Letter: Astoria losing its riverfront views and character

Published 5:49 pm Friday, February 20, 2026

If we can just erect a few more monstrosities along Marine Drive, visitors will be able to drive through Astoria without ever realizing it is a maritime community, situated on a river.

Even the Columbia River Maritime Museum’s Mariners Hall blocks the river view and resembles an airport building; it prioritizes size and contemporary architectural style over any connection to maritime heritage.

No weathered wood, no nautical references, no sense of the rough-edged working waterfront that defines so much of the Columbia River’s history. It’s as sleek as a suppository.

RODNEY MERRILL

Astoria