acre subdivi- sion off of Highlands Lane, north of the city. Devel- opers hope to swap part of the property to the city for a firehouse in exchange for bringing the property into the urban growth boundary and annexed into the city. Peter Watts, the city’s attorney, said at the City Council’s meeting last Wednesday that the devel- opers have indicated they’re willing to donate a portion of the property as well as land for a public park. “If our land is brought into the urban growth boundary and annexed into the city, we will end up with additional buildable lots, given the city’s zon- ing,” Steve Olstedt, of the Cottages at Gearhart LLC, wrote in a letter to the city. “It will also allow the city to ‘loop’ the city’s water add- ing redundancy to the sys- tem. If the property can be brought into the UGB and city, we are willing to donate land for the fire sta- tion and a public park. This will save the city over $3 million as well as all the legal expenses associated with the other site.” Land within the city’s urban growth boundary could be exchanged for land outside the urban growth boundary on an acre-to-acre ratio, Watts said. The exchange would allow the developer to go from 1-acre zoning to 10,000-square-foot or four units per acre. City lots in the exchange could come from a portion of the “no-build” area along Gearhart’s western edge. The proposal comes at a time when the High Point See Firehouse, Page A6 Highlands site hinges on urban growth boundary By R.J. MARX Seaside Signal The search for a fire sta- tion site in Gearhart got a boost with the proposed donation of 5 acres off U.S. Highway 101 just north of the city. Cottages at Gearhart LLC hopes to exchange two lots outside Gearhart’s urban growth boundary with the city for use as a park and a new firehouse and resil- iency station. Approval for the process must first pass muster with the state’s Department of Land Con- servation and Development, which oversees the adminis- trative process. Once land is included in an urban growth boundary, it is eligible for annexation to the city. “It will include a very close look by the state Department of Land Con- servation and Develop- ment,” City Planner Carole Connell said at last Thurs- day’s Planning Commission meeting. “Expanding the urban growth boundary will be the test. It can be done.” The developer plans 39 April 16, 2021 SEASIDESIGNAL.COM to 40 houses in the neigh- boring 30-acre develop- ment, City Administrator Chad Sweet said. “If they could get into the UGB, they said they would donate to the city of Gearhart 5 acres of prop- erty in two different lots to the city,” he said. “One lot would be a buffer between this neighborhood and Pine Ridge Drive, with 3 acres of parkland that would be donated and designated as park.” As long as the land remains in Clatsop County, developers are limited to two lots per acre, Sweet said. If they were to come into the Gearhart urban growth boundary, developers could build on four lots per acre. In 2015, a proposal by former owners to annex the property into the city was turned down by the City Council, saying that the property should be in the urban growth boundary before being annexed to the city. The Cottages at Gearhart LLC purchased the property in 2018 for $649,000. Seaside High School presents ‘The Addams Family’ By KATHERINE LACAZE For Seaside Signal They’re creepy and they’re spooky, and they’re coming to life on stage: It’s the Addams Family. Seaside High School’s drama program will be live-streaming their rendi- tion of this morbidly clas- sic and endearing tale at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and April 22, 23 and 24. “Instead of coming to the high school, and sitting in a live audience, you can sit in the privacy of your own home and watch it,” Seaside School District photos said director Ann Susee, who teaches English and “The Addams Family,” presented by Seaside High School. drama at the high school. “The Addams Fam- an abundance of memora- ily: School Edition” tells ble songs and characters. The cast includes the story of a grown-up Wednesday Addams, junior Sophia Reynolds played by junior Kaiya as Gomez Addams; junior Taylor, who has fallen in Gracie Klemp as Mor- love with a “normal” man ticia Addams; freshman named Lucas Beineke, Kyleigh Griffin as Pugs- played by junior Olivia ley Addams; senior Lucas Mayhugh. Things get com- Ethridge as Fester Addams; plicated when the Beineke sophomore Eva Baiely family comes to dinner to as Grandma Addams; meet the Addams family. junior Skylar Archibald With the help of the Add- as Lurch; junior Harmony ams Ancestors, who are Brady as Mal Beineke; locked out of their graves junior Alice Beineke; and until they can help the middle schoolers Hayley young couple, everything Archibald, Katelyn Cox, turns out as it should by the Leonard Hoge, Braedyn end. Griffin, Ayaunna Bolin and Seaside juniors Gracie Klemp and Sophia Reynolds play “I’ve always liked the See Addams Family, Morticia Addams and Gomez Addams in the school’s story; it’s quirky and fun,” Page A8 upcoming production. Susee said, adding there’s Park district aims to hire consultant REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL By R.J. MARX Seaside Signal Help wanted: Feasibil- ity consultant for the Sun- set Empire Park and Recre- ation District. On March 30 the park district delivered a request for proposal seeking a con- sultant for a comprehen- sive strategy at the Sunset Recreation Center. Accord- ing to the request, the dis- trict is accepting propos- als for a consultant to assist with the process of guiding the district in developing a comprehensive strategy to determine the highest and best use for the former Broadway Middle School building that “advances the district’s vision, mission and objectives.” R.J. Marx The middle school was sold to the park district for $2.15 million in January as Seaside School District properties relocated to the new Spruce Drive loca- tion outside of the tsunami inundation zone. The consultant selected will be expected to provide strategic planning, market- Hill named city treasurer, water clerk By R.J. MARX Seaside Signal Gearhart City Council reshuffled its office staff, adding the title of recorder to the tasks of executive administrative assistant Krysti Ficker, and selecting longtime Seaside School District Business Manager Justine Hill as the city trea- surer and water clerk. “From the begin- ning, one candidate stood out from the pack,” City Administrator Chad Sweet said. “City staff is extremely impressed with Justine.” Justine Hill Gail Como, who announced her retirement early this year, served as treasurer, water clerk and administrative assistant. Ficker will take on the role of city recorder. “With treasury, water, and gen- eral admin falling under one position, it makes sense to partner recording with executive administra- $1.00 tion,” staff wrote. The city recorder is not a city official but appointed by the city administrator. Duties include taking City Council meeting minutes, preparing meeting pack- ets, publishing notices, announcing and filling vacancies and handling public record requests. Ficker will receive a salary increase to reflect the increase in workload and responsibilities. Hill, who served as business manager as the Seaside School District, helped the district navi- gate a $99.7 million bond for the new campus, was selected unanimously. “Her reference check couldn’t have been more positive,” Mayor Paulina Cockrum said. The city published an employment application on the city website and advertised for the position on the city blog, in The Astorian and Seaside Sig- nal, on Workforce Oregon, and ZipRecruiter. Sev- enteen applications were received and the inter- views were conducted. The treasurer serves as secretary to the City Coun- cil, attends all its meet- ings unless excused by by the mayor, keeps an accu- rate record of its proceed- ings and sign all orders on the treasury, along with the mayor or, in the absence of the mayor, the council president. The Sunset Empire Park and Recreation District is seeking interested and qualified firms to submit proposals that can guide, facilitate and develop a comprehensive strategy to determine the highest and best use for the Broadway Middle School building that advances its vision, mission and objectives. ing and statistical analysis of the facility. Programming, eco- nomic impacts and land use will be among topics of the final report. Authors will be expected to analyze ways to increase child care options, expand indoor recreation options for all residents, and contribute to the local economy through a sports tourism strategy, including camps or clinics. The report will be expected to identify grants, collaborative investment agreements and tenant improvement contributions available to the district. “This is referring to a partner that might have aspirations of partnering with the district for a part of the property and was willing to contribute rev- enues to the district for that and-or other improve- ments,” Skyler Archibald, executive director of the park district, said. The board selection See Consultant, Page A6 Miss Oregon program to return By R.J. MARX Seaside Signal The Miss Oregon Scholarship Program will be back in Seaside with the 68th annual program at the Seaside Civic and Convention Center June 16 through June 19. Director Beth McShane said the program will be a hybrid event, with both a live audience and livestream virtual event. In-person events will be conducted under the Oregon Health Authori- ty’s guidance for indoor entertainment. Miss Oregon Shivali Kadam, Miss Oregon 2019 and Marin Gray, Miss Oregon’s Outstanding Teen 2019. In 2020, directors of the Miss Oregon and Miss Oregon Outstanding Teen competitions canceled See Pageant, Page A5