Thank you for your interest in reading The Astorian. Here are a few stories that you might have missed this week:

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The Clatsop County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday approved a Strategic Investment Program agreement with Georgia-Pacific, signaling their support for a roughly $152 million capital investment project aimed at replacing a paper machine at the company’s Wauna Mill.

The Strategic Investment Program incentivizes large capital investments through an alternate taxing structure. In rural communities, the first $40 million of a project is taxed, and the rest — up to $500 million — is exempt. A portion of the savings goes back to the community.

County Manager Don Bohn said the intent of the state program is to help companies stay competitive and maintain jobs. The Wauna Mill is among the county’s largest private-sector employers.

“Oftentimes, these are the difference-makers on whether the investment’s made,” he said. “The way that it works in the private sector is it’s very competitive on where these investments are made within companies across state lines, and so I think for Clatsop County, being competitive right now, given all the other economic challenges, it’s important for us to be supportive of job retention. And these are family-wage jobs, and we all know how important those are to a community.”

See the story by Olivia Palmer by clicking here.

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A team of advocates and advisers at Clatsop County Circuit Court hopes to guide veterans through legal challenges with a recently launched Veterans Treatment Court.

The new court serves as a track within the specialty courts for mental health and drug treatment, which are led by Judge Kirk Wintermute. Veterans are often charged with offenses stemming from mental health issues, addiction or both.

“There’s not usually a bright line,” Wintermute said. “For a lot of folks who have one or the other, there’s a lot of overlap. But we try to figure out the best track for those folks.”

Read the story by Jasmine Lewin by clicking here.

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Seaside is reviewing two downtown buildings to determine the feasibility of a new events center and art collective.

The former Masonic Lodge on Holladay Drive, purchased in 2020 by local real estate agent Roger Mitchell, is in a medium-density residential zone. Historically, however, the lodge had been used in a commercial capacity for over 100 years.

At a meeting Monday night, the City Council heard the applicant’s appeal to change the zoning of the 0.23-acre property to commercial. Mike Morgan, a planning consultant, joined Mitchell before the council.

The two argued that the current zoning would only allow for two units and would not address Seaside’s housing needs. “I think everyone knows Seaside’s main issue is housing,” Mitchell said. “Housing for employees, housing for working people, and this would not address that.”

Morgan highlighted the value of historic preservation and the possibilities of turning the property into an events center.

“Looking at the C-3 Zone, there are several activities that are right in the wheelhouse of what Roger wants to do,” he said. “The restaurants, the hotel or motel, potentially, the theater.”

The second building to be considered before the City Council was the old Lutheran Church, purchased by the city in 2014. The city has slated the building for demolition.

Carrie Bond and R.J. Marx, who are part of the North Coast Collective, pitched their ideas for leasing the building and turning it into a center for visual and performing arts.

The City Council was split over an engineering study to evaluate the structure’s feasibility due to concerns about parking, so a motion did not advance.

Take a look at the report by Jasmine Lewin by clicking here.

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— Derrick DePledge