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Ocean Observing Conference approaches…

Apr 072013

Yaquina Bay
Newport

Newport, Ore – Registration closes soon for the upcoming inaugural Newport Ocean Observing Conference April 30 and May 1 in Newport, Oregon. The conference will highlight the growing economic and business development opportunities presented by the burgeoning marine research activities in Newport.

The conference is being hosted by the Yaquina Bay Ocean Observing Initiative, a partnership of scientists, business owners, local government personnel, and economic development interests who work to promote Newport as a critical hub for ocean observing activities and related economic development.

Newport is the fastest-growing center of marine research and education on the U.S. West Coast. This coastal town is the home of the Hatfield Marine Science Center, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Marine Operations Center – Pacific (MOC-P), a major portion of the NSF-funded Ocean Observatories Initiative, and a wave energy test site for the Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center. Newport also serves at the gateway to the ocean for the world-class marine research conducted by nearby Oregon State University. Approximately $1 billion has been invested in marine research infrastructure in the Newport area and the nearby ocean in recent years.

The first day of the conference will highlight ongoing research and existing infrastructure supporting research in the region. Confirmed speakers will represent the Hatfield Marine Science Center, the National Science Foundation’s Ocean Observing Initiative, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Pacific Marine Operations Center, the local ports of Newport and Toledo, and businesses already located in the region that support marine research.

The second day of the conference will consist of tours of a range of relevant facilities, including the Hatfield Marine Science Center and its ship operations, the NOAA Pacific fleet headquarters, local ports, and the Hinsdale Wave Research Lab and Ocean Observatory Center at Oregon State University.

“The tours will allow participants to get a feel for the range of activities going on here, and to see first-hand the extensive infrastructure in our region that already supports marine research,” said John Lavrakas, President of Advanced Research Corporation in Newport and Co-chair of the meeting.

Tours are organized into thematic series. For example, Tuesday morning will be the Marine Infrastructure series, which will tour the NOAA MOC-P facility, Oregon State University’s Ship Operations, and the Ports of Newport and Toledo. Tour participants will learn about infrastructure capacity at all of these facilities, and receive briefings on facility operations, current technology, and relationships with local vendors.

The Marine Science Technology series will take place all day Tuesday, and include tours of MOC-P, OSU Ship Operations, the Hatfield Marine Science Center, and two critical facilities on the Oregon State campus in Corvallis: the Hinsdale Wave Lab and the Ocean Observatory Center. The Hatfield tour will be preceded by a short talk by OSU geologist Bill Chadwick entitled “Sensing the Ocean’s Floor: Present and Future.”

A third tour theme will be Facility Infrastructure, which will be held in an open house format at the conference hotel on Tuesday afternoon. Participants will be able to meet with representatives from the City of Newport, the City of Toledo, the Port of Newport, a Lincoln County planning representative, and a real estate agent. These individuals will provide information on infrastructure available in the region and plans for additional relevant facilities.

“The third series will answer any and all questions that attendees have about availability of real estate, quality of life, and other issues related to living or working in Lincoln County,” explained Caroline Bauman, executive director of the Economic Development Alliance of Lincoln County and co-chair of the conference.

“This is an exciting time in Newport, and we want to share our success with new potential partners and entice them to investigate business opportunities on the beautiful Oregon coast,” Bauman said.
Conference registration information is available on YBOOI’s web site at www.ybooi.org. The conference will be held at the Hallmark Resort and at the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport. Conference sponsorships and vendor display opportunities are currently available. Contact John Lavrakas at jlavrakas@oregonarc.com for more information.

Current sponsors of the conference are the City of Newport; the City of Toledo, OR; the Ports of Newport and Toledo; Lincoln County; CoastCom; Charter Business; the Yaquina Bay Economic Foundation; the Economic Development Alliance of Lincoln County; and Advanced Research Corporation.

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OCCC Small Business Development Center shows the numbers – Requests $5K in funding from LC City Council

Economic Development No Responses »

Mar 252013

Lincoln City City Council
Archive photo

The Lincoln City City Council seemed okay with awarding five thousand dollars to a local non-profit that is helping to improve Lincoln County’s economy. David Price of the Small Business Development Center at Oregon Coast Community College said over the past year his program has helped to create 87 new jobs here in Lincoln County, helped to retain 261 jobs in the county, helped to create eight new businesses, hit nearly $1.5 million in what’s called “capital infusion” in the county, another best-ever mark for the Center.

Price reminded the council that it has been a regular contributor to the center’s financial stability and that he was asking again for that support starting July 1st, the beginning of the next fiscal year. Price said by working closely with start-up and already growing businesses, the Small Business Development Center, over the past year, advised 214 different clients, 1,324 hours of other services, served 574 participants with over 3,200 hours of contact time, conducted 76 training events and although serving only 1% of Oregon’s population, delivered 5% of all training held in the state.

Mayor Dick Anderson thanked Price for his presentation in such a efficient manner. The mayor added that he and the council seemed favorably inclined to repeat the city’s contribution to the SBDC’s mission at creating jobs in Lincoln County but added that although county-wide economic numbers are interesting, he and the council would like to see how the city’s contribution is helping businesses specifically in Lincoln City. Price said he would do that.

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Commissioners do a little community investing with economic development funds

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Jan 252013

Yacht Club Youth Boathouse
Winter 2012

Depoe Bay Dock #1
Japanese Tsunami, March 11, 2011

Lincoln County Community
Land Trust Home – Lincoln City

Oregon Coast Aquatic Park
Near Oregon Coast Aquarium

Lincoln County Commissioners were spreading some late Christmas Economic Development cheer this week helping to further some community projects along that promote saving or creating jobs here in Lincoln County. Topping their list was a $20,000 grant to update the county’s ten year old economic profile, showing what’s putting people to work in Lincoln County and how and where future jobs might be targeted.

The commissioners approved five thousand dollars to help the Yaquina Bay Youth Boating Club re-locate their boat house that was damaged in a bad storm last year winter. It was found capsized in the harbor. The club is trying to relocate their facility to a spot near Englund Marine.

The commissioners awarded five thousand dollars to the city of Depoe Bay in their continued efforts to repair Dock #1 in the harbor that was damaged in the Japanese Tsunami event on the west coast, stemming from the Japanese Earthquake on March 11th. A huge tidal swell rushed into the world’s smallest harbor and badly damaged Dock #1, ripping it apart. Repairs are underway on the structure.

The commissioners also awarded five thousand dollars to the Lincoln County Land Trust which helps create housing for entry level families who need a head start in qualifying for home ownership. The land trust’s next project is to build a modest new home in Lincoln City next to another home the trust bought outright and fixed up for another family.

Commissioners awarded $2,500 to The Friends of the Oregon Coast Aquatic Center, the center of much discussion for years surrounding whether the community could support a fairly large water park that would serve locals and tourists alike. Being planned for a site near the Oregon Coast Aquarium, water park boosters think it would be a great partner and economic boost for the community tailored made for those days when there is more rain than sunshine along the coast. The grant is for helping to pay for a comprehensive feasibility study on the water park.

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Moore Road safety plan approved by City-Port Task Force

Economic Development, Newport, Port of Newport No Responses »

Jan 102013

Newport City Hall
Wednesday evening

The Newport-Port of Newport Moore Road Safety Task Force got an earful Wednesday night from those who favor the safety fixes to Moore Road to make it safer for log truck deliveries to the International Terminal as well as from those totally opposed to Moore Road being used for any such activity citing safety concerns for pedestrians, children and the motoring public.

Task Force Chairman Doug Wills outlined safety enhancements for Highway 20, its intersection with Moore Road, the intersection with the Bay Road and turning into the International Terminal. Wills said the task force is suggesting to the Newport City Council and the Port of Newport that they try to convince ODOT to adjust the speed limits on the final stretch of Highway 20 coming into Newport as it approaches the intersection with Moore Road. Wills said the 45 mph sign should be moved much father east on the hill coming into town, and the 30 mph sign moved farther east as well – to give all traffic, including log trucks, more time to slow down. Even as it is, the quick notice on the 30 mph zone doesn’t give log truck drivers, unfamiliar with the area, enough time to stop their very heavy trucks, so they just blow their horns and blow through the intersection. Wills said it’s quite common.

A suggestion was made by longshoreman union member and long time resident Yale Fogarty that the light at Highway 20 and Harney should be modified to have a momentary four-way red light to keep the intersection clear in anticipation of such occurrences.

The plan also calls for a much longer left turn storage lane for westbound 20 at the light, and a farther downhill stop-line on Moore Road to give turning log trucks more room to turn south onto Moore. Also, no parking on Moore Road during log truck hours: 6am – 4pm.

At the bottom of the hill at Moore and the Bay Road, the safety plan calls for a new alignment of the intersection so that motorists and truckers entering the intersection can more easily see all traffic; whether it’s coming down Moore, headed west or east on Bay and where the stop signs are. It’s also in the plan that all signs be hyper-bright LED signs so even on a bright sunny day even tourists unfamiliar with the intersection know exactly where things are and how to navigate the intersection. Also, rumble strips, either imbedded in the pavement or just broad stripes painted on the road could also add an air of enhanced safety as tourists and locals alike travel through the area.

There were many questions surrounding how many log trucks a day would be coming down Moore Road, how many ships a month would be visiting the port and how many jobs would be created by the log export operations. Teevin Brothers’ Eric Teevin said there would would be roughly fifty trucks a day coming down Moore Road and one ship a month taking the logs aboard and transporting them to China and other Asian ports. Teevin predicted somewhere between 40 and 60 full time family wage jobs would be created, and that one ship a month would be it for the foreseeable future.

Still, several residents in the audience got up to say they are adamantly opposed to log trucks using Moore Road. One man, a local doctor with six small children, said his house is right on Moore Road and he fears for his childrens’ safety. He added that he doesn’t look forward to the noise all those trucks will make going down and coming back up that steep stretch of pavement. One woman said she’s opposed to any raw log shipments leaving the U.S. saying “we’re just shipping jobs overseas in exchange for more pollution, threats of invasive species clinging inside and outside the ships, destroying a beautiful neighborhood and making the east end of Newport unfriendly to tourists and harmful to nearby businesses.”

Longshoreman’s union member Tracy Bruchett said as a life-long resident of Newport he couldn’t remember a single bad accident involving log trucks on Moore Road. He said log truck drivers deal with very challenging conditions in the mountains, far worse than anything Moore Road could throw at them. He said Moore Road was built years ago for heavy trucks associated with the port and that its 9″ of asphalt all but guarantees there will be very little, if any vibration in anyone’s home when the trucks drive by. Bruchett claimed that when the log operations begin next Fall, the neighbors will witness with their own eyes and ears just how quiet the trucks are and how much of a bother they aren’t. Others reminded the audience that Newport area voters approved a $15 million bond measure in 2006 to rebuild the International Terminal because they believed it would help create desperately needed jobs for the community.

With that the task force voted unanimously to send their package of Moore Road safety recommendations to the city of Newport, the Port of Newport and to ODOT. A traffic impact study on the project has just been received by the city of Newport and will be posted on the city’s website under “Community Development.”

The Port of Newport will be considering the approval of the Moore Road Safety suggestions at its meeting on January 24th, 6pm at their South Beach Marina office meeting room, and then at the Newport City Council meeting on February 4th, 6pm at city hall.

Just before he gaveled the task force meeting adjourned, Chairman Doug Wills reminded the crowd that with the first phase of their task completed, the task force will now devote all future meetings to finding an alternate route for the trucks so they don’t have to use Moore Road. However, Wills said determining an alternate route may come easier than finding the money required to build it. “But that’s our next mission,” he said.

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Group forms to oppose logging trucks using Moore Road down to Bay, then to the Port Terminal

Economic Development, Traffic Safety No Responses »

Jan 022013

Moore Road and Moore at Bay Boulevard

A group of local business people and residents are meeting this Saturday to explore ways to deal with plans that could put over 100 logging trucks a day down Moore Road, turn east on Bay Road and into the Port of Newport’s new Industrial Terminal. Teevin Brothers, one of Oregon’s largest log exporting firms, plans to begin routing fully loaded logging trucks to Newport and have those logs shipped to the Far East starting in late Spring.

Dee Shannon, who has been a primary organizer of the group says logging trucks and residential areas don’t mix. Shannon says her condominium and hotel property will be hurt by the dramatic increase in truck traffic on Moore and Bay Roads. “Less visitors means lower incomes for everyone in Newport, one way or another,” she said. “We think that the city and port task force addressing traffic safety concerns doesn’t get to the main point – the trucks don’t belong on Moore road.”

However, Port of Newport officials have stated repeatedly in the past that Moore Road was built to truck traffic standards and with modifications to the intersection of Moore and Bay Roads, the trucks and the motoring public can be accommodated safely. They say log exports were an industrial mainstay in the Newport area for decades but ceased in the mid-90′s. In short, industrial access to the terminal was here first. Task Force members have also stated that Moore Road is seen only as a temporary route until a permanent one can be established and a funding source for it can be obtained. No one has ventured a guess as to how long that might take, but top officials have stated that the Terminal Task Force is now focusing on ascertaining where that alternative route should be constructed and how to pay for it. The say obtaining large grants through economic development sources and state lottery proceeds are part of the mix.

But Shannon says she’s not convinced. She observes that “Once Moore Road is handling the log truck traffic and the log operations are in full swing, there will be little incentive for the city or the port to follow through on their commitment to establish a permanent alternative route which is likely to be very expensive. We want the port and the city to get moving on the real route first and not disrupt our neighborhoods and businesses with large, loud logging trucks.” Shannon adds, “Everybody is for economic development and more jobs, but unless we do this project right, its benefits will be severely reduced by its damaging impact on the community.”

Shannon says her group, “Citizens to Save Newport,” invites anyone in the public interested in the issue to attend their next meeting scheduled for Saturday, January 5th, 10am at The Landing, located at the intersection of Moore and Bay Roads. Come in through the lobby and it’s the meeting area right upstairs. Their number is 541-574-6777.

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Walgreens project at Highway 101 and Highway 20 is finally moving again

Economic Development, Newport No Responses »

Dec 152012

Walgreens site

The corner of Highways 101 and 20 is bustling with activity again, as two big front loaders dig out the foundation for the new Walgreens Drug Store planned for the site. Although the project was approved last year, going has been slow due to state environmental controls and soils testing. The site used to be a gas station, and for a very long time. Then there was a delay caused by issues dealing with changing the status of NE 1st Street which cuts through the project area.

From here on, it’s expected to be full speed ahead with a grand opening sometime next spring.

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Lincoln County poised to help fund a number of social services and economic development efforts county-wide

Economic Development No Responses »

Dec 122012

Lincoln County Commission

Lincoln County Commissioners Wednesday tentatively approved a number of local economic and human development agencies to receive special federal funds to help strengthen Lincoln County’s economy. $100,000 in assistance will be made available effective January 1st.

The ones county commissioners tentatively approved included Children’s Advocacy Center of Lincoln County for $8,000. The center focuses on preventing child abuse and coordinating treatment for children who have been abused. $10,000 is tentatively going to the Lincoln City Cultural Center for a commercial kitchen Project. $5,500 is likely to go to the Coastal Range Food Bank in Blodgett for a new foundation for their building along with replacing the floor.

Habitat for Humanity of Lincoln County is on track to receive $10,000 to help with building new homes for low income persons. Another $10,000 for Lincoln County Historical Society to help complete the Pacific Maritime and Heritage Center’s public patio. $7,000 for Lincoln Soil and Water Conservation District who wants to put that money to work at building a Newport Community Garden Rainwater Collection project.

Oregon Coast Forestry Society is probably in line to collect $5,000 to move ahead on Toledo’s wood drying kiln, phase II. Another $10,000 to the Oregon Coast Council for the Arts for the Newport Performing Arts Center’s remodeling and expansion project phase I. $8,000 to the Port of Alsea to support their South Lincoln County Rural Tourism Project. $11,500 to South Lincoln Resources that is building a new facility for low income services in the south county area. And lastly $7,000 to the Toledo Chamber of Commerce to purchase advertising time on a billboard.

One grant award of $8,000 to the Newport Sea Lion Docks Foundation hit a little bit of a snag. But the foundation may still get the money. Federal grant money cannot be used to modify the habitat of endangered species. Sea Lions are on the list. The idea that expanding the sea lion docks that tourists flock to watch the pinnipeds is being more closely examined for compliance with the law about the illegality of changing the physical habitat of protected sea lions is against federal law. If through further examination the grant can’t be given to the Sea Lion Foundation for that reason, the fund will retain a contingency amount for other qualifying groups and agencies.

Formal allocations of those funds is expected to be made official at next Wednesday’s regular county commission meeting. The commissioners will also be appointing a new county surveyor. Long time county assistant surveyor John Waffenschmidt, the county’s current computer guru, will likely soon take over the reigns of the county surveyor department more as a quality assurance director than having to be concerned about running the operation on a day to day basis. Commissioners say it’s a plan endorsed by most in the surveyor’s office and they’re anxious to try it out with Waffenschmidt. Waffenschmidt who has a long distinguished record in public service, surveying especially, is expected to replace the former county surveyor, Tom Hamilton, who retired recently after a stormy relationship with the county commissioners. The position has been an elected one, but county commissioners are making it an appointed position effective January first.

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More preparations for logging trucks coming down SE Moore to Bay Boulevard.

Economic Development, Newport, Port of Newport, Traffic Safety, Transportation No Responses »

Oct 102012

SE Moore Task Force, City Hall
Diagram of re-designed SE Moore @ Bay Blvd
Click on photos to enlarge

Trying to stay ahead of the arrival next Spring of many logging trucks a day coming down SE Moore Road turning onto the Bay Road to the International Terminal, a citizens task force has prioritized ways to soften the impact on the area.

With all those logging trucks coming into Newport from the east, the task force said ODOT should move “lower speed limit ahead” warning signs farther east than where they are now, to given inbound traffic more time to slow down. The task force also wants ODOT to double the length of the Highway 20 @ SE Moore Road left turn lane. More trucks means greater need for storing more vehicles waiting to turn left. And the task force would like ODOT to do a speed study to ascertain whether speed limits coming into Newport ought to be lower.

The task force also supports the redesign of the intersection of SE Moore and Bay Boulevard which removes a lot of ground in front of the bank on the corner to make for better traffic flow up and down SE Moore. There is also a designated right turn lane southbound on SE Moore onto Bay Boulevard. The task force also wants bright LED lights accompanying stop and warning signs to alert motorists that the southbound SE Moore and northbound SE Moore traffic doesn’t stop. The task force also wants a left turn lane designated for southbound SE Moore into the bank. They also want parking removed on SE Moore Monday through Friday as well as on Bay Boulevard west of SE Moore for a ways so it doesn’t clutter up southbound SE Moore turns for truckers turning west on Bay. The task force would also like to have rumble strips on southbound SE Moore near the intersection with Bay. And they want log export operator Teevin Brothers to work closely with log truck drivers to ensure they know how to properly navigate the SE Moore @ Bay Boulevard intersection.

The task force will also be asking the county public works director to re-examine speeds on the Bay Road from about Vista to the east and to clear brush from along public rights of way in the area to enhance visibility.

These and perhaps some additional points will be presented to the Port of Newport Commission as well as the Newport City Council within a few weeks. Funding for the SE Moore @ Bay Boulevard intersection modification has yet to be worked out, but task force members agreed it will likely involve an investment by Newport, the Port of Newport and log exporter Teevin Brothers.

Log export operations are expected to commence in a May-June timeframe. Neighbors and city officials say they hope that a long term alternate route to the International Terminal can eventually be worked out. But that will likely take some breakthroughs on selecting a new route and funding to build it.

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Trying to get Newport’s economy moving ahead despite the recession

Economic Development, Newport 1 Response »

Oct 012012

Newport

With the recent arrival of NOAA, the near completion of the Port of Newport’s new International Terminal, budding wave energy technology and ocean observation sciences, Newport City Councilors are pondering what the city could do to harness this new economic energy to move the community forward.

A recent economic report card on Newport was issued by a consulting firm hired by the city to assess its economic strengths as well as challenges. The report said that the town is ripe for a number of economic opportunities, but that it must figure out what kinds of new business and industry would fit in and pay family wage jobs.

Secondly, the report inventoried available parcels of land for new businesses and industries that might move here, or grow here. As for industrial lands the report said a number of suitable industrial sites lie immediately south of Newport proper but within Newport’s urban growth boundary, areas that Newport is expected to annex over the next twenty years.

As for service sector or retail opportunities, the report says there are three areas of Newport, north of the bridge, that could be good performers; an area just north of the bridge on both sides of Highway 101, the Highway 20 corridor from 101 to John Moore Road, and Highway 101 from 6th to 12th. These three areas, according to city staff, could become urban renewal districts that could help fund their own face lifts, lot consolidations, streetscapes, water/sewer improvements, among others.

Also included in the plan is a call for a full time, or mostly full time, economic development coordinator – someone who actively engages business owners and owners of vacant or under-utilized properties to encourage them to partner with the city and other government and private entities to help transform the area into something new businesses and industries would want to become a part of. The coordinator would also aggressively reach out to target businesses and industries statewide that might either relocate or expand to Newport. Funding the position has not been thoroughly thought through, but city staff and the council speculated that the salary and other benefits might be provided among a number of sources, including the city of Newport, Lincoln County, Central Lincoln PUD, the Port of Newport, the Newport Chamber of Commerce, along with active civic groups and other organizations.

The council voted unanimously to adopt the new economic development plan. The next steps appear to be starting up those new urban renewal districts as well as getting the economic coordinator hired – a process that staff estimated might take a year or two.

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Newport: Walgreens site is not for sale. Don’t worry about the sign NEXT DOOR.

Economic Development No Responses »

Aug 152012

New Walgreens, artists rendering

Walgreens is working through permitting processes that will let them move forward with their new Walgreens store in Newport at Highway 20 and 101.

The nearby “For Sale” sign is for the property immediately south (across the FORMER 1st Street) from new Walgreens project. It has nothing, ZERO, to do with the Walgreens project, according to city officials.

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