OUR 115th Year
March 25, 2022
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Seaside
vacancies
hit library,
city hall
Recruitment profile for
city manager adopted
R.J. Marx
By R.J. MARX
Seaside Signal
Members of the Seaside Chamber of Commerce at the entrance to the
Sunset Recreation Center.
A look ahead for Sunset
Recreation Center
The city manager hiring process
has officially begun.
The City Council unanimously
adopted Jensen Strategies’ city
manager recruitment candidate
profile and hiring process last
Monday night, launching what
could be a nationwide search.
“We’re starting. We’re under-
way,” Mayor Jay Barber said.
Mark Winstanley, named city
manager in 2001, will retire in
June.
In adopting the city manager
recruitment profile, the city com-
mitted to seeking a candidate
with strong communication skills,
strong working relationships and
public safety knowledge, Jensen
Strategies’ associate Amelia Wal-
lace said.
A bachelor’s degree, experi-
ence and history of communica-
tion engagement are key candidate
traits. Knowledge of emergency
preparedness, public infrastruc-
ture, a tourism economy and hous-
ing issues are also considered
essential.
They should have experience
fostering an environment that
maintains and enhances the coun-
cil’s ability to collaborate, set goals
and navigate challenges, according
to the profile.
With its adoption, Jensen will
District strategic plan nears completion
By R.J. MARX
Seaside Signal
See Vacancies, Page A6
Unity
R.J. Marx
Former
Gearhart
school may Overcoming impediments to
match renters, homeowners
become
Housing challenges in
Oregon
housing
A message of solidarity in Gearhart for Ukraine as the country remains
under invasion by Russia.
As the Sunset Empire Park
and Recreation District pre-
pares to finalize its strategic
plan, executive director Skyler
Archibald and marketing and
special events manager Melissa
Ousley led local business lead-
ers on a tour of the facility.
The former Broadway Mid-
dle School is now in use, leas-
ing office space to the Northwest
Regional Education Service
District, running day care pro-
grams and hosting regional bas-
ketball and sporting events.
Thirty-four children are enrolled
in after-school programs. Four
of the building’s six classrooms
are in use.
“This building represents a
lot of potential for us to increase
the health impacts to our com-
munity, provide child care
space, which is desperately
needed, but also give adults,
children, families, people of
all ages an opportunity to have
more space to move and meet
together,” Archibald said. “And
that’s really important for the
health of our community.
The park district purchased
the building from the Sea-
side School District for $2.15
million.
According to the strategic
plan prepared by Sports Facil-
ities Companies and Scott
Edwards Architecture, Revenue
forecasts, based on existing pro-
grams and new programs, show
steady increases as sports tour-
naments, education, arts and fit-
ness programs increase. Build-
ing rentals and vending also add
to the financial revenue forecast.
While most spaces are usable
for their intended purposes
immediately, two short-term
improvements for maximizing
the use of the facility: repur-
posing the library for a mem-
bership-based fitness area and
repurposing the cafeteria for
higher-end special events.
More than $125,000 funds
from grants and donations will
be used to improve security,
gym and performance spaces
and an indoor walking track.
The added space comes at
an increased need for child care
facilities. With Little Sprouts
closing in June and Miss Tami’s
closing at the end of March,
there is a real need for child care
See Rec center:, Page A6
By KATHERINE LACAZE
Seaside Signal
By R.J. MARX
Seaside Signal
The owner of the former Gear-
hart Elementary School wants to
rezone the property and build up to
24 residential units.
While environmental consul-
tants will not finish monitoring the
13 groundwater test pits until the
end of April preliminary reports
from the consultants about the sep-
tic carrying capacity on-site led
the owners to seek city approval
to rezone the entire 8.5-acre site to
residential medium density, or R-2.
“Information drives conclu-
sions, and new information can
change initial plans,” Bob Morey
of Scofi Gearhart LLC said.
Scofi’s initial thought was that
the septic capacity of the property
might only accommodate a few
residential units, Morey said. Con-
sultants inspected 11 test pits in
late summer 2021.
“The result of the inspection
was that we needed to test ground
levels over the winter of 2021-
2022,” he said. “By rezoning to the
R-2 zone, the developer will retain
the conditional use option to allow
the main building to be used as a
community meeting building.”
The original school building
was constructed in 1948 and added
on to in 1968.
The Moreys purchased the 8.5-
acre property in 2020. The school
is
zoned
public/semi-public,
with outright uses as government
See School, Page A6
In Oregon, there are 1.5 mil-
lion owner-occupied homes with a
Providence Seaside Hospital spare bedroom available, accord-
is partnering with the nonprofit ing to a press release from Prov-
Home Share Oregon to locally idence. Simultaneously, home-
implement a program that could owners throughout the state are
spending more than 30
help alleviate the housing
percent of their income
crisis in the region.
on their mortgage pay-
“We saw this as a great
ment, and one in three are
opportunity to take this
what would be considered
concept and this service
“mortgage
burdened,”
and expand it into the
according to Fields. This
community,” Chief Mis-
Tess Fields
sion Officer Cherilyn Frei
has contributed to an
said.
affordable housing cri-
Home Share Oregon brings sis throughout the entire state of
the classic community tradition Oregon that extends to the North
of home-sharing into the modern Coast.
Frei believes there is “a huge
age utilizing technology to match
renters to homeowners, and vice deficit in our area,” for both work-
force housing and general housing
versa, based on compatibility.
Tess Fields, Home Share Ore- among community members.
gon’s executive director, launched
Fields became familiar with
the program two years ago as part Providence through the organiza-
of a larger nonprofit organiza- tion’s work in Yamhill and Lin-
tion. It experienced rapid success coln counties, and she saw an
and expansion, leading Fields to opportunity to expand awareness
establish her own separate non- and representation in this region.
profit entity in mid-2021.
The Coast offers a unique
Individuals and families can opportunity because there is a sig-
use Home Share Oregon’s dig- nificant amount of underutilized
ital app to create a profile — housing inventory, Fields said.
whether they’re looking to rent a While people are at the risk of
room or have one to offer. Pow- being displaced, it’s not because
ered by Silvernest technology, of a lack of available space.
However, many people can’t
the program helps facilitate back-
ground checks, legitimate rental afford to rent an entire home or
agreements and access to medi- apartment on their own at the cur-
ation services, which all make rent rates, but they can pay $500 to
the home-sharing process more $800 to share a home with some-
secure and comfortable for both one else.
Currently, Fields said, the big-
homeowners and renters.
The organization also has staff gest impediment to home-sharing
on the ground who can offer sup- “is that it’s not the social norm.”
port to individuals who are ready Her organization is working to
to start their home-sharing jour- shift perspectives and educate peo-
ney but need assistance, Fields
See Home Share, Page A6
said.
R.J. Marx
Katie McCloud of the Seaside Chamber of Commerce shares details of
the Women in Business program.
Chamber’s McCloud brings
businesswomen together
By R.J. MARX
Seaside Signal
Katie McCloud of the Seaside
Chamber of Commerce wants to
bring businesswomen together.
McCloud has posted interviews
with prominent business women
on the chamber of commerce
website, and looks forward to
bringing businesses together on
an ongoing basis.
“It started as a last-minute
idea — not really a solid idea,”
she said at the chamber March 9
morning meeting, held at Burly
and the Bean Coffee Roasters on
South Roosevelt Drive.
McCloud, the chamber’s
marketing and communications
manager, started the “Women
in Business” project, a multipart
effort of the chamber and local
businesses.
She started by approaching
Ruth Swenson of the Hilltop Inn
and Suites. “I said, ‘Can you be
my guinea pig?’” McCloud said.
“She said, ‘Of course I can.’”
“Careers though are what
you’re committed to, and you
should love what you do as a
career,” Swenson wrote in her
response, posted on the cham-
ber’s Facebook and Instagram
pages. “I think that would be one
of the best pieces of advice I’ve
got.”
Swenson, Beach Books’
owner Karen Emmerling, author
and Sunset Empire Park and
Recreation District manager of
marketing and special events
Melissa Ousley are among those
who responded to the five ques-
tions posed by McCloud on the
chamber’s Facebook page.
The first question respondents
are asked is how they got into the
business they are in.
“The second question is,
‘What would you tell your
younger self?’” McCloud said.
Other questions provide an
opportunity to give professional
advice, what would you tell your
past self if you could, and what
advice would you give future
business leaders.
See Businesswomen, Page A5