Local News: Astoria Planning Commission continues hearing on Pacific Seafood dorm
Last night, after a 3.5 hour meeting, the Astoria Planning Commission voted to continue the matter of the proposed Pacific Seafood employee dormitory complex on the hill in Uniontown.
Pacific Seafood wants to house up to 80 visa workers from Central America on the site of the former Astoria Pointe drug rehab center near the corner of West Grand and Lincoln Streets. Residents have expressed concerns about narrow steep roads in the neighborhood, increased traffic from minivans used to transport employees, noise, smoking issues, and that the facility does not belong in what is termed under city code to be a quiet residential neighborhood.
The council convened with four members present: Darryl Moore, Patrick Corcoran, Cindy Price and Davis Kroening. After hours of discussion and public comment against the proposal, a straw poll of commissioners revealed a 50-50 split, which would lead in a final vote to denial of the project.
City manager Brett Estes said that while the current vote would seem to indicate denial of the project, the applicant had the right, and had requested, final written rebuttal on the proposal.
The opportunity to present that rebuttal at the next meeting, means the project will be taken up again by the council at their February 25th meeting, where Commissioner Chris Womack may be present. His vote could conceivably break the tie in favor of Pacific Seafood, Estes said.
A podcast of the meeting recording will be available on our website at coastradio.org later today.