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Vista
Ridge II
returns to
commission
Neighbors voice concerns
By R.J. MARX
Seaside Signal
Developers of a 15-lot subdivision
north in Seaside’s east hills returned to
the Planning Commission last Tuesday
night. But after months of continuance,
its reception was no warmer than when
introduced last fall.
Resident Lief Morin said the applica-
tion “is still just as deceptive as it was six
months ago,” failing to meet standards
and ordinances. “The whole proposal is
still rotten to the core.”
The proposal, by Sunset Ridge LLC,
seeks to divide the 6.62-acre subject prop-
erty into 15 residential development lots,
ranging in size from 10,000 square feet to
a little more than 47,000 square feet.
According to the city’s staff report,
the current zone allows for fi ve dwelling
units per acre, so the 6.62-acre property
has a development potential that would
allow 33 dwelling units. A total of 15 are
proposed.
See Vista Ridge II, Page A3
Photos by R.J. Marx
Miss Meadowlark, Sophia Takla, after being named Miss Oregon 2022.
Miss Oregon 2022 is
crowned in Seaside
Takla selected in
program’s 75th year
Short-term
rental tweaks
approved by
commission
By R.J. MARX
Seaside Signal
M
Sophia Takla is crowned Miss Oregon by
Miss Oregon 2021 Abigail Hayes. Miss
Oregon Teen 2021 Moira O’Bryan at right.
By R.J. MARX
Seaside Signal
Seaside’s Planning Commission
picked up where they left off in April with
approval of tweaks to the city’s vacation
rental dwelling policies. They include
density reductions, a waiting period after
transactions and new construction, and
a grace period for property owners and
managers to clear out reservations when
a property is sold.
“We carefully discussed and debated
how to tackle the issue and make sure that
we were doing our part to maintain a liv-
able community for people that live here
full time and for people that visit here,”
Commissioner Kathy Kleczek said at last
Tuesday’s meeting. “That was our goal,
and we had a vigorous discussion about
how to go about that. The fact that rentals
for people that are attempting to reside in
the area are disappearing was the moti-
vation to look at the numbers and fi nd a
balance.”
See Tweaks, Page A3
iss Meadowlark, Sophia
Takla, was crowned Miss
Oregon on Saturday night
at the scholarship program’s 75th
annual event at the Seaside Civic and
Convention Center.
Takla, a student at Boston Conser-
vatory at Berklee College of Music,
will receive a $15,000 scholarship and
represent the state at the Miss America
pageant.
Takla was crowned by Abigail
Hayes, Miss Oregon 2021, who was
selected fourth runner-up at the Miss
America pageant last December.
Evergreen teen candidate Déja Fitz-
water was selected Miss Oregon’s Out-
standing Teen, winning a $5,000 schol-
arship award. The Tigard High School
student will head to Dallas, Texas, for
the Miss America Outstanding Teen
national competition in August.
See Miss Oregon, Page A6
Training facility complicates school softball relocation
Three sites
considered
by school
district
By R.J. MARX
Seaside Signal
Seaside School District
Concept for a Broadway Field softball redesign presented by the Seaside
School District.
The Seaside School
District came to last
Monday’s City Coun-
cil hoping to redevelop
Broadway Field to meet
the needs of athletes’
softball play.
“The
recommenda-
tion is to use an underuti-
lized portion of Broadway
Field as many of the facil-
ities are already in place,”
Susan Penrod, the district
superintendent, said.
The fi eld was devel-
oped in 2013 on land
owned by the city, used
by the school district and
maintained by the Sun-
set Empire Park and Rec-
reation District. All three
entities are party to future
decisions.
See Field, Page A8
Ordinance rollout shifts homeless traffi c, camping
By R.J. MARX
Seaside Signal
R.J. Marx
Entrance to the Mill Ponds at
Alder Mill Avenue.
City councilors and staff expressed
their desire to be humane while enforc-
ing the city’s camping ordinance.
The ordinance is intended to pro-
tect the safety of residents and regulate
the use of public and private property
by establishing time, place and manner
guidelines for homeless camping. It
establishes a permit program for tem-
porary overnight camping on residen-
tial and nonresidential properties.
Campers arrive at 8 p.m. when the
gate to the area opens with capacity
for 20 RVs and 30 tent campers, Police
Chief Dave Ham said,
Campers and vehicles must leave by
8 a.m. “We’re getting pretty good com-
pliance with people moving along and
going wherever they end up going,”
Ham said.
So far, about 85 case fi les have been
taken in relation to the ordinance. Of
those case fi les, about 23 are permits
to use the camping site. “We’re still
just trying to get everybody educated,
including our offi cers and community
members that have questions about it.”
Six of the cases involve car
impounds, he said. Cars, RVs or
belongings are held for 30 days at the
Astoria July 2-3
Clatsop Co. Fairgrounds
Saturday: 9 am- 4 pm ◆ Sunday: 10 am- 3 pm
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public works lot.
So far, the city has allowed access to
property owners seeking access to their
vehicles or belongings.
The program has gone smoothly and
cleared out “a lot of the problem vehi-
cles,” Ham said.
Police have not issued any citations.
Despite a projected demand, over-
night camping usage has been sparse
so far, he said.
“What we’re seeing at the Mill
Ponds location is that there’s only
about three or four permitted folks that
are staying out,” he said.
See Ordinance, Page A3