Friday, August 5, 2022 | Seaside Signal | SeasideSignal.com • A3
Mill Ponds: Property is ‘short-term solution’
Continued from Page A1
The city repurposed the
Mill Ponds parking lot site
after implementation of the
overnight camping ordi-
nance in May, after closing
down a temporary campsite
on city-owned land at 10th
Avenue and Necanicum that
had become increasingly dif-
fi cult to manage.
Facilities include running
water, portable restrooms
and garbage collection.
Changes to the camping
policies enacted last week
allow permitted RVs and
campers to stay six days
before requiring them to
move or break down their
campsites.
The lot is temporary, City
Councilor Tita Montero said,
developed as a response to
federal court rulings and
state law requiring cities to
provide shelter options for
the homeless.
“This is not permanent,”
Montero said at the July 25
City Council meeting. “If we
let ourselves slide into this as
permanent, we will run into
situations with the state and
the powers that be, because
we are looking ultimately at
that being a parking lot for
the Mill Ponds Park. We’ve
got to fi nd a diff erent, better
location.”
Camping, whether autho-
rized or unauthorized, is not
consistent with the purpose
of the c oastal w etlands pro-
gram or the uses described,
Eric Williams, the watershed
board’s grant manager, said
in a June letter to the city.
The
city
accepted
$250,000 from the Ore-
gon Watershed Enhance-
ment Board in 1998 to buy
the property, which has envi-
ronmental importance as a
freshwater salt marsh and
wildlife habitat.
The meeting between city
staff and the state centered on
the requirements of the fund
sources that contributed to
the land acquisition, which
prohibit camping, Williams
said after the meeting.
“City offi cials described
their approach to address-
ing the situation, includ-
ing the rationale for creating
the hardscaped (graveled)
camping area, which was
placed on top of an exist-
ing dirt parking area,” he
R.J. Marx
RVs and campers at the city’s camping area off Alder Mill Avenue.
said. “The city feels that
actions to date have resulted
in cleanup of the majority of
the Mill Ponds property and
more controls over how the
property is being used. They
acknowledged that this is a
short-term solution and that
alternative sites need to be
found, which they are work-
ing on.”
In terms of next steps,
the watershed enhancement
board’s North Coast program
representative, Katie Duzik,
will be meeting quarterly
with city offi cials to check on
progress, Williams said.
Moberg:
Library’s
biggest need
is more space
Moberg named Warrenton city manager
By ETHAN MYERS
The Astorian
WARRENTON — The city has found its
next city manager.
Following an executive session on July 29,
the City Commission voted unanimously in a
special session to off er the position to Esther
Moberg, the library director and public infor-
mation offi cer in Seaside. The off er is pending
contract negotiations.
“I am so excited for the opportunity to be
a part of Warrenton and I am looking forward
to getting to know the staff , community and
building a future together,” Moberg said.
Moberg has held a number of library posts
on the North Coast, totaling nine years of local
government management experience.
Moberg, along with Marc Howatt, a former
public works director in Warrenton, and Don-
ald Kewley, most recently a senior risk man-
ager for a technical consultant, were named as
fi nalists for the position earlier this month.
The city held staff and community recep-
tions with candidates, as well panel interviews
by community leaders, public administrators,
city department heads and the City Commis-
sion over the past week.
“I’m pleased that we have unanimous sup-
port to off er Esther Moberg the job,” Mayor
Henry Balensifer said in a statement. “We
look forward to working together to build a
better Warrenton.”
Moberg is set to replace Linda Engbretson,
who is retiring. Her last day was Aug. 5.
Mathew Workman, the police chief, will
act as interim city manager until Moberg is
hired.
This is the second time within the last sev-
eral months that the city has named a new city
manager. In April, Ben Burgener, who held
the same role in Stanfi eld, was named city
manager, but contract negotiations failed.
The city then tasked Jensen Strategies, the
Portland consulting fi rm hired to fi nd and vet
applicants, with conducting another search.
Ashley Driscoll, the city’s attorney, and
Balensifer will negotiate the contract with
Moberg. A timeline for her arrival will be
announced at a later date, the city said.
Continued from Page A1
“Originally, I wasn’t
necessarily thinking of
Warrenton, but after I went
through that process, I felt
maybe it was time to look
into another city manager
position,” Moberg said.
“When that one opened up
again, it seemed like a pos-
sible good fi t.”
The interview process
confi rmed that, she said.
Warrenton city staff will
negotiate the contract with
Moberg. A timeline for
her job transition will be
announced at a later date.
Looking
ahead,
Moberg said the library’s
biggest need is more
space, both in the building
and the parking lot, which
could lead to expansion.
“I just love the Seaside
Library,” she said. “I think
it’s a jewel — and I’ve
seen that from working
with most of the libraries
across the state. What we
have here is just amazing.
I just hope that continues.”
Appeal: Concern about changing neighborhoods
Continued from Page A1
“It’s just too small and
there’s too many in the neigh-
borhood,” Buck said. “The
impact is increased traffi c,
constant noise and then once
that group leaves another
group comes in, then it’s all
over again.”
The City Council is
charged with reviewing
appeals with the option to
affi rm, amend, or overturn
the Planning Commission’s
decision.
A permanent resident for
40 years, Buck asked the
council to rescind the Plan-
ning Commission’s decision
based on density rules and
quality of life concerns.
Because of noise, fi re and
traffi c concerns, Buck said he
has had to act as neighbor-
hood “policeman” to issues
arising from vacation homes,
including camping, fi re pits,
traffi c and noise. Because of
the high density, there is a
constant battle for street park-
ing, he said.
Filling out complaint
forms was “problematic,” he
said, involving online sub-
missions and calls to man-
agement companies or owner
contacts.
In the last two years, fi ve
property owners have applied
for vacation rental permits. “I
sent my comments in opposi-
tion and each one was granted
a license,” he said.
Neighbors shared his
concerns.
“I’ve been in the same
house for 33 years — and it
ain’t the same ball game,”
Marti Wajc said.
She described health and
safety issues, illegal rentals
at neighboring properties and
dog barking.
“I implore you to stop it,”
Wajc said. “Consider the peo-
ple who live here fi rst rather
than dollar signs.”
Tedd Chilless said he
bought his house on 14th
Avenue in 1987, a time when
“the street was like a Norman
Rockwell painting.”
“Kids played in the yard,”
Chilless said. “They played
with kids across the street.
But today, we have numerous
vacation rentals. The street is
like a freeway.”
Chilless said school buses
drop youth sports teams at
rental properties. Outdoor
tents and fi re pits pose a
safety threat and visitors keep
late hours.
A co-owner of 430 14th
Ave., Dave Reudlin, said
he had never had a nega-
tive interaction or complaint
regarding the home.
“Most recently one of our
neighbors came over to me
to tell me how nice the place
looked recently,” he said.
“We built fl owerbeds,”
Reudlin said. “We’re trying
to be good, respectful neigh-
bors of the neighborhood. I
don’t want to turn this into an
investment property. I’d like
to off set the cost of it because
of the frequency with which
we’re able to get down here at
this time in our lives.”
City Councilor Steve
Wright agreed that the city
had a problem with illegal
rentals.
“Maybe the next step is to
fi gure out how we crack down
on the illegal operations,”
Wright said. “But that’s not a
decision to make tonight.”
Mayor Jay Barber said the
appeal did not fi t the criteria
for overturning the Planning
Commission decision.
Wright and city councilors
Randy Frank, Tita Montero,
Tom Horning and Dana Phil-
lips joined Barber in voting to
deny the appeal.
After the meeting, Buck
said he was disappointed with
the decision.
“There’s nothing else I can
do short of getting a lawyer
and trying to sue the city,” he
said.
“Unfortunately, the only
takeaway for the council-
ors was the matter of the ille-
gal VRDs (vacation rental
dwellings),” Wajc said after
Continued from Page A1
providers of early education
and child care programs in
the region, Archibald said.
Infant and toddler care
brings a diff erent set of
expectations and standards,
but also presents an oppor-
tunity to meet a portion of
what is a signifi cant need
in the community and rep-
licate the success the park
district has had with this
age group, he said.
About
$15,000
to
$20,000 will be needed
for equipment and other
expenses to change the
physical space, Archibald
said. The other portion will
be used to cover staff wages
for the fi rst part of the pro-
gram with the hope of
securing long-term funding
or diff erent grants.
As time goes on, those
new programs will be
folded into the park dis-
trict’s youth programs,
Archibald said.
Additional funding could
be obtained from Ore-
gon Community Founda-
tion, with a grant applica-
tion pending. Funds from
Providence Seaside Hos-
pital, Clatsop County and
Columbia Memorial Hospi-
tal will also help launch the
program.
Erin Reding, the park
district’s youth programs
manager, supervises the
preschool, summer camp
and after school-program
and will also supervise this
program when launched.
“Erin has a great deal of
experience and we are fortu-
nate to have her,” Archibald
said.
Michael Hinton, a board
member, sought greater
LIGHTHOUSE
PRESCHOOL
& DAYCARE
NOW OPEN
Only Co-Op Daycare in Clatsop County
Quality Care at Affordable Rates
Daycare as low as $500/month
Preschool as low as $160/month
Multiple Child Discounts
3 yr old (potty trained) - 6 yr old
Monday-Friday 8am-5pm
LIghthouse Christian Church on Dellmoor Loop Rd. Warrenton
Please call 503-738-5182 to Register Today
https://www.lighthouseofhope.org/preschool-daycare
sustainability than previ-
ous district grant programs,
including a recent camp
program.
“It’s important that once
we get this started, that we
fi nd that we make it aff ord-
able and then we make it
sustainable,” he said.
Diff erences between the
infant care program and pre-
vious programs, Archibald
said, are that the program
anticipates full registration
and the park district now
has use of the Sunset Rec-
reation Center classrooms.
“I think the timing is lin-
ing up almost perfectly,” he
said.
The board of directors
voted to support the pilot
extension program for the
expansion of infant and tod-
dler care.
“We are hoping to launch
the program around Sept.
6,” Archibald said.
DINING
on the
NORTH COAST
Great Restaurants in:
GEARHART • SEASIDE
CANNON BEACH
WANT TO KNOW WHERE THE LOCALS GO?
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
• Junior Menu
RESTAURANT & LOUNGE
• Lighter appetite menu
E
RIL Y’
S
Infant care: Grants aim to meet widespread need
the meeting. “Not the nega-
tive impact that the licensed
VRDs are having on our qual-
ity of life, which is slowly
deteriorating.
“They went ahead and
denied Mr. Buck’s appeal and
approved the permit for the
neighbor after all. To say I
was disappointed would be an
understatement. It’s like they
didn’t hear a word we said.”
BEST
BREAKFAST
IN TOWN!
Fish ‘n Chips • Burgers • Seafood & Steak
Friday & Saturday - Prime Rib
Lounge Open Daily 9-Midnight
All Oregon Lottery products available
1104 S Holladay • 503-738-9701 • Open Daily at 8am
OPEN EVERY DAY FROM
6am - 8pm
Great
Breakfast,
but that’s
not all...
•
Great
lunch and
dinner
menu,too!
•
Great
pasta,
steaks &
seafood!
Seaside • 323 Broadway
738-7234 (Open 7 Days)
Cannon Beach
Chocolate Cafe
MILK SHAKE HAPPY HOUR
EVERYDAY 5PM-CLOSE
$1 OFF SHAKES
232 N. Spruce • Cannon Beach, Oregon
Open 10 am-7 pm Daily! • 503.436.4331
Call Sarah Silver
503.325.3211
ext 1222
YOUR RESTAURANT
AD HERE.
Find Your Next Regular
Customers!
•
Homemade
Clam
Chowder,
Salads!