OUR 114th Year
July 16, 2021
SEASIDESIGNAL.COM
$1.00
Cross Creek
development
could bring over
70 apartments
Traffic safety a
concern
By R.J. MARX
Seaside Signal
Traffic, bicycle and
pedestrian safety were the
top concerns among plan-
ning commissioners as
owners of the Cross Creek
subdivision on N. Roos-
evelt sought a conditional
use permit for a 72-unit
complex.
The property comprises
about 4 1/2 acres and
is located near the TLC
Fibre Federal Credit Union
building near Neawanna
Creek. Neighboring busi-
nesses include Randall
Lee’s Flooring America,
Ticor Title and Seaside Car
& Boat Wash.
Lots would be sold to
builders, with units antic-
ipated to be leased at
$1,200 to $1,400 a month.
Eight buildings with six
units each and six build-
ings with four units each
are proposed at the site.
The big thing missing
from the owners’ submis-
sion, Planning Commis-
sioner Kathy Kleczek said,
are measures designed to
ensure pedestrian and bicy-
cle safety at the entrance
from U.S. Highway 101.
“When you create res-
idences over there, you’re
going to have more and
more people moving in
that area by foot, and by
bicycle, and none of these
plans take those peo-
ple into account,” Klec-
zek said. “And that to me
is a huge concern. When
you’re accelerating to get
off the highway or acceler-
ating to get onto the high-
way, and you’ve got some-
body walking or biking
through that same inter-
section, you’re creating a
crash condition that is now
vehicular and pedestrian or
bicycle.”
The site is zoned resi-
dential high density, which
allows the development,
according to the transpor-
tation impact study pre-
pared by property owners.
“During heavy traffic
hours, I think it’s a fore-
gone conclusion it’s going
to have traffic backed up
basically to their devel-
opment,” Kevin Cupples,
the city’s planning direc-
tor, said.
According to the own-
ers’ traffic study, based on
a review of the most recent
five years of available
crash data, no significant
trends or crash patterns
were identified at any of
the study intersections that
indicated safety concerns.
The complex would
use the existing, shared
driveway serving the
nearby commercial spaces,
according to the study. The
study also says the site
By R.J. MARX
Seaside Signal
It was just a normal
Fourth of July in Gearhart,
Police Chief Jeff Bowman
said. “Maybe a little qui-
eter on Gearhart Beach this
year.”
In the days before the
holiday, for the fire depart-
ment, the holiday was
much quieter than previous
years, City Administrator
Chad Sweet, a firefighter,
said.
But a call to ban fire-
works by residents in let-
ters to Mayor Paulina
Cockrum and city council-
ors is winning support.
“We need to ban fire-
works and put notices at the
Farm fresh in Seaside, with
‘an atmosphere of excitement’
Market is held every Wednesday
By KATHERINE LACAZE
For Seaside Signal
With music filling the park-
ing lot beside the Sunset Rec-
reation Center and the smell of
pizza wafting among a small
mingling crowd, the Seaside
Farmers Market this season has
reclaimed the strong sense of
festivity that was tempered last
year because of the coronavirus
pandemic.
“There were a lot of things
that were different,” said
Melissa Ousley, marketing and
special events manager with
See Development, Page A5
Gearhart considers
fireworks ban
Impact on pets,
fire danger are
cited as concerns
Photos by Katherine Lacaze
The Seaside Farmers Market opened in June and will run through Sept. 29.
entrances of Gearhart,” res-
ident Penny Sabol wrote.
“And enforce the bans.”
Todd Liebow and Anita
Barbey wrote to request
that the city ban all fire-
works this summer.
“There’s too much at
risk to allow sparks to
be flying amid this small
community,” they wrote.
“We’ve seen too much
destruction to the environ-
ment and to humans and
pets that could easily have
been avoided by these
unnecessary and damaging
devices. We urge you and
City Council to act today
on this emergency situa-
tion as we are nearing one
of the seasonal high points
of potential disaster.”
Pet owners said their
animals are affected by
fireworks, City Coun-
cilor Dan Jesse said at last
Allan Berry, owner of Olivers Gourmet Co., speaks with patrons at the
Seaside Farmers Market.
See Market, Page A6
Gallery, residence space
coming to Gearhart
Speakmans intend to
display their art
By R.J. MARX
Seaside Signal
The Gearhart Planning Com-
mission has approved a local fam-
ily’s proposal to turn a former
metal works into a gallery and liv-
ing space off Pacific Way.
“By supporting local artists,
the city of Gearhart can play an
important role in adding to the
vibrancy and aesthetics of the local
community,” Jay Speakman wrote
in a letter to the commission.
Speakman and his wife, Diane,
own Sesame + Lilies, a home
decor store in Cannon Beach. The
store originally started on the cor-
ner of U.S. Highway 101 and
Pacific Way in 2003 before mov-
ing to Cannon Beach in 2007.
The couple’s daughter, Rachel,
is a painter and illustrator, he
said in the letter. At the Art Insti-
tute of Chicago, she specialized in
ceramic sculpture. “It is her desire
to return to this form of work,”
Speakman wrote. “It requires
heavy equipment and a reason-
able amount of space. As any artist
does, she also needs a place to dis-
play her work.”
Speakman’s wife is also a
painter and would display her work
at the space, he said. “We would
be able to use this showroom as a
gallery for all of us, really,” Speak-
man said at last week’s meeting.
The Gearhart Ironwerks repre-
sented “the obvious solution,” he
said.
“I know the building and
See Gallery, Page A5
See Fireworks, Page A5
Maggie’s is back with new executive chef
Jones cooked for
stars at Nike
By R.J. MARX
Seaside Signal
After temporarily closing
for nearly a year because of
impacts from the pandemic,
Maggie’s on the Prom is
back.
Andy and Sadie Mercer
closed their doors in Septem-
ber because limited indoor
seating made operations
increasingly difficult as a
result of state restrictions on
dining.
The Mercers opened
Maggie’s in 2013 and devel-
oped it into a fine dining
experience.
The restaurant, a frequent
Iron Chef Goes Coastal
award winner, also serves as
a community hub, provid-
ing story nights, tastings and
more. “It really is a commu-
nity that embraces all of the
businesses that come in as
new businesses and every-
body wants each other’s suc-
cess,” Sadie Mercer said.
“And that’s something that
was really apparent at the
very beginning.”
The restaurant reopened
in early June, just in time
for the summer season with
new executive chef Jonathan
Jones. He worked at Nike as
executive chef for six years,
traveling, catering special
events and preparing din-
ners for superstars like Tiger
Woods, LeBron James and
Apple’s Tim Cook.
In 2020, he and friend
Adrin Morrison eyed open-
ing their own restaurant on
the coast. They quit their
jobs and moved out of Port-
land with a deal lined up.
“We came here to open
here,” Jones said. “And then
this thing called COVID-19
happened.”
The deal fell through.
They pressed the refresh but-
ton, surf- and deep sea-fish-
ing, crabbing, clamming and
R.J. Marx
See Chef, Page A6
Executive chef Jonathan Jones, event coordinator Adrin
Morrison and Sadie Mercer on the deck of Maggie’s on the Prom.