Advisory vote could settle debate over school redevelopment project in Cannon Beach
CANNON BEACH — An advisory vote in November asking residents whether they support $7.8 million in bond financing for the redevelopment of the former elementary school could determine the future of the project.
The City Council has sought to convert the old school, which was closed due to tsunami concerns, into a cultural, community and tourism-related center. The $7.8 million in financing would help the city complete the $12.4 million Necus' project at the north end of town.
Election 2024
Measure 4-234 comes as part of a settlement between the city and a local motel operator, Hannah Buschert, who had legally challenged the City Council's approval of $33.6 million in bond financing for the elementary school project and construction of a new City Hall and police station.
Buschert, along with political action committee Cannon Beach Together, argued that voters should have an opportunity to weigh in on such a large city debt.
The legal challenge was dismissed by a Clatsop County Circuit Court judge, who ruled that the city had the authority to approve the bond financing without a public vote.
Buschert appealed the ruling to the Oregon Court of Appeals. Concerned about the potential impact of the appeal on the financing for all three projects, the city, as part of a settlement with Buschert, agreed to hold an advisory vote on the school project, which had received the most public criticism.
The advisory vote is not binding, but the city has indicated it will follow the election results. The bond financing for the City Hall and police station is moving forward.
"I set out on this journey to seek a vote on three massive spending projects in Cannon Beach (city hall, police station, and CBE rejuvenation), but unfortunately, after a lengthy legal process, I was only able to secure a vote on one," Buschert said in an email to The Astorian.
Buschert urges residents to vote against the measure, claiming the school project would cause added stress to the community while lacking an operation plan.
Building design
A rendering shows the proposed redevelopment of the former Cannon Beach Elementary School.
"The school was closed, in part, due to its proximity to Ecola Creek and potential tsunami risk," she wrote. "So why would we hinge so much tax money on this property?
"A NO vote doesn't mean abandoning the project but allows us to develop a better plan that all stakeholders support. A vote NO also tells city leaders that you feel you deserve the right to vote on how taxes are spent and the future of our community."
David Stowe, the vice chair of the Clatsop-Nehalem Confederated Tribes, said the redevelopment of the school property, which sits on what used to be a Native American village, would honor and highlight crucial Indigenous history.
He said opponents of the project have not clearly defined their objections.
"They complain about the price all the time, but the price is paid for by a mandated state tax, so they've got to spend it on something," he said. "Then they said the building is too big, and I pointed out to them that I have a history of being a builder, I've been a licensed contractor for a long, long time.
"It'd cost more money to demo this building and build a smaller building than it would to just renovate the building that's there and upgrade it, which is what the architects have done."
Stowe said the City Council and architects have been supportive in incorporating tribal history and art into the design of the building.
"Where is there another building like this on the coast?" he said. "It'll be a landmark for the community."
The three candidates competing for two seats on the City Council in the November election are divided on the issue.
Mike Bates, an author and retired corporate attorney who serves on the Planning Commission, supports the school redevelopment project and said it reaffirms the city's commitment to the comprehensive plan.
Deanna Hammond, who co-owns a local bakery, supports the idea of redevelopment but has balked at the price tag and scope of the project.
Erik Ostrander, Buschert's husband, feels residents have been duped into supporting what was initially meant to be a community center rather than a tourism-related facility.
The city intends to use lodging taxes to help pay for the school project, so the center must be tourism-oriented.
The type of bond financing the city is pursuing for all three projects — known as a full faith and credit obligation — requires the city to use all legally available resources to repay the debt. The method is different than a general obligation bond, which many cities use for infrastructure projects, typically backed by increases to property taxes that require a public vote.
