The process continues in Hollander Hospitality’s long-running efforts for approval to build a 4 story hotel on Astoria’s 2nd Street.
The Astoria City Council on Monday considered options the City may take in response to the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals remand of the City’s denial of permit extension requests. A design review approval expired in December of 2020. The city then determined sufficient progress had not been made on the project, therefore the project would have to be re-submitted under new rules limiting height among other considerations. LUBA disagreed with the city’s determination.
City Attorney Blair Henningsgaard explained to the council LUBA decided the city cannot rely on changes to the code that occurred since the permit was granted in denying the application. Evidence was relied on that LUBA felt was not in the record concerning two other hotels that did make construction progress during the pandemic and the city did not adequately explain the reasons for the denial.
Henningsgaard recommended the next step would be to take new evidence to supplement the existing record regarding the progress other hotels have made in construction, even during the pandemic, that would support the city’s decision to deny the extension. LUBA’s remand requires a new order be in place by the end of May. The council unanimously voted to re-open the record for that limited purpose and ask staff to compile sufficient evidence of progress the other hotels made between December of 2018 and June of 2020 for the purpose of comparison.